The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Loves of Krishna in Indian Painting and
Poetry, by W. G. Archer

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Loves of Krishna in Indian Painting and Poetry

Author: W. G. Archer

Release Date: April 6, 2004 [EBook #11924]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOVES OF KRISHNA ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Andrea Ball and PG Distributed
Proofreaders

[Illustration: _Radha and Krishna in the Grove_ Kangra
(Punjab Hills), c. 1785]

THE LOVES OF KRISHNA

IN INDIAN PAINTING
AND POETRY

By
W. G. ARCHER

To
MR. AND MRS. H. N.
WITH LOVE AND ADMIRATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am deeply indebted to Dr. A.L. Basham for generous guidance throughout
the preparation of this book, to George Keyt for permitting me to quote
extensively from his brilliant translation of the _Gita Govinda_, and to
Deben Bhattacharya who supplied me with new translations of later poems
and discussed a number of important points. I must also express my deep
gratitude to Mildred Archer and to Gopi Krishna Kanoria for valued
criticism and advice, to Messrs. Faber and Faber, the Harvill Press,
Messrs. Macmillan, the Oxford University Press, the Phoenix House and
Messrs. Sidgwick and Jackson for permitting me to quote passages from
works still copyright, to Professor J. Brough for an informative note on
Bhanu Datta's _Rasamanjari_ and to all those owners of collections who
have either allowed me to reproduce pictures in their possession or have
kindly supplied me with photographs.

Part of the material for this book was delivered as lectures to the Royal
Asiatic Society, the Royal India, Pakistan and Ceylon Society and at the
Victoria and Albert Museum.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I INTRODUCTION

II THE MAHABHARATA: KRISHNA THE HERO

III THE BHAGAVATA PURANA: THE COWHERD
i Birth and Early Adventures
ii The Loves of the Cowgirls
iii The Death of the Tyrant

IV THE BHAGAVATA PURANA: THE PRINCE
i The Return to Court
ii Marriages and Offspring
iii Last Phases
iv The _Purana_ Re-considered

V THE KRISHNA OF POETRY
i T