Barahmasa in Indian Literature: Songs of the Twelve Months in Indo-Aryan Literatures

This monograph attempts an exploration of the Indian psyche at the fold level which finds its expression in a poetic form known as Barahmasa--songs of the twelve months.

In Part One the author makes a penetrating analysis of the essential core of Barahmasa literature that occupies a distinguished position in Indo-Aryan vernaculars. Different types of Barahmasas, their origin and development, are brought under the purview of discussion. Central to the corpus

of Barahmasa literature is the Varaha type which revolves around the theme of the painful separation of the beloved from her lover. The Viraha type, symbolizing the pangs of the human soul for divine love, is cultivated by Indian Sufis and Sants and turned into a type known as 'Religious' Barahmasa. Part Two provides a selection of Barahmasa texts from Indian literary sources in Devanagari script, accompanied by their English translation.

The monograph is a pioneering scholarly work on an untapped recess of the Indian psyche. Written in a simple racy style, it appeals equally to researchers and general readers.