Praises to a Formless God: Nirguṇī Texts from North India

By David N. Lorenzen

Book Overview

Discusses and translates important compositions by famous Nirguni poets--poets dedicated to the worship of a formless God.

Nirguṇ bhakti--devotion to a formless God--has been called a logical absurdity, yet the songs, verses, and narratives of the nirgun poets of North India have played a vital role in both Hinduism and Sikhism since the late fifteenth century. The compositions of famous nirguṇī poets such as Kabīr, Raidās, Guru Nānak, and Dādu Dayal also form an essential part of the vernacular literatures of North India.

Other nirguṇī poets have made major religious and literary contributions to Indian culture but have been little studied by modern scholars. This book discusses, translates, and edits various important compositions by these poets. The texts include songs and narratives about the pious demon Prahlād, hagiographic songs about historical saints, the popular bhajans attributed to Kabīr, and the songs sung during the rites of the Kabir Panth. Two longer texts presented here are Jan Gopāl's narrative poem, the Prahilād charitra, and Sain's religious debate, the Kabīr-Raidās kā samvād.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0791428060
• ISBN13: 9780791428061
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher