A Genealogy of Divine Paramour: Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi in the History of Sanskrit Dramaturgy and Literary Criticism
Keywords:
Rupa Goswami, Krishna, Paramour, Ujjvalanilamani, Sanskrit Dramaturgy, Literary Criticism, Simhabhupala, Rasarnavasudhakara, Nayaka, NayikaAbstract
The article "A Genealogy of Divine Paramour: Rūpa Goswami’s Ujjvalanilamani in the History of Sanskrit Dramaturgy and Literary Criticism" by Kiyokazu Okita explores the treatment of Krishna as a paramour (upapati) within Rupa Goswami's Ujjvalanilamani, contextualizing it within the history of Sanskrit dramaturgy and literary criticism. The article examines Rupa's indebtedness to Simhabhupala's Rasarnavasudhakara, particularly regarding the categorization of male protagonists. It traces the genealogy of female protagonists, highlighting the influence of earlier authors like Bharata and Rudrata, and discusses the challenges Rupa faced in promoting the aesthetic value of Krishna's paramourship given prevailing moral condemnations of extramarital relationships. The article concludes that Rupa made a significant contribution to the development of Sanskrit dramaturgy and literary criticism by promoting the aesthetic value of Krishna’s paramourship.
