On the Rasa of Love

The development of rasa in the Ānanda‐vṛndāvana is the topic of Chapter 7. As this chapter demonstrates, Kavikarṇapūra’s ‘narratology’ is based not on action, but on the emotional being of the protagonist. The chapter therefore articulates Kavikarṇapūra’s argument that Kṛṣṇa is the chief protagonists, and it looks at his defence of Kṛṣṇa’s extra‐marital relations with the gopīs. This prepares an examnation of one narrative section of the Ānanda‐vṛndāvana, Kavikarṇapūra’s retelling of Kṛṣṇa’s disappearance from the gopīs just prior to their celebrated circular (rāsa) dance. The focus of this chapter is the development of rasa, and particularly the rasa of Love (prema‐rasa), a concept that is central and unique to the theology of Kavikarṇapūra and Śrīnātha.