The Sanskrit EpicsMah bh rata (including Harivam a) and R m yan a, the two great Sanskrit Epics central to the whole of Indian Culture, form the subject of this new work.The book begins by examining the relationship of the epics to the Vedas and the role of the bards who produced them. The core of the work, a study of the linguistic and stylistic features of the epics, precedes the examination of the material culture, the social, economic and political aspects, and the religious aspects. The final chapter presents the wider picture and in conclusion even looks into the future of epic studies.In this long overdue survey work the author synthesizes the results of previous scholarship in the field. Herewith a coherent view is built up of the nature and the significance of these two central epics, both in themselves, and in relation to Indian culture as a whole. |
Contents
The History of Epic Studies | 41 |
Editions | 67 |
The Mahābhārata 1 | 82 |
The Mahābhārata 2 | 159 |
The Harivamśa | 313 |
The Rāmāyana 1 | 345 |
The Rāmāyaṇa 2 | 398 |
The Rāmāyaṇa 3 | 441 |
Evolution | 473 |
Bibliography | 527 |
| 559 | |
| 571 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adhyāyas Adiparvan Anuśāsanaparvan Aranyakaparvan argues Arjuna ascetic aśvamedha avatāra Ayodhyā Ayodhyākānda Bālakānda battle Bhagavadgītā bhārata Bhīşma Biardeau Brahmā brāhmans Bṛhaspati Brockington century A.D. chapter chariot clearly common contains Critical Edition Daśaratha's deity dharma Dhṛtarāstra didactic Draupadī Duryodhana earlier elsewhere emphasis epic episode evidence example formulaic frequent gods Hanuman Harivamśa Hiltebeitel Hopkins Indian indicate Indra instances Jāmadagnya Kālidāsa Kauravas king Krsna ksatriya Laksmaņa late later linked Mahā Mahābhārata Manu manuscripts Mathurā mentioned metre myth Nāga Nārāyaņa Nārāyaṇīya narrated narrative noted occurs original pādas Pandavas parvans passages pattern probably Purāņa Rākṣasas Rām Rāma Rāma's Rāmāyana Rāmopākhyāna Rāvana recension references ritual Sabhāparvan sacrifice Samkhya Sanskrit Santiparvan sargas second stage significant similes Sītā Śiva śloka story suggests third stage tion tradition translation tristubh tristubh verses upajāti Upaniṣad Uttarakānda Vālmīki various Vāsudeva Vedas Vedic Vişnu Vyāsa whereas Yoga Yuddha kāndas Yudhisthira
Popular passages
Page 548 - Valmiki, in the original Sungskrit, with a Prose Translation and explanatory notes, by William Carey and Joshua Marshman. Vol. i, containing the first book, Serampore, 1806, 4to, pp.