A Confluence of Waves: Beauty and Devotion in Jagannātha Paṇḍitarāja’s Karuṇālaharī

This thesis presents the first complete, annotated English translation and study of the Karuṇālaharī (A Wave of Emotion), a devotional hymn composed by the 17th-century scholar-poet Jagannātha Paṇḍitarāja. Despite Jagannātha’s stature as a leading Sanskrit intellectual of the early modern period, the Karuṇālaharī has received little scholarly attention. Addressing this gap, this study translates and analyzes the full hymn, offering a deeper understanding of its poetic and theological richness. Through a close analysis of the text’s devotional themes, literary style, and sectarian resonances, this thesis situates the Karuṇālaharī within the broader landscape of Sanskrit stotra literature, contributing to discussions on devotion (bhakti) and religious identity in early modern India.A key focus of this study is the Karuṇālaharī’s emotional landscape, analyzed through the lens of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta, particularly Rāmānuja’s theological perspectives on emotions. The poem’s progression—from despair and longing to confidence, love, awe, and compassion—demonstrates how emotions function as integral forces that draw the devotee closer to Viṣṇu. Jagannātha’s poetry exhibits striking resonances with Śrīvaiṣṇava theological categories, suggesting his engagement with this tradition. Furthermore, the thesis explores Jagannātha’s broader religious vision by examining his other four poetic hymns dedicated to different deities. It argues, for instance, that the Amṛtalaharī, which extolls the Yamunā River, contains references to the Puṣṭimārga tradition, possibly alluding to Jagannātha’s own familial connections to the Vallabha lineage. This comparative analysis offers a new perspective on how the poet navigated multiple Vaiṣṇava traditions and engaged diverse audiences.Additionally, this thesis undertakes a comparative study of the Karuṇālaharī and Vedānta Deśika’s Devanāyakapañcāśat, focusing on their use of limb-by-limb descriptions. By examining how this literary technique is adapted within distinct theological and poetic frameworks, the study highlights the dynamic nature of Sanskrit devotional poetics and how literary devices transcend sectarian boundaries. The contrast between Jagannātha’s kāvya-inflected aestheticism and Deśika’s integration of philosophical depth within a devotional framework underscores the adaptability of poetic conventions across traditions.More broadly, this research contributes to the study of Sanskrit stotra literature by illuminating the intersections of poetry, theology, and devotion. By foregrounding Jagannātha’s literary innovations, his engagement with multiple Vaiṣṇava traditions, and the theological dimensions of his stotras, this study opens new avenues for comparative research on bhakti traditions across South Asian religious and literary contexts

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