Brahma in the West: William Blake and the Oriental Renaissance

Examining William Blake's poetry in relation to the mythographic tradition of the eighteenth century and emphasizing the British discovery of Hindu literature, David Weir argues that Blake's mythic system springs from the same rich historical context that produced the Oriental Renaissance.

For the first time the ancient historical text Rajatarangini which means ‘River of Kings’ has been simplified for the younger generation. The stories which were written by Kalhana, a famous eleventh-century historian-poet bring to light the economic, political and social conditions of his time, and give interesting glimpses of life, including intrigues, in the royal court. Characters of the epics, such as Sri Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and many others find a place in the events and are drawn in various colors through all the stories giving a pictorial glimpse.