Originally published in 1963, The Love Songs of Vidyāpati explores one hundred poems by the poet Vidyāpati. The book opens with an extensive introduction providing an overview into the life of Vidyāpati and offering a wealth of information relating to the themes, development, and significance of his poetry. The poems are accompanied by detailed notes and enhanced further by a selection of illustrations. The Love Songs of Vidyāpati will appeal to anyone with an interest in poetry, literary history, and Indian cultural history.
First published in 1967, Love Songs of Chandidās provides an informative introduction which makes vividly clear the importance of Chandidās to the Indian peasant masses. As the author tells us, the traveller through the Birbhum area of Bengal hears Chandidās everywhere, in the villages, in the fields, on the roads. Night after night, the people gather in the temple courtyards or on the village greens to listen to professional ‘Kirtan’ singers sing his songs of the divine love of Radha and Krishna. The influence of Chandidās on contemporary Bengali literature is equally important, his songs having enriched the work of great poets such as Rabindranath Tagore, Govindadas, and many others. The author also discusses the interesting topic of the Sahaja (‘spontaneity’) movement in Indian faith and literature, as manifested in the songs of Chandidās, and the worship of love-making, divine and human, as an important aspect of this faith. This book will be of interest to students of literature, music, history, cultural studies and South Asian studies.
Uncovers the unexplored history of the love song, from the fertility rites of ancient cultures to the sexualized YouTube videos of the present day, and discusses such topics as censorship, the legacy of love songs, and why it is a dominant form of modern musical expression.
In the tidal wave of intellectual argument that followed the 2006 release of Richard Dawkinss God Delusion book, a fierce debate has raged between atheism and religion over the existence of God, leaving the worlds scientists and laymen largely undecided in their opinion. Gods Illusion Machine presents a fascinating alternative to a debate that has largely been argued within the framework of Christian versus science concepts. Drawing upon the worlds oldest body of knowledge (the Vedas), the author describes the massive illusion to which we are all subjected as we mistakenly believe ourselves to be physical creations of the material world. In Gods Illusion Machine, the material world is gradually exposed as the ultimate virtual reality machine for wayward souls who prefer a self-centred, rather than a God-centred, existence. In contrast to Richard Dawkinss assertion that the religious are suffering a delusion for believing in God, the author argues that both the atheists and the religious are under the spell of Gods deluding energy called My, which acts in reciprocation with a souls desire to be in illusion within the physical realm. By applying the profound spiritual insights of Vedic knowledge along with a healthy dose of common sense and good humour, Gods Illusion Machine is an enthralling expos of the deceptive nature of the material world and the false claims of materialists regarding the nature of life and love. It is a triumph of spirituality over both atheistic materialism and religious dogmatism. Gods Illusion Machine is a work of major importance realigning Western religion, philosophy, and science with eternal spiritual truths, an enlightening read for both the atheist and the religious, bringing spiritual certainty and true love to bewildered souls in troubled times. For atheists who like a good argument, for the religious who are stuck for a reply to Richard Dawkins, for fans of fantasy and sci-fi where forces of light and illusion contend in battle, and for you, the reader, whatever your disposition, this book will forever change your outlook on life and its meaning. As the rising sun disperses the darkness of night, so in the presence of Krishna (The Absolute Truth), my (illusion) cannot stand.
The exploratory volume in the new field of comparative ethics serves the diverse goals of groups variously interested in International law and morality, in comparative religious ethical ideals, or simply in cross-cultural literature and drama. The author draws moral ideals from primary Hindu sources--popular and formal, literary and spiritual. The same method is applied for Buddhist moral texts. Introducing method in comparative ethics with a synopsis of Hindu mystical tradition, the author diiscusses in detail ethics in the Rgveda, Upaniisads, Laws of Manu, Ramayana, Gita, other popular classics, poetry, drama, philosophers, and reformers. After summarizing pluralism in Hindu ethiics, the author sketches ethical thought in Mahayana Buddhiist texts. The book contains elaborate notes, two appendices, critical textual matter, a diagram of topical parallels, a bibliography, and an index.
About the Book Of all the mythic characters in the Hindu pantheon none is more enigmatic and evocative than Radha. Appearing for the first time in Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, where she is the ultimate beloved, she traverses political dynasties, royal ateliers and social barriers to emerge as a consort of Krishna. Brought alive by poets, developing a colourful presence in the hands of painters, dancing through prosceniums and acquiring a lyrical life through songs, both classical and popular, Radha is present in homes and havelis, celebrated by the the samajika and the rasika, has a presence in temples and roadside shrines as a symbol of pure and eternal love. And yet there are so many questions about her life; poets differ in their portrayals of her, historians argue, dancers claim her through their interpretations and for the common person she is now a shringara rasa nayika and now a goddess. But Radha stands steadfastly alone refusing to be bound down by poets or potters, dancers or singers. Harsha V. Dehejia weaves an enchanting story of Radha with a multicoloured thread, where myth blends into history and fiction challenges reality and Radha emerges in all her poetic glory in this spellbinding story. Vijay Sharma and his team of artists bring Radha colourfully alive with miniature paintings, for it is there rather than sculpture that Radha resides. She is essentially kavyamaya, her origins are in the minds of poets, it is there that she grows, dallies and evolves. And while her voice is heard in songs and her footsteps resonate with dancers, it is in miniature paintings, through line and colour, that Radha comes alive as a multidimensional, many-nuanced paragon of love. This is Radhayan. 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.
