Book Reviews

Abstract

The three reviews in this issue highlight diverse yet thematically connected explorations in Hindu thought and devotional expression. Francis X. Clooney reviews Studies in Srivaishnavism by Mangalam R. Parameswaran, commending its careful exegesis and contribution to traditional Śrī Vaiṣṇava scholarship, though noting its lack of broader comparative engagement. Patricia Y. Mumme evaluates Srilata Raman’s Self-Surrender (Prapatti) to God in Śrīvaiṣṇavism, praising its innovative framing—“Tamil cats and Sanskrit monkeys”—to illustrate the tension between vernacular affect and Sanskritic discipline in the history of prapatti theology. She recognizes Raman’s nuanced attention to historical development and sectarian discourse. Finally, Charles S. J. White’s translation of Jayshankar Prasad’s Ansu (Tears) is acknowledged for making Hindi literary mysticism accessible to an English-speaking audience. This poetic work of existential longing and aesthetic intensity offers a complementary emotional register to the more systematic theological works also reviewed.

Together, these books reflect a vibrant spectrum of Vaishnava inquiry—from classical systematics and sectarian identity, to gendered devotional rhetoric and poetic sentiment—each enriching the broader field of Hindu philosophical and literary studies.