Erotic Romance Madhumalati, Manjhan s 16th Century...

Madhumalati, Manjhan’s 16th century Indian Sufi Romance, tells the story of two lovers: Manohar, and Madhumalati. Nymphs bring Prince Manohar to Princess Madhumalati, to determine which of whom are more divinely, perfectly beautiful. Even though this text appears, at times, to be a secular, erotic romance, the Shattari Sufi tradition from which such romantic stories originated uses romantic and sexual love to illustrate the relationship between a Sufi and God. These mystical romances were used as â€Å"spiritual exercises† to â€Å"[cultivate] their taste for things spiritual ... through a ritually controlled  ¯ exposure to music and poetry,† (xiii). This paper will examine the role of these mystical erotic romances in understanding the spiritual path to the Beloved, as symbolized by a female object of desire. After Manohar, who allegorically represents a Sufi believer along the path to understanding God, awakens and sees Madhumalati, who represents the divine Beloved (God), he is filled with desire: The moment that he saw Madhumalati she possessed his heart completely. His soul bowed down to her beauty. Seeing her lying in sweet sleep, the fire of love engulfed his body, consuming him utterly, from top to toe. Like a lotus opening towards the sun, he blossomed as he saw her face. Primeval love, like a new green shoot, sprouted in the Prince’s heart. (page 32, passage 75, lines 9-16) Manohar looks onto Madhumalati as she sleeps, and her physical beauty is enough to