The Rasikapriya (Connoisseur’s Delights) was composed in 1591 in the Hindi dialect of Braj-Bhasa by the poet Keshavdas (1555–1617). He was the court poet of Kunwar Indrajit Singh and Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha (r. 1605-1627). The text portrays Radha and Krishna as ideal lovers and enumerates the eight archetypal male and female lovers (nayakas/nayikas) and their corresponding emotions and encounters.
This folio illustrates Radha’s Hidden Disease (Prachanna Vyadhi) (Rasikapriya 8:290):
Expressing her doubt about the Nayika, the bosom companion says:
‘No more upon the pipe he plays,
And speaks not even; ‘twere as if
His mind has somewhere flown away;
He listens not, not yet does wish
To understand: has he been plagued
By spirits evil, I know not,
Or maybe love has in him waked
That he repeats your name so oft?
No water drinks, and betel takes –
Oh! friend, you should to me disclose
Has Shri Krishna cheated you, or say
‘Tis you who have to him done so?’
(Translation by K. P. Bahadur.)
An inscription on the reverse states that the painting was made by Nure and corrected by Usta Isa. It is dated the first day of the month of Shravana (July-August) in the year 1711 (samvat 1768). A second inscription lists the poet’s name and the title of the verse.
For the subject identification and an alternate translation by V. P. Mishra, see Harsha V. Dehejia, Rasikapriya: Ritikavya of Keshavdas in Ateleirs of Love (New Delhi: D.K. Printworld, 2013), pp. 90, 257, verse and fig. 8.46.
