[Illustration: _Radha and Krishna in the Grove_ Kangra (Punjab Hills), c. 1785] THE LOVES OF KRISHNA IN INDIAN PAINTING AND POETRY By W. G. ARCHER To MR. AND MRS. H. N. WITH LOVE AND ADMIRATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply indebted to Dr. A.L. Basham for generous guidance throughout the preparation of this book, to George Keyt for permitting me to quote extensively from his brilliant translation of the _Gita Govinda_, and to Deben Bhattacharya who supplied me with new translations of later poems and discussed a number of important points. I must also express my deep gratitude to Mildred Archer and to Gopi Krishna Kanoria for valued criticism and advice, to Messrs. Faber and Faber, the Harvill Press, Messrs. Macmillan, the Oxford University Press, the Phoenix House and Messrs. Sidgwick and Jackson for permitting me to quote passages from works still copyright, to Professor J. Brough for an informative note on Bhanu Datta's _Rasamanjari_ and to all those owners of collections who have either allowed me to reproduce pictures in their possession or have kindly supplied me with photographs. Part of the material for this book was delivered as lectures to the Royal Asiatic Society, the Royal India, Pakistan and Ceylon Society and at the Victoria and Albert Museum. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I INTRODUCTION II THE MAHABHARATA: KRISHNA THE HERO III THE BHAGAVATA PURANA: THE COWHERD i Birth and Early Adventures ii The Loves of the Cowgirls iii The Death of the Tyrant IV THE BHAGAVATA PURANA: THE PRINCE i The Return to Court ii Marriages and Offspring iii Last Phases iv The _Purana_ Re-considered V THE KRISHNA OF POETRY i The Triumph of Radha ii The _Gita Govinda_ iii Later Poetry iv The _Rasika Priya_ VI THE KRISHNA OF PAINTING NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX PLATES AND COMMENTARY SOURCES I INTRODUCTION During the twentieth century, a certain type of Indian painting began to fascinate the West. Unlike Mughal art, it was a product of Hindu courts in Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills and unlike Mughal painting, its chief concern was with the varied phases of romance. Ladies would be shown brooding in their chambers as storm clouds mounted in the sky. A girl might be portrayed desperately fondling a plantain tree, gripping a pet falcon, the symbol of her lover, or hurrying through the rainy darkness intent only on reaching a longed-for tryst. A prince would appear lying on a terrace, his outstretched arms striving vainly to detain a calm beauty or welcoming with delight a bashful girl as she slowly advanced. In all these pictures, romantic love was treated as the highest good and physical passion was interpreted with a freshness and innocence unequalled in the world's art.