Title: Padyāvalī

Author: Rūpa Gosvāmī

Translator/Compiler: Gaurav Raina

Published: 30-11--0001

Book Language: English, with original verses in Sanskrit

Pages: 261

Dimensions: 138 * 215 * 15 mm

Price: 200 INR

Availability: Śrī Haridās Nivās, India

Category: Kāvya

The Padyāvalī is a collection of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava devotional verses in Sanskrit, compiled by Rūpa Gosvāmī in 16th century. It contains verses from many works of GV canon, such as Bhakti-Ratnākara, Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu, Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Sad-Ukti-Karnāmṛta, Ujjvala-Nīlamaṇi etc (their titles are not indicated in Padyāvalī itself), written by the likes of Rūpa Gosvāmī himself, Kṛṣṇa Kavirāj Gosvāmī, Śrīdhara dās, but also many less known and anonymous writers.

Totalling 388 stanzas, Padyāvalī offers a well-structured overview of what Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism encompasses. Rūpa Gosvāmī carefully organized them in such a way that first come more general topics which show the glories of Kṛṣṇa, His names, abode and devotees, moving then to His childhood līlās, and then gradually passing on to His pastimes with gopīs, particularly with Rādhā.

His relationship with Rādhā is given a lot of detail - there are, to give just a few examples, verses depicting Her love for Him, Her anger at His infidelity, Her jealous pride, Her critique of Him, rāsa dance, Their boat-pastimes and many others. The last portion of the book is concerned with Kṛṣṇa's departure for Mathurā and Rādhā's subsequent suffering until they meet again at Kurukṣetra.