Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

The manuscript’s remaining currents contain: sixth, twenty leaves; seventh, eighteen; eighth, twenty-four; ninth, twenty-four; tenth, twenty-one; eleventh, thirty-two; twelfth, fourteen; thirteenth, fourteen; fourteenth, fourteen; fifteenth, twenty-three; and sixteenth, eleven.

Each current contains many waves. The work uses numerous metres, including baitāl, harigītikā, manoramī, kavitt, dohā, caupāī, and soraṭhā.

The Rāmarasāmṛta-sindhu gives a distinctive account of Rasika worship and the nature of its happiness. It dwells especially upon the exhilaration and experience of bliss in the Divine Couple’s rāsa-vilāsa. The eighth current offers a magnificent description of the līlā and rāsa at Chitrakuta. Through Yogamaya’s miraculous power, all the gods take the form of female companions and join the rāsa. Sri Hanumat Lal is the supreme guru who gives them the cup of the Couple’s great rasa to drink.

Rāsa-paddhati

Composed by Maharaj Kripanivas

General introduction

Pandit Ghasiram’s Deshopakarak Press in Lucknow printed the work in 1910, and Seth Chhote Lal Lakshmichand published it. It contains approximately 150 songs in different rāgas across fifty-five pages.

Subject

The work presents Sri Rama’s rāsa on the foundation of the five rāsa chapters of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Kripanivas appears to have constructed the Sita-Rama rāsa episode directly upon the model of Radha-Krishna’s rāsa. His description of natural beauty is also unique in its own fashion.

The language is clean and polished, although at several points it carries a Punjabi colouring. A similarly complete description of Rama’s rāsa is rare elsewhere. Kripanivas’s songs possess great standing in Rasika practice. He was surely an experienced saint and connoisseur of the rāsa-rasa. His portrayal of Jānaki’s offended reserve achieves exceptional success—