This work is a critical analysis of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective. It begins with Guru Nanak's vision of Transcendent Reality and concludes with the mystical journey of Rani Raj Kaur, the heroine of a modern Punjabi epic. The eight chapters of the book approach the Sikh vision of the Transcendent from historical, scriptural, symbolic, mythological, romantic, existential, ethical and mystical perspectives. Each of these discloses the centrality of the woman, and show convincingly that Sikh Gurus and poets did not want the feminine principle to serve merely as a figure of speech or literary device; it was intended rather to pervade the whole life of the Sikhs. The present work bolsters the claim that literary symbols should be translated into social and political realities, and in so doing puts a valuable feminist interpretation on a religious tradition which has remained relatively unexplored in scholarly literature.
Read more
This work is an original and critical interpretation of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective, and puts a new interpretation on a relatively unexplored religious tradition, while reversing the predominantly androcentric hermeneutics which has prevailed in Sikh scholarship.
Read more
Preface; Introduction; 1. The primal paradox: seeing the transcendent; 2. Mother: the infinite matrix; 3. The bride seeks her groom: an epiphany of interconnections; 4. Durgā recalled: transition from mythos to ethos; 5. The maiden weaves: garlands of songs and waves; 6. The woman asks: 'what is life?'; 7. Sundarī: the paradigm of Sikh ethics; 8. Rānī Rāj Kaur: the mystical journey; Conclusion; Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
Read more
A critical interpretation of Sikh literature from a feminist perspective.

Product details

ISBN
9780521432870
Published
1993-09-24
Publisher
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Weight
610 gr
Height
229 mm
Width
152 mm
Thickness
22 mm
Age
P, U, 06, 05
Language
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Number of pages
332