By
Revati Devi Dasi
About
It can be argued that the Vidagdha-mādhava is the most wonderful jewel of world literature. In fact, it is not a literary work at all, but a living divine play disguised as a drama, wrapped up in a book. How can the veil be lifted, the book unwrapped? How to access the treasure?
In addition to knowledge of the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, Vedic drama and poetry, and the science of rasa, pure love of God and the mercy of Lord Krishna or his pure devotees are required to access the treasure.
The Divine Play by Rūpa Gosvāmī, a sequel to the author’s previous volume, The Mission of Rūpa Gosvāmī, is a heartfelt attempt to approach the Vidagdha-mādhava. If readers do not have access to Sanskrit and Prakrit, they can learn about the work and its contents in English in the first part of the book, and avail themselves to a summary version in the second part. If readers are not familiar with the details of Vedic drama and poetry, or rasa-tattva, such insight can be attained in this volume. And even if they are not pure-hearted devotees of the Lord, they can still get an idea of Rūpa Gosvāmī’s work and pray that at least a single drop of it may touch their hearts.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is the root of the Gaudīya Vaishnava tree that has grown from the sacred soil of Vrindāvana. His literary work not only formulated rasa, tattva, and siddhānta. In the pages of the Vidagdha-mādhava he depicted the forest of Vrindāvana and filled it with the divine pastimes of Rādhā and Krishna. Through the medium of poetry, he has painted eternal images that captivate the soul and draw one into meditation. These images make imprints on the heart of the unsuspecting reader, opening gates to the spiritual world and drawing in the blissful and astonished audience into the plot of the divine play, gently placing them at the side of Rādhā and Krishna.
May we become dust at the feet of Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Softbound, 349 pages, 5.25" x 8.25".
