Lores of Love & Saint Gorakhnath preserves oral traditions, transforming folk ballads into a cultural and spiritual dialogue for today’s readers.
BY Navin Upadhyay
Folklore is never just about the past. It is as much about memory as it is about survival, a way for communities to pass on wisdom, identity, and resilience across generations. In Lores of Love & Saint Gorakhnath, journalist and author Nalin Verma, with contributions from Lalu Prasad Yadav, has taken up the delicate task of preserving and reinterpreting four folktales—Sorthi-Brijbhar, Bharthari-Pingla, Heer-Ranjha, and Saranga-Sadabrij—that belong to the mystic traditions of the Gorakhnath sect. Published by Penguin Random House India, the anthology is not merely a collection of narratives; it is a cultural document, an act of reclamation, and a thoughtful intervention in the politics of heritage.
These stories once thrived in oral performance. Wandering yogis, ascetics, and balladeers kept them alive through song, accompanied by the soulful strains of the sarangi. They were sung at melas, weddings, and religious gatherings, often blurring the boundaries between the sacred and the secular. The folktales were never meant to be static texts; they shifted with each retelling, shaped by region, community, and performer. Verma and Yadav’s literary rendering captures some of this vibrancy. Their prose evokes not only the plots but also the atmosphere of storytelling—the crowded fairs, the plaintive music, the spiritual fervor, and the quiet intimacy of listeners gathered around a singer.
The move from oral to written form is itself significant. In an age of globalization and mass media, oral traditions are under constant threat of erasure. By committing these stories to print, the authors ensure their survival, making them accessible to modern readers who may never encounter them in their original performative context. Yet the book does not strip the tales of their performative energy; instead, it tries to carry that rhythm into prose.
The Gorakhnath Legacy
The choice of stories is deliberate. All four are linked, directly or indirectly, to the Gorakhnath tradition, a sect that emerged around the 11th century under the guidance of the mystic Gorakhnath. More than a religious order, the Gorakhnath movement represented a philosophical and cultural current that shaped both the Bhakti and Sufi traditions. It challenged caste hierarchies, welcomed diverse followers, and emphasized spiritual practice over ritual orthodoxy.
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By situating the folktales in this context, the book does more than retell them; it frames them as expressions of a worldview rooted in inclusivity. In Bharthari-Pingla, for example, the story of a king who renounces worldly life is not merely a tale of asceticism but a commentary on detachment that resonates with Gorakhnathi ideals. Heer-Ranjha, already one of South Asia’s most famous tragic romances, acquires new layers when read through the sect’s syncretic lens: it becomes not only a love story but also a meditation on defiance against social barriers.
This contextualization is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Readers are not simply consuming folktales; they are drawn into a conversation about how stories embody philosophy and how traditions survive by weaving together strands from different faiths and communities.
Themes: Love, Longing, and the Sacred-Secular Divide
What gives these stories enduring appeal is their balance of the fantastical and the profoundly human. They are populated by fairies, genies, sages, and miracles, yet the supernatural never overshadows the core emotions. The longing of lovers, the pain of separation, the ecstasy of union, the struggles of devotion—all feel familiar and immediate.
Heer-Ranjha remains the centerpiece. Its tragic arc—two lovers thwarted by family honor and social expectations—echoes across centuries, speaking to anyone who has felt love constrained by rigid boundaries. Saranga-Sadabrij tells of love entangled with fate and divine intervention, showing how human desire and cosmic forces intertwine. In Sorthi-Brijbhar, the folkloric canvas broadens into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice, while Bharthari-Pingla explores the limits of worldly power and the pull of renunciation.
The blending of fantasy and realism here aligns with the best of oral literature. Just as the Bhakti poets combined mystical vision with intimate emotion, these stories use supernatural motifs to illuminate very human dilemmas.
Contemporary Resonance
What makes the anthology especially compelling is its relevance to the present. In India today, debates around identity, tradition, and cultural heritage are increasingly fraught. The Gorakhnath sect itself has become a contested symbol, invoked in political narratives that often strip it of its original inclusivity. By emphasizing the sect’s syncretic ethos, Verma and Yadav offer a gentle but firm counterpoint to divisive appropriations.
As The Wire noted in its coverage, this act of reclaiming the Gorakhnath tradition can be read as a cultural counter to exclusivist ideologies. Whether one agrees with that interpretation or not, it is undeniable that the book places folklore in dialogue with contemporary social concerns. The stories are not locked in the past; they speak to urgent questions of how communities remember, claim, and contest their heritage.
The prose is notable for its accessibility. Despite the depth of research underpinning the work, the writing avoids academic density. Instead, it strikes a balance between literary richness and readability. The descriptions capture the sights and sounds of rural India—yogis chanting under starlit skies, sarangis echoing in dusty courtyards, crowds surging at melas. The language carries the rhythm of oral storytelling, making the reader feel as though they are listening as much as reading.
This stylistic choice makes the book inviting for a wide audience. Scholars of folklore will appreciate the cultural framing, but general readers, too, can immerse themselves in the narratives without feeling burdened by analysis.
The book is not without its limitations. For readers already familiar with South Asian folklore, the plots of Heer-Ranjha or Bharthari-Pingla will hold few surprises. Their power lies in retelling and context rather than novelty. At times, the authors’ insertion of historical and philosophical commentary interrupts narrative flow, especially for those who crave uninterrupted storytelling. And because the Gorakhnath legacy is politically contested, some readers may view the anthology as polemical, though its tone is far from strident.
Yet these limitations are minor when weighed against the achievement. The anthology succeeds in doing what it sets out to: preserving oral heritage, illuminating cultural philosophy, and making ancient tales resonate with modern readers.
Lores of Love & Saint Gorakhnath will appeal to a diverse readership. Lovers of folklore and mythology will find in it a trove of beautifully rendered stories. Readers of Bhakti and Sufi literature will appreciate the exploration of syncretic traditions. Students of postcolonial literature and cultural history will find it valuable for its engagement with identity and heritage. And for the general reader seeking stories that combine fantasy with emotional depth, it offers a rewarding experience.
Those who prefer stark realism or minimalist prose may feel less at home here, but the anthology’s richness of atmosphere more than compensates.
In the end, Lores of Love & Saint Gorakhnath is not just a book—it is an act of cultural remembrance. It rescues stories from the brink of oblivion, situates them within a profound philosophical tradition, and places them in dialogue with today’s social and political concerns. It reminds us that folklore occupies liminal spaces—between oral and written, myth and history, sacred and secular—and that its true power lies in its ability to connect across divides.
Title: Lores of Love & Saint Gorakhnath
Writers: Nalin Verma and Lalu Prasad Yadav
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
Price: ₹273 (Paperback)
