Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion - Plant Life in South Asian Traditions - Fabrizio Ferrari
3. Divine Flora, Divine Love: The Place of Natural Scenery in the Ultimate Vision of Kr̥ṣṇa Bhakti
Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion - Plant Life in South Asian Traditions - Fabrizio Ferrari
Graham M. Schweig [+]
Christopher Newport University, Virginia
Graham M. Schweig is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Director of the Asian Studies program at Christopher Newport University, Virginia.
Description
The last chapter of the first section investigates the wondrous and sensuous beauty of plants, trees, fruits and flowers in the Rāsa Līlā as described in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Graham Schweig explores the role of flora within the experience of devotion (bhakti) as expressed in the Vaiṣṇava narrative celebrating Kr̥ṣṇa, and the interdependent dialectical relationship between natural phenomena and the movements of the bhakta’s or devotee’s heart.