Maharasa Manjusa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance

Mahārāsa Manjūṣa is a translation and scholarly commentary of Nandadāsas five chapters of rasa-lila,collectively known as the rāsapañcādhyayī. It provides an intensive view of the musical legacy,a devotees worshipful interactions,and Vedāntic foundations of the ecstatic devotion expressed by Nandadāsa.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2023
Publisher: Insight Editions

Mahārāsa Manjūṣa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance is a comprehensive exploration of Nandadāsas five chapters of rasa-lila, collectively known as the rāsapañcādhyayī. In the Vaiṣṇava tradition propagated by Vallabhācārya, Nandadāsa is revered as one of the eight devotional poets, whose compositions are exquisitely detailed with descriptions of both Kṛṣṇas cosmic form and his divine play. This gradual evolution led to the development of a distinctive performing art form known as havelī-saṅgīta, which is still practiced today.

Mahārāsa Manjūṣa delves into the poetics, narrative style, and unique characteristics of the recitation of devotional poems from the region of Vraja in the 16th Century. Nandadāsa's Rasapancadhyayi is a Braja-Bhāṣā rendition of the Bhāgavatas quintet of Mahārāsa, written in Sanskrit verse. The Bhāgavata is one of the most beloved texts in Kṛṣṇa-devotional traditions and serves as the foundational scripture of Braja Vaiṣṇavism. Its five chapters that depict the divine dance showcase the ecstatic fruit of devotion.

Mahārāsa Manjūṣa provides an in-depth examination of a devotee's performance of the Mahārāsa while exploring the interpretative themes rooted in Vallabhācārya's epistemology. It offers a comprehensive view of Nandadāsa's musical legacy, the devotees' worshipful interactions, and the Vedāntic foundations of the ecstatic devotion expressed by him. The introductory chapters serve as a comprehensive study of the theo-aesthetic, epistemic, and liturgical framework of Puṣṭimārgas orthopraxis, which has fueled this lyrical delivery. The translations are literal while offering nuanced insights into the colloquial intr.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647229191