Vidyabhusana Project Update— Rasikananda's Kunja-keli

                                                    Colophon of Rasikānanda's Kuñja-keli

    Celebrating the 370th disappearance day of Sri Rasikananda Murari, I am most pleased to announce the discovery of an unpublished manuscript of one of His Sanskrit works entitled “Kunja-keli,” a poetical composition in which he portrays his mode of meditation on the pastimes of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna. I am looking forward to soon publishing this and other works of his, as they remain neglected and underrated, despite the author’s exalted position as one of the greatest preachers in the Gaudiya-sampradaya.

    Now that all travelling restrictions have been lifted, I have recently gone on an extensive expedition in many states in India. The good news is that in certain areas, government agencies are again putting an effort to gather manuscript collections from private owners who have been unable to properly preserve them. These are then being taken to well maintained libraries where they are being classified and digitized. This is a welcome move that will push forward research work and ensure the preservation of manuscripts that would otherwise be forever lost.

    I could finally go through all the lists and catalogues that have been released in the last few years. Apart from those in Vraj, there are nearly 50 manuscripts of the works of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana that I am yet to see. All of these are spread in multiple libraries around India, both private and governmental, and some are in very remote areas. The time factor has been crucial, and in many instances, by the time I reached a particular owner’s place, he had already passed away, with the relatives disposing of all the manuscripts. I intend to exert concentrated efforts to visit as many of these places as possible in the near future, while keeping pace with the research and translation work.