Surdas

Surdas, a blind Hindu devotional poet and singer from the sixteenth century, is celebrated for his profound works dedicated to Lord Krishna. His lyrical compositions, primarily in the Braj language, resonate with the spiritual fervor of his devotion, while some of his verses also appear in other medieval Hindi dialects such as Awadhi.

His life and contributions are often viewed through the lens of the Vallabha Sampradāya, also known as the Puṣṭimārga. Within this tradition, Surdas is regarded as a devoted disciple of Vallabha, and his hagiography is chronicled in the Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā by Gokulnāth and Harirāy. His poems, alongside those of the Aṣṭachāp poets, play a vital role in the liturgical singing-worship of the Puṣṭimārga.

One of the most significant works attributed to Surdas is the Sur Sagar, or Sur's Ocean. This collection, while traditionally linked to him, contains many poems that scholars believe were penned by later poets in his name. The Sur Sagar, in its current form, beautifully captures the essence of Krishna as the enchanting child of Gokul and Vraj, narrated from the perspective of the gopis.