is memoir by Radha Rajagopal Sloss ."Radha Rajagopal Sloss '53". Their Light Lives On (In Memoriam). Swarthmore Bulletin. Swarthmore College. . It chronicles aspects of the long, intimate, and ultimately contentious relationship of the author's family with the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. Originally published five years after his death, the book's descriptions of certain facets of Krishnamurti's life generated a degree of controversy.

About the work

The author's father Rajagopalacharya Desikacharya (commonly ),"Obituaries: D. Rajagopal; edited J. Krishnamurti's teachings". World + Nation. Los Angeles Times. L.A. Times Archive. Times Mirror. 27 April 1993. . . and mother Rosalind Rajagopal ,Magee, Maureen (30 January 1996). "Happy Valley School co-founder dies". Obituaries. Ventura County Star. Camarillo, California: Scripps-Howard. . . were friends and associates of Jiddu Krishnamurti for four decades; throughout this time they lived in close proximity with him in Ojai, California. While growing up the author viewed the unconventional Indian philosopher, whom she affectionately called , as a member of her family. Radha (1991). Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti   (hardcover) (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. . via Internet Archive . Eventually, the personal and business relationships of her parents and Krishnamurti soured permanently. The acrimony culminated in drawn-out legal actions that were fully settled only after Krishnamurti's death.Vernon, Roland (2001). Star in the East: Krishnamurti: The Invention of a Messiah  (hardcover). New York: Palgrave. . via Internet Archive.

Radha Rajagopal Sloss covers aspects of these relationships in some detail, but the book is best known for describing facets of Krishnamurti's private life, especially his (reputedly long-term) extramarital affair with the author's mother.Rajagopal Sloss 1993, . According to Rajagopal Sloss the affair lasted almost ; Lutyens, Mary (1996). Krishnamurti and the Rajagopals  (paperback). Ojai, California: Krishnamurti Foundation of America. . via Internet Archive. A "personal response" to book by an authorized biographer and longtime friend of Krishnamurti. Lutyens states Krishnamurti had told her about his past relationship with Rosalind Rajagopal. Additionally, the book contains statements about Krishnamurti's character and actions that generated controversy.

Author statement

Rajagopal Sloss stated the following regarding the work:

Publication history

The book was originally published in by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom as a hardcover, with a dust jacket featuring youthful portraits of Krishnamurti and Rosalind Rajagopal. A US edition with an additional preface was published in hardcover by Addison-Wesley in ; it has an alternate cover design featuring a 1934 group photograph of Krishnamurti, Rosalind Rajagopal and the author. The paperback version appeared in .The paperback () was published with the US cover design; Rajagopal Sloss 1993, "Preface to the American edition" , "Illustrations" . In re-released the work in paperback through iUniverse, a US self-publishing company.The original iUniverse reprint () was published with the US cover design.

A "new edition" was released via iUniverse in in print and digital media with the US cover design . It adds yet another preface, previously unpublished photographs, and press review excerpts of the 1st edition.. Original from the author's . This edition was also published in French via the same channel and media in with a translation by Francois Swaen. Radha (January 2012). Vies Dans L'Ombre Avec J. Krishnamurti [Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti] (paperback) (in French). Translated by Swaen, Francois. Self-published. Title page. via iUniverse.

Select editions

Radha (January 1993). Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti (hardcover) (1st US ed.). Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley. . (August 2011). Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti. Self-published via iUniverse. Ebook (various file formats). . Paperback. .

Reception

The book's first edition has been favorably reviewed by Tim Heald in The Times (London),Heald, Tim (27 July 1991). "Turning Krinsh into Christ". Saturday Review. The Times. London. . . Patricia Beer (London Review of Books),Beer, Patricia (15 August 1991). "Getting on with it". London Review of Books. . . . and Firdaus Kanga in the Times Literary Supplement (London).Kanga, Firdaus (30 August 1991). "World(ly) Teacher". Times Literary Supplement. London. . . Rajagopal Sloss was interviewed about the book upon publication by Helen Tworkov, for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review magazine; the article incorporates a generally sympathetic review of the work.Tworkov, Helen. (Winter 1991). "The shadow side of Krishnamurti" . Ideas. Tricycle. . New York City: Tricycle Foundation. . .

The revelations regarding the extramarital affair were met with surprise and consternation by Krishnamurti adherents,Thomas, A. J. (6 November 2005). "Obsessive precision". Literary Reviews. The Hindu. Chennai: Hindu and India Information. . Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Review of the autobiography of Indian author Chaman Nahal mentions the effect of Rajagopal Sloss' book on Nahal.Statement by the Krishnamurti Foundation of America About the Radha Sloss Book "Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti" (pamphlet). Ojai, California: Krishnamurti Foundation of America. 1995. . The extramarital affair had been known by trustees of Krishnamurti foundations, as it had been brought up during the various legal disputes between the Rajagopals and Krishnamurti in the 1970s and early 1980s; Lutyens 1996. and generated a measure of adverse publicity. A Krishnamurti biographer wrote that "history will not view Krishnamurti in quite the same light", yet the same author considered the long-term impact of the revelations doubtful. .

Several statements about Krishnamurti published in the work have been characterized as controversial, and provoked rebuttal publications by Krishnamurti associates and affiliated institutions. An independent source has described the book as "deliberately iconoclastic".Reid, David (1994) . "The Possessed". In Reid, David (ed.). Sex, Death, and God in L.A. . (paperback) (1st paperback ed.). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. . via Internet Archive.

Cultural reference

The relationship between Rosalind Rajagopal and Krishnamurti in the 1920s and 1930s is a central plot device in the 2004 musical theatre Blue Dove which was loosely based on Krishnamurti's early life. Peter Wells, an Englishman who wrote the libretto and plot, credits several discussions with and her mother (on topics covered by the book) as a major factor in the origins of his work; he employs considerable artistic license in portrayals of persons and events."Press releases & news". Blue Dove (theatrical production). Papp, Mark (director); Wells, Peter (writer); David O (music direction & arrangement). BlueDove. Archived from the original on 2015-12-26. The show, with a running time of two hours and fifteen minutes, premiered in October 2004 at Los Angeles' Ivar Theatre and had a three-week stage run; a 40-minute cast recording was released in 2005.Hirschhorn, Joel (1 November 2004). "Review: 'Blue Dove. Variety.com. US edition. New York & Los Angeles: Reed Business Information. . Review (negative) and production information; for the recording see

See also

List of works about Jiddu Krishnamurti Rosalind Rajagopal

Sources & Notes