Harivamsh

(d. 1552) Poet, singer, and founder of the
Radhavallabh religious community,
which is based on the figure of Radha.
Initially portrayed as the god Krishna’s
human consort, she was later considered his adulterous mistress. The
Radhavallabh community took a very
different perspective, stressing Radha’s
nature as a deity, her equality and identity with Krishna, and her status as his
lawful wife. The Radhavallabhs focused
on the love (hit) of Radha for Krishna,
and because of this emphasis the poet is
also known as “Hit Harivamsh.”
Harivamsh’s poetry treats many of
the traditional themes found in Krishna
devotionalism, but from the perspective of a female companion (sakhi). He
compiled a collection of eighty-four
poems known as the Hit-chaurasi,
which are notable both for their highly
Sanskritized language and for their
incorporation of the alamkara (“poetic
ornamentation”) tradition of earlier
Sanskrit poetry. For further information
see Charles S. J. White, The Caurasi Pad
of Sri Hit Harivams, 1977.