Books: The Dance of Divine Love

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http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/7974.html

 

 

Dance of Divine Love:

India's Classic Sacred Love Story: The Rasa Lila of Krishna

Graham M. Schweig

 

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.

 

Endorsements:

 

"This is truly first-rate scholarship. The five-chapter dramatic poem of the

Rasa Lila is a gem of world literature, and Schweig has polished it masterfully.

His translation gives a sense of the poetic aspect of the work as well as its

theology."--E. F. Bryant, Rutgers University

 

"Schweig's translation is accurate, expressive, and poetic. This book will be

useful to classes in a variety of disciplines, including world literature,

Eastern religions, and comparative art and culture."--June McDaniel, College of

Charleston

 

"A comprehensive presentation of the Rasa Lila chapters from the Bhagavata

Purana has been much awaited, and this volume by Dr. Graham Schweig will surely

satisfy scholars and aesthetes alike. Dr. Schweig's knowledgeable mind has

danced well with his sensitive heart to produce a great

accomplishment."--Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami, Radha Raman Temple, Vrindavana,

India and author of Celebrating Krishna

 

 

 

Aravind Mohanram

Ph.D. Candidate

Dept. of Mat Sci and Engg.,

Penn State University,

University Park, PA 16801

www.personal.psu.edu/aum105

 

 

 

 

 

 

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