Bhānusingha Thākurer Podābolī: A Study of Vaiṣṇava Aesthetics in Tagore’s Poetry
Ujjaini Chakrabarty | Tezpur University
Publication: Volume 5 Issue 3
Abstract | Rabindranath Tagore’s poems have been the subject of much analysis and discussion for their poetic beauty and philosophical strain. Enriched with metaphor and symbolic imagery, his poems express the experiences of the phenomenal and spiritual world with equal finesse. This same dexterity can be witnessed in “Bhānusingha Thākurer Podābolī,” his first published work as a poet. These poems follow the padāvalī style of poetry popularized by the Vaiṣṇava saints of medieval Bengal, where Rādhā is portrayed not as the divine consort of the God Kr̥ṣṇa, but as a lovesick woman suffering in the absence of her lover, Kr̥ṣṇa. The sensuality of the poems, however, do not compromise with her status as a devotee par excellence. Tagore’s portrayal of Rādhā is akin to the trend that began at least in the 1st century AD, when Rādhā became the muse of both sacred and secular artistic productions. In the sacred tradition, her stature rivals that of Kr̥ṣṇa’s, where her devotion served as a model for the founders of Vaiṣṇava sects in formulating their spiritual practices, while in the secular tradition, her pan-Indian popularity alongside Kr̥ṣṇa is reflected in the performative traditions where their sports in Vrindāvana have inspired music, dance, and the arts of different regions, as well as the popular culture of modern times. The Vaiṣṇava aesthetic theory, which bridges the gap between aesthetics of dramaturgy and religious practices, also owes its development to Rādhā. The present paper explores the development of Rādhā in both secular and religious literary traditions, with special reference to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism of Bengal. The paper further attempts to study Rādhā as Tagore’s heroine which was influenced by Vaiṣṇava lyrics and themes, and popularised by poets in Bengal since the 12th century AD.
Key words | Rabindranath Tagore, Padāvalī, Rādhā, Kr̥ṣṇa, Narrative poetry, Medieval Bengali poetry, Devotional literature, Vaiṣṇava aesthetic theory, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism
Ujjaini Chakrabarty (cujjaini@yahoo.com) is a research scholar in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Tezpur University, India. Her research interests lie in cultural communication. Currently she is working on her research on Oral Tradition and Cultural Memory, where she explores the socio-cultural influence of the oral performance of Srimad Bhagavata Katha, based on the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, an influential text of Hinduism.
MLA Citation for this Article:
Chakrabarty, Ujjaini. “Bhānusingha Thākurer Podābolī: A Study of Vaiṣṇava Aesthetics in Tagore’s Poetry.” Language, Literature, and Interdisciplinary Studies, vol. 5, no. 3, 20 May 2023, pp. 42–60, http://ellids.com/archives/2023/05/5.3-Chakrabarty.pdf.