I came across the rich heritage of Indian love poetry while selecting and editing The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems from 28 Indian languages spanning over 3000 years. It set me on a quest to explore the rich tradition of Śṛngāra Rasa in Indian poetry, which encompasses various facets of love—
Among the lovers whatever is done
by the one, the same should be done in return—
if a woman kisses him, he should kiss her in turn
if she strokes him, he should stroke her too in return. |Kamasutra, Book Two, Ch-3 |
Śṛngāra (love) rasa is the most prominent among the nine basic rasas, viz., Śṛngāra (love), Hāsya (laughter), Raudra (anger), Kāruṇya (kindness), Bībhatsa (horror), Bhayānaka (scare), Vīra (valour), Adbhuta (surprise) and Śānta (calm), which together capture the universe of human emotions.
Śṛngāra rasa itself is further divided into three broad types – Ayoga Śṛngāra (unequal love filled with longing), Vipra Lamba Śṛngāra (love in separation) and Sambhoga Śṛngāra (love in sexual union).
Every month the moon attempts
to capture the beauty of your face
and, having miserably failed
erases the work to start afresh. |Dharmakirti |
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