Collection: Surdas

Surdas (traditionally 1483–1563, active in the 16th century in Braj, India) was a North Indian devotional poet whose lyrics to Krishna are written in Brajbhasa, a literary dialect of Hindi.

Blindness in later life led to his name being adopted by blind singers across North India. Though the Vallabha sampradāya claims him as a follower of the philosopher Vallabha after a meeting in 1510, early poems lack references to Vallabha’s theology, suggesting Surdas operated independently.

Surdas’s verses focus on Krishna’s childhood and pastoral life, rendered in Brajbhasa with rhythmic cadences suited to oral performance. Miniature paintings from the Mughal and Rajput courts later illustrated his poems, depicting scenes of Krishna stealing butter or playing the flute in Vrindavan’s groves. These illustrations employ opaque watercolor on paper with fine brushwork and gold leaf detailing.