Wild Women: Seekers, Protagonists and Goddesses in Sacred Indian Poetry

Wild WomenBy Arundhathi SubramaniamThese are remarkable (and sometimes wild) women who left behind poems about internal journeys. Women who refused to be bullied by the sentinels of culture and faith. Women who surrendered not to external authority but to the diktats of their own spirit. The author has done a mind-boggling amount of research and put together something that does not seem to exist up till now and which will stay for a long time to come. Stalwarts in the field have well summarized their views in reviews on the Amazon Books page. Being a non-poet, I will stick to quotations of what impressed me most.Addressed to a formless divine or a local deity, bhakti is not just devotion; it is a crazy, spirited, at times argumentative, at times erotic, decidedly nonconformist relationship with the sacred. The spiritual aspirant is the eternal bride and the divine is the eternal bridegroom.Tamil poet Karaikal Ammayar says: They call him sky-dwelling and earth-dwelling, but inside my heart, he dwells, So say I.Meerabai, ecstatic poet and defiant rebel, has been the subject of novels, movies and folklore. Her songs are sung by classical, popular and traditional artists. Her poems have been translated into languages across the globe. Meera born in Rajasthan developed a childhood fascination with the figure of Krishna, a fascination that grew so all-consuming that she carried it into her marital home. Her husband crown prince Rana and her in-laws were enraged by her utter disregard of respectability and religious decorum. One of her poems reads: Rana, this shame is so sweet. Condemn or commend me, I will carry on. There is no going back on this one-way street. Hermits speak wisely, sinners vilify, but Giridhar is my master. I dance wearing ankle bells. People say I am mad, mother-in-law says the ruin of our clan. Rana sent me poison. I drank it and laughed, offered body and soul for one look at you Giridhar my master, now let me come to you, I can’t live without you. Rana, I don’t want your forts and palaces, ornaments and silks. I won’t live within your walls. I have cast my veil aside, the company of hermits calls. I have seen my true love and he knows my heart. Giridhar is my master. Mira walked out of the palace and travelled to the lands of Brindavan and Dwaraka, where in the temple, she merges into the idol of Krishna. Shyam, the ocean of pleasure, has come into me.Akka Mahadevi has an iconic presence in Kannada literature. The local deity in the Shiva temple in her village was Chenna Mallikarjuna. It was this form of Shiva with whom Akka forged an intimate relationship. In her wanderings, she met poet-saints like Basavanna. Her trail eventually ended in the mountains of Srisailam. Here she dissolved into legend and united with Shiva, her beloved lord, of whom she sang with much passion and pain. Hear me, if you will; spurn me, if you won’t. I cannot but sing your praises, Ayya (Lord). See me if you will; shun me, if you won’t. I cannot but delight in you, Ayya. Love me, if you will; loathe me, if you won’t. I cannot but adore, Ayya. Chenna Mallikarjunayya, applauding you, celebrating you, I shall dance in ecstasy, Ayya.On the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the tomb of Habba Khatun stands dusty and deserted. Yet the voice of a woman considered to be the Nightingale of Kashmir continues to pervade the valley, its music echoing through its chinar trees and saffron fields. After an unhappy marriage, Habba Khatun returned to her mother’s place. One moonlit night, the king Yusuf Shah Chak, was spellbound, as her voice wafted across to him. The two fell in love and Habba Khatun came to live in the palace. Soon, tragedy struck. Emperor Akbar arrested Yusuf Shah. Habba Khatun with her daughter fled and settled down in a hut on the banks of the Jhelum. Habba Khatun spent the rest of her life composing poems of loss and poignant separation. Forgive me my faults, God, what will you gain from my death? I am caught in a web, how do I pass the day. My basils glow pale as mint. The fire you lit smoulders in my heart, What will you gain from my death? Habba’s body is in such pain, You didn’t come to see here even once Are you waiting till I am in the grave? What will you gain from my death?In the second section of the book, the spotlight is on women, not as poets but as protagonists. The authors of the poems are all male, invoking female characters. Some well-known names are here: Jayadeva, Amir Khusro, Kabir, Narasinh Mehta and Shah Abdul Latif. The third section deals with Goddesses. Some of the names are: Devi, Durga, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Tripurasundari, Amba, Ambika, Yogamaya, Abhirami, Parashakti, Mariamman and Linga Bhairavi. This section gives a small mosaic of poems in her praise. Devi Mahatmyam (Glory of the Goddess) dates around fifth century CE and speaks of the worship of the sacred feminine. Soundarya Lahari (Wave of Beauty) attributed to Adi Sankara is a Sanskrit hymn of adoration and auspiciousness. It is dedicated to Shakti, the consort without whom Shiva is powerless. Many more texts appeared in later centuries.The ordinary book reader like me should possess this gem and keep it in her/his book shelf to be read and pondered over from time to time.

Nice book about saints poem from tamilnadu & india.every one to know about saintsexperience.This book should be added in the scool&college syllabus.

Excellent book.Offers glimpses into Indian traditions.Many seekers who are famous in only their regions are covered.

Every voice in this anthology was ahead of its time, more feminist than many perspectives today.Men writing about empowered women and translations from regional languages add depth to the collection.I was amazed to find verses dating from 1000 BCE to the 10th century.Here is a captivating anthology of sacred poetry by and for women across the Indian subcontinent.From the ancient verses of Buddhist nuns to the passionate hymns of Bhakti and Sufi mystics, this anthology traverses diverse traditions, including Tantrikas and Vedantins, exploring the sacred feminine grace.This anthology is a profound journey through time and spirituality, honoring the divine feminine in all its forms

Men and women singing in feminine voices pay honor to the divine feminine via their words, establishing a legacy of empowerment and devotion. The poems explore women's presence in holy locations; they cover female mystics, male-channeled voices, and goddess representations. All of them celebrated who they were on the inside, whether they were ignored or successful. Here are women singing in the guise of males, with both groups lifting their voices in adoration of the divine feminine.These poets' approaches to communicating with god are neither consistently the same, nor do they correspond to contemporary ideas of sacrality, constraint, and realism. The teachings contained in these poems are not easily accessible. An anthology of this kind could be valuable if it asks the reader to enter, listen, and journey.

As a fiction lover, I think the idea behind an anthology is just brilliant. It's the only place where you get to read either multiple voices or multiple stories in a single volume. The variation in each story or poem brings out the best in each writer or just elevates the prowess of the author. This anthology, too, is wonderfully edited and compiled by the author and poet who has also contributed to the book.This book features over 200 sacred poems by a total of 56 authors across the nation. It starts with a few prominent names from before the 1000 BCE up until recent times. Not only does the book feature women's voices, but it also spotlights sacred poems written about influential women by men. Famous and underrated poems by the Sufis, Yogis, Sadhus, Buddhists, and historical women like Mirabai, Avvayar and Karaikal Ammaiyar - you name it, and you will find it in the book.What made me feel close to the book was how well the poems were translated from regional languages, a few of which I have had the pleasure of reading in their respective original language. Owning this copy is like carrying a poetry index, which will inspire and ignite you. Recommending this book to all poetry lovers who love to read powerful tales of women.