THE BHAKTI BIBLE An Anthology of Indian Mystical Love Poetry Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Bhakti is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God. While bhakti as designating a religious path is already a central concept in the Bhagavad Gita, it rises to importance in the medieval history of Hinduism, where the Bhakti Movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century. It reached North India in the Delhi Sultanate. After their encounter with the expanding religion of Islam and especially Sufism, bhakti proponents, who were traditionally called 'saints, ' encouraged individuals to seek personal union with the divine. Its influence also spread to other religions. THE POETS: Appar, Andal, Sahaha, Jayadeva, Janabai, Namdev, Dnaneshwar, Lalla Ded, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Kabir, Nanak, Surdas, Mira Bai, Tulsidas, Eknath, Dadu, Rasakhan, Rahim, Tukaram, Ramdas, Bahina Bai, Vrind, Vemana, Bhima Bai. Introduction on Bhakti & the Bhakti Poets of India & The Main Forms in the Bhakti Poetry of India. Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure and meaning is here in the vast majority of these beautiful, powerful, suprising, spiritual poems. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10 " Pages 826 COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. " Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator from English into Persian, knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi & Bhakti poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Hindi, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Mahsati, Lalla Ded, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Makhfi and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa