Mother of My Heart, Daughter of My Dreams: Kālī and Umā in the Devotional Poetry of Bengal

Description

This book chronicles the rise of goddess worship in the region of Bengal from the middle of the eighteenth century to the present. Focusing on the goddesses Kali and Uma, McDermott examines lyrical poems written by devotees from Ramprasad Sen (ca. 1718-1775) to Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976). Dedication Acknowledgments Contents Notes on Transliteration Introduction Part I: The Lives and Contexts of Sakta Poets 1. The Historical Background in Bengal 2. Building Fences with Kālī: Rāmprasād Sen and the Popularization of the Tantric Goddess 3. “Born in Rāmprasād’s Line to Revive Bhakti”: Sādhaka Kamalākānta 4. Inheritors of Tradition: Floating in the Śākta Stream Part II: The Changing Genre of Sakta Poetry 5. Setting the Literary and Religious Scene in Eighteenth-Century Bengal 6. Dancing on the Heart-Lotus: Kālī and the Rāmprasāds of Bengali Literature 7. Keeping the Legacy Alive: Kamalākānta Bhaṭṭācārya and the Śākta Padāvalī Tradition 8. “Mā, Come and Stay Awhile”: Kālī and Umā in Eighteenth- to Twentieth-Century Bengali Poetry Conclusion: Bhakti’s Balm in Bengal Glossary Notes Bibliography Index