Fractals of Love
Self-Similarities in the Bhakti Community
Keywords:
Bhakti Community, Self-Similarity, Fractals, Cultural Transmission, Tyagaraja, Purandaradasa, Annamacharya, Indian Religious Traditions, Devotion, ContinuityAbstract
The article "FRACTALS OF LOVE: SELF-SIMILARITIES IN THE BHAKTI COMMUNITY" by William Jackson explores the continuity and renewal of bhakti traditions through the lens of fractal theory, specifically the concept of self-similarity. The article argues that instead of viewing cultural transmission as mere "influence" or "borrowing," the recurring patterns and shared motifs across centuries, regions, and languages in bhakti songs and poetry (like those of Tyagaraja, Purandaradasa, and Annamacharya) exemplify self-similarity—where the parts reflect the whole of the bhakti community's ethos. Jackson illustrates this with numerous textual examples, showing how similar themes, narrative structures, and even specific phrases are reiterated and reinterpreted. The article suggests that this self-similar nature emphasizes the systemic, holistic, and non-linear continuity of bhakti, prioritizing shared experience and collective consciousness over individual authorship, and ensuring the tradition's dynamic and organic survival.
