Dance Of Divine Love

by Schweig, Graham M.

• ISBN13: 9780691114460
• ISBN10: 0691114463
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-02-22
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

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, theBhagavata 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.

Author Biography

Graham M. Schweig is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Indic Studies Program at Christopher Newport University

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	ix
Foreword	xi
Norvin Hein
Acknowledgments	xvii
Pronunciation	xxi
Abbreviations	xxv
Introduction The Sacred Love Story	1	(22)
A Drama of Love	1	(5)
Sacred Love Stories	6	(2)
India's Song of Songs	8	(3)
Bhagavata as the Ultimate Scripture	11	(5)
Sacred Context of the Rasa Lila	16	(7)
Part I Poems from the Bhagavata Purana
Dance of Divine Love: Rasa Lila	23	(55)
Act One. Krishna Attracts the Gopis and Disappears	25	(14)
Act Two. The Gopis Search for Krishna	39	(12)
Act Three. The Song of the Gopis: Gopi Gita	51	(7)
Act Four. Krishna Reappears and Speaks of Love	58	(7)
Act Five. The Rasa Dance	65	(13)
Song of the Flute: Venu Gita	78	(8)
Song of the Black Bee: Bhramara Gita	86	(11)
Part II Textual Illuminations
Background of the Text	97	(14)
Devotional Love as ``Rasa''	97	(4)
Ancient Sources of Devotional Love	101	(4)
Devotional Love as the Path to God	105	(3)
Forms of the Deity Vishnu	108	(3)
Aspects of the Story	111	(41)
Framing Passages of the Rasa Lila	111	(3)
Poetic and Dramatic Dimensions	114	(3)
Krishna: Lord of Love and Beauty	117	(8)
Vraja: Pastoral Paradise	125	(5)
Yogamaya: Potency for Intimacy	130	(7)
The Gopis: Beloveds of Krishna	137	(10)
The Special Gopi: Radha	147	(5)
Messages of the Text	152	(35)
Devotional Yoga Transcends Death	152	(6)
Ethical Boundaries and Boundless Love	158	(8)
The Vision of Devotional Love	166	(6)
Symbolism in the Rasa Lila	172	(15)
Part III Notes and Comments
Introduction	187	(104)
Act One	189	(33)
Act Two	222	(15)
Act Three	237	(13)
Act Four	250	(13)
Act Five	263	(28)
Part IV The Sanskrit Text
Introduction	291	(40)
Act One	293	(11)
Act Two	304	(9)
Act Three	313	(5)
Act Four	318	(4)
Act Five	322	(9)
Appendix 1 Note on Translation	331	(5)
Appendix 2 Poetic Meters in Sanskrit Text	336	(8)
Accent and Syllable Length: Emphasis and Rhythm in Sanskrit Verse	337	(1)
Sanskrit Meters Used in Rasa Lila Text	337	(1)
Storyline and Poetic Meter Analysis	338	(4)
Verse Numbering Variations and Actual Verse Count	342	(2)
Appendix 3 Synoptic Analysis of the Rasa Lila	344	(3)
Glossary	347	(8)
Bibliography	355	(12)
Index	367