Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s5.21

Early History of the Vaiṣṇava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s5.21

Language: English

c11.s5.21

But the remaining Stotras are of greater interest. They illustrate aspects of the realisation of the Rāgānugā form of Bhakti,¹ in which the poet imagines himself to be, not a Sakhī or companion,² but a Dāsī or humble handmaid of Rādhā, and passionately prays for a vision and vicarious enjoyment of the frankly erotic sports. In the first verse of his Sva-niyama-daśaka, Raghunātha clearly enunciates his creed by enumerating the objects of his adoration:

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