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

With a New Preface

Kali and Krsna are two of Hinduism’s most popular deities, representing dramatically different truths about the nature of the sacred. The cruel and terrible Kali is thought to be born of wild, aboriginal roots. She is the goddess of thieves and often associated with human blood sacrifice. Krsna, in contrast, is the divine lover and inimitable prankster who plays a bewitching flute to draw all to him. But Kali and Krsna have much more in common than their contrasting personalities suggest. Kinsley shows that Krsna’s flute can be interchangeable with Kali’s sword, revealing important perceptions of the divine in the Hindu tradition.

Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 05/08/2000
Pages: 178
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.94h x 5.54w x 0.45d
ISBN13: 9780520224766
ISBN10: 0520224760
BISAC Categories:
– Religion | Hinduism | General

About the Author
David R. Kinsley is Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.