Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic: The Kirātārjunīya of Bhāravi

319 Pages·2003·2.126 MB·English

by  Peterson, Indira Viswanathan

Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic
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Design and Rhetoric
in a Sanskrit Court Epic
¯
The Kira¯ta¯rjuniya of Bha¯ravi
Indira Viswanathan Peterson
STATE UNIVERSITYOF NEW YORK PRESS
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Publishedby
StateUniversityofNewYorkPress,Albany
©2003StateUniversityofNewYork
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
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CoverphotocourtesyofGaryMichaelTartakov.
Passagescitedinthisworkfrom:LouisRenou,“Surlastructuredu
Ka¯vya”,JournalAsiatique247:159,pp.1–113,appearwiththe
authorizationofPeetersPublishers.
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Peterson,IndiraViswanathan,1950–
DesignandrhetoricinaSanskritcourtepic:theKira¯ta¯rjun¯iyaof
Bha¯ravi/IndiraViswanathanPeterson.
p.cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN0-7914-5613-7(alk.paper)—ISBN0-7914-5614-5(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Bha¯raviKira¯ta¯rjun¯iya.2.Epicpoetry,Sanskrit.3.Sanskritpoetry–
Historyandcriticism.I.Title.
PK3791.B252Z622000
891(cid:1).21-dc21
2002066785
10987654321
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In memory of my gurus in Sanskrit poetry:
S. Venkataramanan, grandfather
Daniel H. H. Ingalls, teacher
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Thecompositionincantosisagreatpoem, becauseitisgreat
(incompass),andspeaksofgreatthings.
Bha¯maha,Ka¯vya¯lam. ka¯ra,I.19
Latertheyreturnandmeetonthebroadhighwaythatleadsto
someloftydestination,somenoblecity,filledwithmagnificent
regal dwellings, and adorned with temples and palaces and
othermarvellousarchitecturalmarvels.
TorquatoTasso,DiscoursesontheHeroicPoem
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Contents
ListofFigures ix
Acknowledgments xii
1. Introduction:TheStudyoftheSanskritCourtEpic 1
2. ThePoeticsoftheMaha¯ka¯vya 7
3. TheSettingandStructureoftheKira¯ta¯rjun¯iya 21
4. PreludetoAction:EpicSpeechinBha¯ravi’sPoem 47
5. TheDebatebetweentheBrothers:Logic,Rhetoric,and
PoliticsintheCourtEpic 67
6. LandscapeswithWomen:Bha¯ravi’sDescriptiveArt 89
7. TheConundrumoftheWarrior-Ascetic 117
8. TheTheaterofCombat 139
9. WrestlingwithGod:RasaandBhaktiinthe
Kira¯ta¯rjun¯iya 161
ANoteontheTranslationSelections 189
AppendixA. Draupad¯iRebukesYudhis.t.hira:Kir.
I.27-46 191
vii
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viii Contents
AppendixB. TheJourneyoftheApsaras:
Kir.VII.1-40 195
AppendixC. Arjuna’sCombatwiththeHunter:
Kir.XVII.1-64 203
AppendixD. TheWrestlingMatch,Theophany,andBoon:
Kir.XVIII.1-19;42-48 215
ListofAbbreviations 221
Notes 223
Bibliography 269
Index 289
IndexofReferencestotheKira¯ta¯rjun¯iya 303
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Figures
1. TheapsarasdancerstrytodisturbArjuna’spenance. 32
2. Disguisedasahunter,S´ivadirectstheboartoattack
Arjuna. 33
3. Arjunaandthehuntershootarrowsattheboar. 39
4. CombatbetweenArjunaandthehunter. 41
5. TheDoublePalindrome:Sarvatobhadra(“Goodfromall
sides”),Kira¯ta¯rjun¯iyaXV.25. 153
6. ArjunawrestleswithS´ivadisguisedasahunter. 165
7. Asceticstandingononelegreceivingaboonfromagod. 179
ix
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