Maharasa Manjusa

Maha?ra?sa Manju?s?a: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance provides translation and scholarly commentary of Nandada?sa's five chapters of rasa-lila, collectively known as the ra?sapan?ca?dhyayi?. In the Vais?n?ava 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?s?n?a'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?a: 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?sa's Rasapancadhyayi is a Braja-Bha?s?a? rendition of the Bha?gavata's quintet of Maha?ra?sa written in Sanskrit verse. The Bha?gavata is one of the most beloved texts of K???a-devotional traditions and the foundational scripture of Braja Vais?n?avism and its five chapters describing the divine dance illustrate the ecstatic fruit of devotion. Presenting a devotee'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?a: Sacred Poetry of the Divine Dance offers an intensive view of the musical legacy, a devotee'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?t?ima?rga'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?a? 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?a: 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.