Vallabhacarya on the Love Games of Krsna

by James D. Redington

This volume presents, for the first time in a western language, a full translation from the Sanskrit of an important traditional commentary on the six chapters of Book Ten of the Bhagavata Purana (Chapters 29-33, and 35) which narrate Krsna's love-games with the Gopis.

The Commentary is the Subodhini of the Founder/ saint Vallabhacarya, (c. 1479-c. 1531). The extensively-footnoted translation is preceded by an introduction which endeavors to explain Vallabhacarya's fundamental viewpoint on the love-games, and several doctrines which became central to his system after finding their most perfect exemplification in the love-games.

The "fundamental viewpoint" referred to is Vallabhacarya's clear underlying presupposition that all Krsna's Games in the Bhagavata, including the love-games, are meant to be perfect expressions and fulfilments of the moods (Skt. rasa) and sentiments (bhava) of Sanskrit aesthetic theory (alankara-sastra). And the two most important doctrines of Vallabhacarya that find expression in the love-games are those of "Total Love" (sarvatmabhava) and "Constraint" (nirodha).

The translation of the commentary contains as well a new translation of the six Bhagavata chapters involved, which are now widely known and recognized to be among the most beautiful and interesting passages of the world's scriptures.