Amaru

(7th c.?) Sanskrit poet traditionally
thought to be the author of the
Amarushatakam (“Amaru’s Hundred”),
a collection of poems on the theme of
erotic love. The text’s name is doubly
misleading since present editions contain almost 200 poems, and there is
strong evidence that it was compiled
from several earlier collections, making
its authorship uncertain. Although
Amaru’s poetry explores the joys of carnal love and is thus not explicitly religious, the themes of lover/beloved
and union/separation treated in this
poetry later became standard themes in
bhakti (devotional) poetry. In the
Shankaradigvijaya, a legendary
biography of the philosopher
31
Amaru
The outside entrance of the limestone caves at Amarnath.
This is a sacred site in which the god Shiva is believed to reside.
Shankaracharya, Amaru is described as
a king who becomes mythically connected with the great sage. In response
to the challenge that he knows nothing
about sexuality, Shankaracharya uses
his yogic powers to animate Amaru’s
body immediately after the latter’s
death. In this form Shankaracharya
experiences this facet of human life,
although reportedly without desire on
his part. Shankaracharya has sexual
relations with Amaru’s wives, enjoys
the fruits of passion, and pens the
Amarushatakam to record his deeds.
Although this claim is highly doubtful,
it helps to illustrate some important
thematic connections between religious and erotic poetry. For further
information see Lee Siegel, Fires of
Love—Waters of Peace, 1983.