Manifestation of Bhakti Yoga in Raja Rao's The Cat and Shakespeare

Abstract

One of the prominent pioneers of Indian English Fiction, Raja Rao makes a remarkable attempt to fictionalize the Indian philosophy. Raja Rao‟s oeuvre is absorbed in philosophy, and the author has immaculately chosen the way of creative writing to convey the spiritual understanding. Rao gradually constructs the holy grounds choosing India as the key backdrop. By making various experiments he has fictionalized Indian philosophy and myth. Traditions, legends, mythology, philosophical values and the contemporary social and political circumstances of his motherland make the ground of his novels. Raja Rao has made an experiment of humor in his third novel, The Cat and Shakespeare. It is also called „a metaphysical comedy‟. As a matter of fact, Raja Rao has made significant innovations. His familiarity with the western culture and mythical technique has made novels too complex. From the beginning of his career he was in search for the proper form for his writing. The way to the Absolute here is not Karma Yoga or Jnana Yoga of the two previous novels, but Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion.