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The book “Bhakti in Vaiṣṇava Traditions” explores various dimensions of bhakti in Vaiṣṇavism. Vaiṣṇavism, a cornerstone of India’s spiritual traditions, is deeply entrenched in the fertile grounds of bhakti, representing intense devotion and love towards the divine. This exploration delves into the intricate realm of Vaiṣṇavism, spotlighting its historical trajectory and philosophical bedrock, all harmonized by the resonant theme of bhakti. The book is organized into three Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Bhagavad Gītā, Bhakti in Vedanta, and Regional Traditions. The first part elucidates the essence of bhakti as reflected in Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Bhagavad Gītā, which are known as pivotal texts of bhakti.

This book presents an analytical study of selected narratives of the tenth skandha of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa with the framework of Narratology. It checks the possibilities of interpretation of some popular narratives from Kṛṣṇa saga. Book gives an exhaustive introduction dealing with Purāṇas, the growth of Vaiṣṇnavism and Narratology with special reference to Bhāgavata Purāṇa which sets precursor to the further analysis. It undertakes hermeneutic interpretation of episodes – Lord Kṛṣṇa’s birth story, Lifting of Govardhana Mountain, Syamantaka jewel, exploits of Pūtanā and other demons, uprooting of Arjuna trees, the expulsion of Kāliya, Gopīcīraharaṇam, Rāsapaῆcādhyāyī, story of Kubjā, story of Śrīdāman and Rukmiṇī Svayaṁvara.

In today’s cultural atmosphere of competing spiritualism jostling with vague scepticism and strident “new atheism,” we do well to listen carefully to thoughtfully articulated wisdom of bygone ages. An important voice for finding existential meaning in daily devotional practices (bhakti-yoga) can be heard in the sixteenth-century Caitanya (Gauḍīya) Vaiṣṇava tradition. In this brief but carefully crafted work, the author takes readers step-by-step through the deep reasoning behind these practices with special focus on sevā–conscientious attending–to sacred temple images, concluding with a cogent explanation of why this practice is not to be mistaken for “idolatry”.

In the sixteenth century, the saint and scholar Sri Caitanya set in motion a wave of devotion to Krishna that began in eastern India and has now found its way around the world. Caitanya taught that the highest aim of life is to develop selfless love for God Krishna, the blue-hued cowherd boy who spoke the Bhagavad Gita. Although only a handful of poetry is attributed to Caitanya, his devotional theology was expounded and systematized by his followers in a vast array of poetical, philosophical, and ritual literature. This book provides a thematic study of Caitanya Vaishnava philosophy, introducing key thinkers and ideas in the early tradition, using Sanskrit and Bengali sources that have seldom been studied in English. The book addresses major areas of the tradition, including epistemology, ontology, aesthetics, ethics, and history, and every chapter includes relevant readings from primary sources.