Krishna As Poetry

About the Book The romantic Krishna finds a textual presence for the first time in the Bhagavata Purana and then for a thousand years we celebrate that Krishna through heart-throbbing poetry. Krishna is indeed both the kavi and the kavya, rasa and rasika, the shabda and the artha, He is Purusha and Prakriti. Krishna dances and frolics, speaks and sings, and shringara in its many colours comes alive for us through kavya. We are the gopis of Vrindavana, the nayikas of Ritikavya as Krishna comes alive not through religious rites and rituals but through the joy of poetry and painting and we acclaim krishna svayam kavyam. After we have experienced the aesthetic pleasure of the love of Krishna we realize that all love in this world is that of Krishna, the hushed words of romance between a man and a woman are those of Krishna and Radha, all poetry that celebrates romantic love is that of Krishna, so that we can turn the sentence around and say kavyam svayam krishna. We invite you to immerse yourself in the beautiful poetry of Krishna, through the melody and lyrics let His madhurya wash over you like the waves of the Yamuna and his many-splendoured persona make your mind dance like the birds and blossoms of Vrindavana. Harsha V. Dehejia beautifully weaves a tapestry of Krishna Shringara Kavya enriched by the colours and textures of paintings by the noted artist Vijay Sharma. The book assures the reader both the joy of poetry and the visual delight of painting. About the Author Harsha V. Dehejia has a double doctorate, one in medicine and other in ancient Indian culture, both from Mumbai University. He is also a member of the Royal College of Physicians of London, Glasgow and Canada all by examination. He is a practising Physician and Professor of Indian Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His main interest is in Indian aesthetics.

The first book in English to provide a full and clear introduction to the imagery and verse related to one of the most significant of Indian gods. Archer's history of the depiction of Krishna's life and deeds traces the god's many aspects, from warrior to cowherd to prince. 39 plates of illustrations follow.

The poet-saint Raskh?n lived in the 16th/17th century C.E. Story has it he was born as a Muslim, but later converted to Krishnaism. This conversion took place because at first he was infatuated by a young boy, but later on transformed his love to a mystical devotion to the young cowherd god Krishna. Due to this conversion his mystical poems have a particular place in the bhakti cult of Northern-India. Raskh?n's songs rank among the finest of Krishna poetry in Brajbh???, the language the young god Krishna is supposed to have spoken when he lived on earth. It is the language of the pilgrimage site of Brindavan in Northern-India. Raskh?n's songs are on the lips of many devotees up to the present day. Paul van der Velde is professor of Asian Religions, Sanskrit and Hindi at the Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. He stayed long periods in the village of Brindavan and did research there on the devotional cult on Krishna and R?dh? and the Brajbh??? language.

Introduction to the Indian god Krishna, stressing his supreme role in the painting, poetry, and religion of India.

On the life and works of Gopāḷakr̥shna Paṭṭanāẏaka, 1784-1862, Oriya poet.

On the life and works of En. Vi. Kr̥ṣṇavāriyar, b. 1917, Malayalam author.