Dance of Divine Love
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-0-691-11446-0 (ISBN)
The heart of this book is a dramatic love poem, the Rasa Lila, which is the ultimate focal point of one of the most treasured Sanskrit texts of India, the Bhagavata Purana. Judged a literary masterpiece by Indian and Western scholars alike, this work of poetic genius and soaring religious vision is one of the world's greatest sacred love stories and, as Graham Schweig clearly demonstrates, should be regarded as India's Song of Songs. The story presents the supreme deity as the youthful and amorous cowherd, Krishna, who joins his beloved maidens in an enchanting and celebratory "dance of divine love." Schweig introduces this work of exquisite poetry and profound theology to the Western world in the form of a luminous translation and erudite scholarly treatment. His book explores the historical context and literary genre of the work and elucidates the aesthetic and emotional richness of the composition, highlighting poignant details of this drama of divine love. Schweig illuminates the religious dimensions and ethical nuances of the drama, drawing widely from the commentaries and esoteric vision of masters of the Caitanya school of Vaishnavism, a prominent devotional Hindu tradition.
Themes such as transcendence of death through love, the yoga of devotion, the contrast between worldly love and passionate love for God, and the dialectical tension between ethical boundaries and boundless love are presented. The final event of the Rasa dance, the author concludes, presents a dynamic symbol of supreme love that provides the basis for a theological vision of genuine religious pluralism.
Graham M. Schweig is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Indic Studies Program at Christopher Newport University. He earned his doctorate in Comparative Religion from Harvard University and has contributed articles to numerous journals and books in the field.
List of Figures and Tables ix Foreword by Norvin Hein xi Acknowledgments xvii Pronunciation xxi Abbreviations xxv Introduction: The Sacred Love Story 1 A Drama of Love 1 Sacred Love Stories 6 India's Song of Songs 8 Bh gavata as the Ultimate Scripture 11 Sacred Context of the Rasa Lila 16 Part I: Poems from the Bhagavata Purana Dance of Divine Love: Rasa Lila 23 Act One. Krishna Attracts the Gop s and Disappears 25 Act Two. The Gop s Search for Krishna 39 Act Three. The Song of the Gopis: Gopi Gita 51 Act Four. Krishna Reappears and Speaks of Love 58 Act Five. The Rasa Dance 65 Song of the Flute: Venu Gita 78 Song of the Black Bee: Bhramara Gita 86 Part II: Textual Illuminations Chapter 1: Background of the Text 97 Devotional Love as "Rasa" 97 Ancient Sources of Devotional Love 101 Devotional Love as the Path to God 105 Forms of the Deity Vishnu 108 Chapter 2: Aspects of the Story 111 Framing Passages of the Rasa Lila 111 Poetic and Dramatic Dimensions 114 Krishna: Lord of Love and Beauty 117 Vraja: Pastoral Paradise 125 Yogamaya :Potency for Intimacy 130 The Gopis: Beloveds of Krishna 137 The Special Gopi :Radha 147 Chapter 3: Messages of the Text 152 Devotional Yoga Transcends Death 152 Ethical Boundaries and Boundless Love 158 The Vision of Devotional Love 166 Symbolism in the Rasa Lila 172 Part III: Notes and Comments Introduction 187 Act One 189 Act Two 222 Act Three 237 Act Four 250 Act Five 263 Part IV: The Sanskrit Text Introduction 291 Act One 293 Act Two 304 Act Three 313 Act Four 318 Act Five 322 Appendix 1: Note on Translation 331 Appendix 2: Poetic Meters in Sanskrit Text 336 Accent and Syllable Length: Emphasis and Rhythm in Sanskrit Verse 337 Sanskrit Meters Used in R sa L l Te x t 337 Story Line and Poetic Meter Analysis 339 Verse Number Variations and Actual Verse Count 342 Appendix 3: Synoptic Analysis of the Rasa Lila 344 Glossary 347 Bibliography 355 Index 367
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 14.3.2005 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | 1 Maps |
| Verlagsort | New Jersey |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 140 x 235 mm |
| Gewicht | 624 g |
| Themenwelt | Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Hinduismus |
| ISBN-10 | 0-691-11446-3 / 0691114463 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-691-11446-0 / 9780691114460 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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