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Question about two texts - anyone with information?



Sakhicharan - Sun, 09 Jan 2005 04:44:45 +0530
I recently received a booklet on asta-kaliya-seva compiled by Dasaratha Sutaji from four granthas. Two of the texts mentioned are new to me.
One is "Sevaa-paraayanaam-sakhinaam-kriyaa" attributed to Sri Rupa, and the other is "Sri Radha-Madhava-chintana" by H.P. Poddar.

Since previously neither of these texts came within the range of my investigations, I am curious about them. I was hoping some of the learned members here would know something more about them.

I had posed this question to Dasaji a few days ago and his reply was:

"Seva paraayanaam sakhinaam kriyaa" is an obscure work that exists only in ancient manuscript form in Vraja, it is never mentioned as Rupa's work by his main biographers, but many texts like this exist, perhaps Rupa wrote it and only gave a copy to some obscure person, or perhaps it is only "ascribed" to him, as many texts are. Nonetheless, if it is nectar then we shall relish it even if it was channelled by a street sweeper...

H.P. Poddar's work entitled "Sri Radha Madhava chintana" is a big brown hardbound book in Hindi I got at Gita Press in the early 80's, they have a big website although I don't know if they still offer this book. It has many many many many topics in it...
Madanmohan das - Sun, 09 Jan 2005 20:46:00 +0530
The thing with works attributed but not established as Rupa's is they could be the works of Rupa Kaviraja, who for sentimental reasons, not all would be willing to accept. And it brings in doubt regarding authenticity. But if it passes the test of Dasaratha suta das as authentic or at least without the faults of rasabhasa and siddhanta virudha then it would be probably worth reading.
Jagat - Sun, 09 Jan 2005 20:59:45 +0530
I don't know the first title, but I seriously doubt that Rupa Goswami is the author.

"Radha-Madhava Chintana" is a pretty good book by Hanuman Prasad Poddar, who ACBSP had some contacts with. He was a founder of the Gita Press in Gorakhpur, one of the most important influences in Hindustani Hinduism today.

This book shows how Poddar was basically a bhakta of Radha and Krishna, and how his bhakti was strongly influenced by Rupa Goswami. Most of the philosophical verses are from Ujjvala, Bhakti-rasamrita, and other sources, including of course Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi. Poddar also draws on the other Radha-bhaktii schools of North India.

He is a little weak in his ascriptions of sources. It would be nice to know who wrote much of the material that he quotes. On the whole, though, it is a pretty enjoyable and insightful book.
Madanmohan das - Mon, 10 Jan 2005 04:12:05 +0530
On the Gita Press Gorakhpur web site there are loads of books by Poddar including the title mentioned above as well as a few English books by him.
Sakhicharan - Mon, 10 Jan 2005 04:26:06 +0530
QUOTE(Madanmohan das @ Jan 9 2005, 04:42 PM)
On the Gita Press Gorakhpur web site there are loads of books by Poddar including the title mentioned above as well as a few English books by him.



I performed a hasty search there the other day and came away will zilch. I will now have to return.
Thanks Madanmohan and Jagat for your assistance.