Hardy And The Rasa Theory

Thomas Hardy, 1840-1928, English novelist and poet.

This book adds a unique eastern perspective to the ever growing corpus of Shakespeare criticism. The ancient Sanskrit theory of Rasa – the aesthete’s emotional response to performing arts – is explicated in detail and applied to Shakespeare’s tragic masterpieces. Bharata, who wrote about Rasa in the Natyasastra, developed detailed guidelines for the communication of emotion from author to actor and then to the audience culminating in a sublime aesthetic experience. Though chronologically Bharata is as ancient as Aristotle, thematically, his ideas are as relevant today as Aristotle’s is and often echo those of the Greek master. This cross–cultural study on the communication of emotions in art establishes that emotions are universal and their communication follows similar patterns in all climes. The Rasa theory is today applied to modern media like film and has found a place among audience centric communication theories. This volume extends the East-West dialogue in aesthetic theory by identifying parallels and points of deviation and delights both aesthete and critic alike.

In the sixteenth century, the saint and scholar Sri Caitanya set in motion a wave of devotion to Krishna that began in eastern India and has now found its way around the world. Caitanya taught that the highest aim of life is to develop selfless love for God Krishna, the blue-hued cowherd boy who spoke the Bhagavad Gita. Although only a handful of poetry is attributed to Caitanya, his devotional theology was expounded and systematized by his followers in a vast array of poetical, philosophical, and ritual literature. This book provides a thematic study of Caitanya Vaishnava philosophy, introducing key thinkers and ideas in the early tradition, using Sanskrit and Bengali sources that have seldom been studied in English. The book addresses major areas of the tradition, including epistemology, ontology, aesthetics, ethics, and history, and every chapter includes relevant readings from primary sources.

Many Arts In Traditional India Were The Preserve Of Hereditary Practitioners, Some Of Whom Are Still Supported By Hindu Temples. An Example Is The Community Of Hereditary Musicans (Kirtankars), Who Still Serve In The Temples Of The Vallabha Sampraday, A Vaishnava Sect With Its Main Centre In Nathdvara, Rajasthan. This Book Deals With The Role Of Music In The Sampraday And With The Lives Of The Musicians. It Is Concerned With The Living Tradition, And What It Can Tell Us About The Past. By Revealing The Context In Which Music Was Created In Nathdvara, It Provides New Insights Into The Functioning Of Traditional Artist Communities And Their Response To The Challenges Of A Changing World.

The 16th-century North Indian religious devotee, poet and musician, Svāmī Haridās, composed lyrics in Braj Bhāṣā, dedicated to the divine couple Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. One hundred twenty-eight of them were later compiled in two anthologies: the didactic Aṣṭādaś siddhānta and the rapturous Kelimāl, and became the theological basis of the Haridāsī sampradāya, a sect which still flourishes in Vrindaban, U.P. Neither of these important works has hitherto been edited, properly translated or studied academically. The focus of this book is the text of Haridās’s poetry: its transmission, edition and interpretation. Sixteen 18th-19th century manuscripts are collated for the edition and classified with the help of computer programmes originally employed in taxonomy. The apparatus criticus is followed by an annotated English translation in which readings are assessed and points of linguistic interest discussed. The language of Haridās’s text is thoroughly examined, and a comprehensive etymological glossary is included to enhance our knowledge of Braj. Going beyond textual criticism, the book sets Haridās’s verses in a broader context. The introductory chapter discusses the theological views of the Haridāsī tradition against the background of bhakti, analyses the sources of information about Haridās, and attempts to reconstruct his life. Since Haridās’s lyrics were composed to be sung some of their musical features are analysed. The text of the Kelimāl is also examined through the sectarian concerns of its main commentaries. This study will be an important source of information to all scholars of Braj language and Kṛṣṇa devotionalism.

Eduard Wirsing was an outstanding number theorist. In his research he made significant contributions to various subfields of number theory and also collaborated with other eminent scientists (e.g., with the Fields Medalist Alan Baker as well as Don Zagier). This commemorative volume includes numerous papers on current research in number theory by well-known experts, as well as some personal recollections by companions of Wirsing. The topics covered in this volume include arithmetical functions, continued fractions, elementary proofs of the prime number theorem, friable integers, the Goldbach problem, Dirichlet series, Euler products, and more. There is something for every interested reader.