Vaishnava (Krishna/Rama) Poets and Poetry

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Traditions : Yoga / Hindu :
Vaishnava (Krishna/Rama)

Poets in the Vaishnava (Krishna/Rama) tradition
Books - Links

Vaishnavas worship the god Vishnu, usually in one of his human forms as either Krishna or Rama.

Krishna, whose name means the Dark One, is the God-king best known for his radiant exposition of action and spirituality within the Bhagavad Gita.

Rama is the hero of the great Ramayana epic in which he embodies the highest virtues of loyalty, courage, asceticism, and devotion to his divine wife, Sita. Hanuman, the monkey god of service and action, is also associated with the god Rama.

The Vaishnava tradition is particularly associated with Bhakti Yoga, the Yoga of devotion and ecstatic love of God.

Poets in the Vaishnava (Krishna/Rama) Tradition

Andal (9th Century)

Beni (14th Century)

Candaka (290? - 365?)

Janabai (1298 - 1350?)

Jayadeva (12th Century)

Mirabai (1498 - 1565?)

Namdev (1270 - 1350)

Nammalvar (8th Century)

Ramananda (1400 - 1480)

Rasakhan (1534? - 1619?)

Surdas (1478? - 1581?)

Tukaram (1608 - 1649)

Tulsi Sahib (1763 - 1843)

Vidyapati (1340? - 1430)

Recommended Books

	Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice, by Georg Feuerstein
	For Love of the Dark One: Songs of Mirabai, Translated by Andrew Schelling
	In Praise of Krishna: Songs from the Bengali, Translated by Edward C. Dimock, Jr. / Translated by Denise Levertov
	The Shambhala Anthology of Women's Spiritual Poetry, Edited by Aliki Barnstone
	Shambhala Guide to Yoga, by Georg Feuerstein
	Teachings of Yoga, Edited by Georg Feuerstein
	Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield
	The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, by Georg Feuerstein

Related Links:

	Srimad Bhagavad-Gita http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/ The complete text of the Bhagavad Gita online in many languages, with verse-by-verse devotional commentary. Also includes audio of each verse sung in Sanskrit.
	Srimad Bhagavatam: the story of Krishna http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/ The full text of the Srimad Bhagavatam (Ghagavata Purana), and some good supporting articles.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World