Maharasa Manjusa Hardcover Book

Maha??ra??sa Manju??s?œa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance

provides translation and scholarly commentary of Nandada??saƒ??s five chapters of rasa-lila, collectively known as the ra??sapan?Ÿca??dhyayi??.

In the Vais?œn?œava tradition propounded by Vallabha??ca??rya, Nandada??sa is considered to be one of the eight devotional poets, whose compositions are exquisitely detailed with description of both Kr?œs?œn?œaƒ??s cosmic form and his divine play. This gradually developed into a distinctive style of performing art,

haveli??-san??gi??ta

, which is practiced even today.

Maha??ra??sa Manju??s?œa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance

brings out the poetics, narrative style, and idiosyncrasies of the recitation of devotional poems from the region of Vraja in the 16th Century.

An exquisite specimen of devotional poetics, Nandada??saƒ??s

Rasapancadhyayi

is a Braja-Bha??s?œa?? rendition of the

Bha??gavata

ƒ??s quintet of

Maha??ra??sa

written in Sanskrit verse. The

Bha??gavata

is one of the most beloved texts of K ?? ?œ ??a-devotional traditions and the foundational scripture of

Braja Vais?œn?œavism

and its five chapters describing the divine dance illustrate the ecstatic fruit of devotion.

Presenting a devoteeƒ??s execution of the

Maha??ra??sa

while examining its interpretative themes underpinned in the epistemology of Vallabha??ca??rya,

Maha??ra??sa Manju??s?œa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance

offers an intensive view of the musical legacy, a devoteeƒ??s worshipful interactions, and Veda??ntic foundations of the ecstatic devotion expressed by Nandada??sa. The introductory chapters provide first compendious study of the theo-aesthetic, epistemic, and liturgical framework of

Pus?œt?œima??rga

ƒ??s orthopraxis that have fuelled this lyrical delivery. Enriched with annotations, the translations are literal while offering nuanced insights into the colloquial intricacies of Braja-Bha??s?œa?? poetics and the cultural expressions of the Braja region.

EXPERT SCHOLARLY ANALYSIS

: Prakriti Goswami is a doctoral candidate at Indiana University who studies the role of poetics, music, and aesthetics within Hinduism. Foreword author David Haberman is a professor of religious studies at Indiana University who has written multiple books on northern Indian religious traditions.

EDUCATION AID:

Maha??ra??sa Manju??s?œa: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance

is a rich source of knowledge which can supplement academic coursework or provide guidance for independent study of Hinduism.

FIRST BOOK IN SERIES:

This book is the first in a series of academic texts by the Bhaktivedanta Research Center, an academic institute which offers forums, conferences, courses, and other resources on Vaishnavism.