The best love songs strive to keep things as simple as possible.
An image of a reclining Lord Vishnu with the alvar poets arrayed below him.
The Nadar Press Ltd., Sivakasi, ca. 1920s. From the personal print collection of Archana Venkatesan and Layne Little
David Albertson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Conventional stereotypes about romance portray it as a passionate, irrational game. Ancient philosophers, on the other hand, viewed love as something dangerous − but also enlightening.
Sonnets still have a reputation for being about the unrequited love of a man for a woman.
AndreasPraefcke/Wikimedia Commons
Encouraging men to take the risk of expressing tender feelings for others is part of relying on love as a tool of anti-racist and decolonial education.
Looking for love − a store in Huaian, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, selling flowers on Valentine’s Day.
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Young people in China are no longer settling into marriages arranged by their parents. But they are still looking for blessings from Chinese gods to find everlasting love.
Whether to be harsher or more lax, drinking can affect parenting.
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Even parents who don’t drink much throughout the year may have a few extra eggnogs at a Christmas party or beers while watching the Super Bowl. And that has implications for how they treat their kids.
Marriage has traditionally been touted as the goal to which everyone should strive, but remaining single is increasingly common.
(Pexels/Freestocksorg)
On Valentine’s Day, a scholar of South Asian religions tells the story of the divine love of Radha and Krishna and the lessons in it for our world today.