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NEGOTIATING DUTY AND DEVOTION THROUGH POETRY: SELF, DESIRE AND PROTEST IN THE VERSES OF BAHINABAI AND KAMALA DAS
Dr. Kusumika Sarkar
Abstract:
This paper explores the lives and writings of two Indian women poets, Bahinabai and Kamala Das, who, despite living centuries apart, reflect shared struggles and spiritual journeys in their poetry. Bahinabai, a 17th-century saint from Maharashtra, and Kamala Das, a 20th-century modern poet, each sought ways to balance their inner devotion with societal expectations that confined women to traditional roles. Bahinabai's poems reveal her struggles within an abusive marriage and her spiritual devotion to Vithoba, a Hindu deity, while also showing her reverence for Tukaram, a lower-caste saint. Her poetry studies the emotional complexities of a woman torn between her responsibilities as a wife and her spirituality. Similarly, Kamala Das’s poetry describes her search for ideal love, often portrayed through the myth of Radha and Krishna. Deeply dissatisfied with her marriage, Kamala Das sought fulfilment through the divine figure of Krishna, who represented perfect love, which she believed could free her from societal constraints.