The Guru’s Bhakti: Cognitive Metaphors and Embodiment of Devotion in Sanskrit Poetry and Indian Classical Dance

This paper delves into the cognitive linguistic dimensions of embodiment and conceptual metaphors within the context of bhakti ‘devotion’, as manifested in Sanskrit poetry and the performing arts of India. The investigation focuses on a case study, namely the śloka 31 from the dance Sanskrit handbook Abhinayadarpaṇa and its intersemiotic translation in Bharatanāṭyam (temple dance style from Tamil Nadu) made by Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar (Baroda University). By analysing metre and the linguistic features of the śloka and by applying cognitive linguistics principles, the research highlights how the cultural practices of the South Indian tradition of the devadāsīs (temple dancers) exemplify the expression of divine love and devotion through the transformative experience of performance. It illustrates the profound interplay between language, metaphor and embodied action.