Publisher's Synopsis
'We have waited long for an anthology of Hindi bhakti of this range, authority, and literary excellence.' -- A K Ramanujan 'The author's deep knowledge of the bhakti traditions of north India is evident both in their choice of representative poetry for each of the six saints and in the renderings of their poetry, which are so skilfully fashioned that one can easily hear the nuances of each poet's voice in registers of contemporary English.' -- The Journal of Asian Studies 'This is one of those rare and wonderful books that makes first-rate scholarship immediately accessible to the non-specialist.' --Religious Studies Review This book presents the life stories and poems of six well-known saint-poets of north India Ravidas, Kabir, Nanak, Surdas, Mirabai, and Tulsidas who have contributed more to the religious vocabulary of Hinduism in north India today than any voices before or since. In worship, in education, even in politics, modern Hinduism sings their tune. With a biographical and interpretive essay on each poet and a selection of representative verses in original translation, this book offers a complete introduction to a literature that transcends the boundaries we associate with religion, and those of India as well. This new edition of the Songs of the Saints of India will appeal to travellers, students, and anyone eager to hear the music of north Indian religion and see its hidden contours.
