Radhakrishna by Sunil Gangopadhyay [Hardcover]

For many centuries, two of the most beloved and well-known names throughout India have been Radha and Krishna. Their love story is unparalleled in world literature. This tale of romance is found in various scriptures, epics, village ballads, and folk songs. From scholars and devotees to ordinary people, this story has been cherished for thousands of years. However, until now, a comprehensive and reliable narrative of this story had not been crafted in Bengali prose.

Sunil Gangopadhyay, through extensive poetic exploration, has created this richly evocative account in his native language. The Krishna depicted here is the one from Vrindavan, the mischievous shepherd and lover of Radha, and not the divine Krishna. Radha is portrayed as a creation of the epic itself. Here, they are not deities or figures of supernatural influence but eternal lovers. After finishing the book, readers might feel a lingering sense of incompleteness, wishing there had been more. This sense of incompleteness has immortalized the love story.

While many know Sunil Gangopadhyay as a poet or a fiction writer, attentive readers of literature recognize how effortlessly he blends verse and prose, and how he seamlessly integrates poetry with storytelling. His poetry often descends into prose with ease, and his prose can rise to the heights of poetry. Whether writing poetry or fiction, Gangopadhyay's work consistently touches on dual layers: at one level, he is a popular writer, widely accessible, and at another level, he evokes a touch of joy or sorrow that may not be immediately apparent but compels discerning readers to delve deeper into his work. He does not merely tell stories but advances toward a profound truth through them. In this work, his journey is toward a supreme truth about love.