Praises to a Formless God

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Praises to a Formless God
Nirguni Texts from North India

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David N. Lorenzen - Author

SUNY Series in Religious Studies

Price: $55.50
Hardcover - 303 pages

Release Date: February 1996

ISBN10: 0-7914-2805-2
ISBN13: 978-0-7914-2805-4

Price: $31.95
Paperback - 303 pages

Release Date: February 1996

ISBN10: 0-7914-2806-0
ISBN13: 978-0-7914-2806-1

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Summary

Discusses and translates important compositions by famous Nirguni poets--poets dedicated to the worship of a formless God.

"Finally a scholar of proven erudition in Hindi texts has brought to the English-speaking world a powerful and pleasing introduction to the radical spirituality of medieval Hinduism. With fresh and interesting translations, Lorenzen has breathed new life into that acerbic and striking saint, Kabir, and shown why his nirguna school of popular Hinduism continues to be appealing to the great masses of Hindus today--its message of spiritual awakening and social justice moving especially those from the lowest strata of Hindu society." -- Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California--Santa Barbara

Nirgun bhakti--devotion to a formless God--has been called a logical absurdity, yet the songs, verses, and narratives of the nirgun poets of North India have played a vital role in both Hinduism and Sikhism since the late fifteenth century. The compositions of famous nirgun poets such as Kabir, Raidas, Guru Nanak, and Dadu Dayal also form an essential part of the vernacular literatures of North India.

Other nirgun poets have made major religious and literary contributions to Indian culture but have been little studied by modern scholars. This book discusses, translates, and edits various important compositions by these poets. The texts include songs and narratives about the pious demon Prahlad, hagiographic songs about historical saints, the popular bhajans attributed to Kabir, and the songs sung during the rites of the Kabir Panth. Two longer texts presented here are Jan Gopal's narrative poem, the Prahilad charitra, and Sain's religious debate, the Kabir-Raidas ka samvad.

David N. Lorenzen is a Professor at El Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City. He is the author of Kabir Legends and Ananta-Das's Kabir Parachai: With a Translation of the Kabir Parachai Prepared in Collaboration with Jagdish Kumar and Uma Thukral and with an Edition of the Niranjani Panthi Recension of this Work and the editor of Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, both published by SUNY Press.

Table of Contents

A Note on Transliteration
Preface
Introduction

I. The Demon Prahlad

1. Prahlad the Pious Demon

2. Jan Gopal's The Deeds of Prahlad

Translation, with the collaboration of Shukdeo Singh
Critical edition

II. Kabir and Friends

3. Singing about Saints

4. Sain's The Kabir-Raidas Debate

Translation, with the collaboration of Uma Thukral
Critical edition
Manuscript A

5. Kabir's Most Popular Songs

6. Rituals of the Kabir Panth

Epilogue
A Glossary of Devotees
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Related Subjects

Asian Religion and Philosophy
Asian Studies
Hindu Studies
India and South Asian Studies
Mysticism
Spirituality

31265/31266(WDE//)

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