Divided into four sections-North, South, East, and West-this anthology maps Bhakti literature from 100 BCE to the 20th century. Including a wide range of writings-from early poems to Siva, Alvar poets, Virashaiva poets, Varkaris, and Vaishnava poetry, to Panjabi songs, Bauls of Bengal, and Bengali Shakta lyrics-the anthology roughly sketches the four geographical compass points in terms of the significant sub-genres of Bhakti poetry associated with these regions.
Apart from acclaimed poets such as Tukaram, Kabir, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Vidyapati, and Chandidas, the volume also includes works by some of the earliest practitioners like Tipputtolar (ca. 100 BCE-250 CE), Nakkirar (ca. 6th c.), and Mannikavacakar (9th c.). It also includes works of some later poets like
Namdev (1270-1350), Rami (ca. 1440), and Dhurjati (16th c.) as well as more contemporary practitioners like Ramprasad Sen (1718-1775), Kamalakanta Bhattacarya (ca. 1769-1821), and Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). The poems, originally written in various vernacular lanaguges, have been translated by past masters like A.K. Ramanujan, as well as well-known practitioners like Vidya Dehejia, Susan Daniels, William J. Jackson, Dilip Chitre, Ananda Coomaraswamy, among others.
With a detailed Introduction by Andrew Schelling, this volume has perceptive notes for poets and translators that provide valuable insights to their work. A special appendix Statements on Poetry adds special feature of this volume. With a glossary providing meaning to Sanskrit terms, and a bibliography, this volume gives a comprehensive view of the Bhakti movement.