Prema-vilasa Observations II

I find the Prema-vilāsa a bit confusing; it seems to switch times, people, voices without giving full warning. Some of it is acknowledged in the appendix (the half vilāsa). There it says that chapters 15 and 16 have been erroneously switched around. It was already mentioned that Jahnava's two trips seem to have gotten mixed up. This confirms it.

However, the appendix also confirms the contents of the chapters, putting aside any suspicions of interpolation. For instance, the case of Krishnadas Kaviraj leaving his body on hearing about the missing books is confirmed.

Sometimes I think that there have been scribal errors. For instance, in chapter 17 (page 145), two Vaishnavas come back from Vrindavan and meet Ramachandra and Narottam in Khetari. Then there is this verse:

rāmacandra kohe ṭhākur koho mukhe śuni
more kibā rūpa gosāi jānila

Ramachandra said, "Thakur, please tell me how did Rupa Goswami come to know about me?"

Rupa Goswami had left this world even before Srinivas went to Vraja, so how could he say anything about anybody?

On page 147, after Srinivasa's mother dies, Raghunandan suggests to Srinivas that he get married. But on page 142, Auliya Chaitanya Das announced to Gopala Bhatta that he had gotten married in Phalgun. Here, Srinivas responds to Raghunandan Thakur by saying, "My guru has not given me permission, so I am afraid to do so." Raghunandan goes and plays the matchmaker anyway, and Srinivas gets married on Vaisakha tritiya (shukla or krishna, doesn't say).

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