The Padyavali of Sri Rupa Gosvamin is a unique work of eastern India of the medieval ages. Apart from its value as one of the well-known anthologies of Sanskrit verses, its place in the Gaudiya Vaisnava literature adds to its importance. Its author was both a scholar and a devotee. He was of the foremost disciples of Catania, the founder of Gaudiya school of Vaisnavism, and an authoritative teacher and exponent of the doc-trines of the sect. He was one of the six Gosvamins.
The verses in the Padyavali are selected and arranged not so much to illustrate the theology and philosophy of the Gaudiya Vaisnavism but to exemplify by means of the devotional verses of various Vaisnava writers the general features of Bhakti as a Rasa or devotional sentiment. The verses collected in the Padyavali, originally composed by different earlier poets can be appreciated both from the view of religious expression as well as from the standpoint of literary effort of a fervent lyrical character. It brings together in one context many nuances of the emotional worship of Krishna introduced by Gaudiya Vaisnavism and is, therefore, a document of its Bhakti-devoutness. It also bears witness to a phase of literary activity of medieval Bengal, a remark-able lyric literature peculiar to it-self. The verses appeal to the readers by dint of the tenderness and human interest of their lyrical productions as well as of the honest human passion expressed with an exquisite directness of speech.

This edition of the Padyavali was prepared on the, basis of sixteen manuscripts obtained from various sources and two printed editions. The elaborate and learned introduction by Dr. De deals with history of the development of the theology and philosophy of Guardia Vaisnavism as the back-ground of the work. The editor has been able to identify most of the poets whose verses have been. collected in this anthology and described in details their lives and works. This has been a very valuable part of the work.