Dispatches from the Battlefield of Love
Keywords:
Surdas, Sursagar, Brajbhasa, Gopis, Krishna, Love as War, Kama Sangrama, Devotional Poetry, Indian Poetry, BhaktiAbstract
The article "DISPATCHES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD OF LOVE" by John Stratton Hawley explores select poems from the Sursagar, an anthology attributed to the Brajbhasa poet Surdas (likely 16th century). The article focuses on the pervasive theme of love as a form of war (kama sangrama) within the devotional poetry describing the Gopis' love for Krishna. Through translation and commentary on individual poems, Hawley illustrates how Surdas employs various metaphors and imagery related to battle to describe the intense, often conflicted, emotions of the Gopis. The article analyzes the poetic techniques, such as the use of specific similes for Krishna's features and the personification of the Gopis' eyes as independent warriors, to convey the complexities of divine love. It delves into themes like challenges to character, the experience of separation, and the internal struggles within the self, ultimately presenting these poems as individual entities appreciated for their direct engagement with the "battle of love."
