(early sixteenth
century) One of the ashtachap, a group of eight bhakti (devotional) poets from
northern India.
The Pushti Marg, a religious society whose members are
Krishna devotees (bhakta), utilized the works of these eight poets for
liturgical reasons.
All eight poets are also identified as members of the
community and colleagues of either the community's founder, Vallabhacharya, or
his successor, Vitthalnath, in the Pushti Marg's sectarian literature.
Surdas started writing songs about Krishna's lila, his
humorous interactions with the universe, and his followers at Vallabhacharya's
instruction, according to the Chaurasi Vaishnavan ki Varta ("Lives of
eighty-four Vaishnavas").
He subsequently went on to write the Sursagar's 5,000-odd
poems.
Surdas is shown in a very different light in the earliest
manuscripts, since most of them only include a few hundred verses, most of
which are relatively brief.
Supplication (vinaya) and separation (viraha) are the most
essential topics in early poetry, and although Surdas is best known for his
descriptions of Krishna's boyhood, these themes are more prominent later in the
poetic tradition.
Surdas' poetry covers a broad variety of topics, from his
personal spiritual life to devout "glimpses" of Krishna, the latter
of which often explores the religious conflict between Krishna's image as a
cute kid and his alter ego as master of the world.
Surdas wrote these poems to draw his listeners into Krishna's
realm, as he does in most Vaishnava devotional poetry.
The disparity between these images casts doubt on Surdas'
and Vallabhacharya's relationship.
Surdas, unlike the other ashtachap poets, did not produce
poetry in honor of Vallabhacharya, despite his songs being included into the
Pushti Marg's ceremonies.
It's just as probable that, as Surdas' poetry rose in
popularity, the Pushti Marg "claimed" him as a fellow Krishna lover.
In truth, very little is known for certain about him,
including whether or not he was indeed blind, as is often assumed.
Only two of the earliest poems address blindness; one is
obviously allegorical, and the other is part of a litany of old age's ills.
One knows a lot more about the poetry than the poet, as is
the case with many bhakti poets.
For further detail, read John Stratton Hawley's Krishna: The
Butter Thief (1983) and Surdas: Poet, Singer, Saint (1984); also check John
Stratton Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer's Songs of the Saints of India (1988).
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