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- Title
Śringāra Bhakti of Rādha in Gitagovinda: A Nāyika Perspective.
- Authors
Prasad, Rashmi; Nandagopal, Choodamani
- Abstract
Rasa is the basis of art and the main aim of any art is to evoke rasa in the mind of the onlooker. The concept of rasa is the heart of Indian artistic expression. Rasa, like the word "essence" has both a concrete and abstract significance. It is equally the element in love and in art. The specific definition of bhakti as an emotional religion of love is closely linked with the acceptance of bhakti as a rasa. According to Goudiya Vaishnavas school bhakti is a religious cult of love and attachment towards a particular God. It is stipulated that bhakti, as love, is not possible without the presence of two entities (the love and the loved). Madhura bhakti has been considered as the highest category of bhakti rasa which equal the śringara rasa. The message of bhakti has been taken to the hearts of masses with the help of devotional writings. Radha-Krishna legends became fascinating themes for the poets where Radha occupied a very important position and her means of bhakti to Krishna has been regarded as the ideal form of bhakti. The earliest of the great poets who portrayed the love of Radha and Krishna was Jayadeva during the 12th century. His work 'Gitagovinda' dealt with the longings of Radha and Krishna for each other, separation and reunion. It was Jayadeva who portrayed Radha as a nāyika and Krishna as the nāyaka. Radha and Krishna became a symbol of ideal courtly lovers. It was Radha who was a cultural symbol of woman in love rather than a religious symbol for the soul seeking union with God. Radha became a supreme model of the woman in love, the nāyika par excellence. Gitagovinda resonates with images and concepts from a wide range of culture. Jayadeva's work regards Radha as a paradigm of the devotee's love for God, or Radha as the incarnation of heavenly wisdom whose purity is contrasted with the playfulness of other Gopis, who represent the senses diverting Krishna from perception.
- Subjects
BHAKTI; RADHA (Hindu deity); KRISHNA (Hindu deity); RELIGION; LOVE
- Publication
International Journal of Recent Advances in Organizational Behaviour & Decision Sciences, 2016, Vol 2, Issue 2, p788
- ISSN
2311-3197
- Publication type
Article