The Sword and the Flute-Kali and Krsna: Dark Visions of the Terrible and the Sublime in Hindu Mythology Book

	Preface to the Second Edition	vii
	Preface to the Original Edition	ix
	Introduction	1
Part I.	The Flute: Krsna's Carnival of Joy
Chapter I9
	Krsna and the "Krsnas"	9
	The Divine Child: The Spontaneous and Tumultuous Nature of God	12
	Krsna's Sport with Demons: Combat as Play	19
	The Embodiment of Beauty and Grace	23
	The Call of Krsna's Flute	32
	The Divine Lover	41
Chapter II56
	Introduction	56
	Bhakti: From Lord to Lover	57
	Ananda: The Inherent Bliss of the Divine	66
	Lila: The Divine Player	73
Part II.	The Sword: Kali, Mistress of Death
Chapter III81
	Introduction	81
	The Prehistory of Kali	86
	Kali in the Mahabharata	88
	Kali in the Devi-mahatmaya	90
	The Early History of Kali in Puranic and Dramatic Literature	93
	Kali's Regional Distribution	96
	Kali's Association with Siva	101
	Kali and the Tantric Hero	109
	Kali and Bengali Devotionalism	114
	Summary	125
Chapter IV127
	Introduction	127
	Kali as Mahamaya	133
	Kali as Prakrti and Duhkha	137
	Kali as Time	139
	Confrontation and Acceptance of Death: Kali's Boon	141
	Kali's "Taming"	146
	The Sword and the Flute: Conclusion	151
	Works Cited	161