Songs of the Saints of India

This book presents the life stories and poems of six well-known saint-poets of north India -- Ravidas, Kabir, Nanak, Surdas, Mirabai, and Tulsidas -- who have contributed more to the religious vocabulary of Hinduism in north India today than any voices before or since. In worship, in education, even in politics, modern Hinduism sings their tune.

With a biographical and interpretive essay on each poet and a selection of representative verses in original translation, this book offers a complete introduction to a literature that transcends the boundaries we associate with religion, and those of India as well. This new edition of the Songs of the Saints of India will appeal to travellers, students, and anyone eager to hear the music of north Indian religion and see its hidden contours.