DOCSLIB.ORG

CLASSICAL INDIAN POETRY Stuart Blackburn, Ph.D

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CLASSICAL INDIAN POETRY Stuart Blackburn, Ph.D HUMANITIES INSTITUTE CLASSICAL INDIAN POETRY Stuart Blackburn, Ph.D. (c. 100-500 CE) PART I Sankskrit Poetry Overview Sanskrit poetry composed during the early centuries of the Common Era was dominated by kavya, which is primarily a short, lyric verse devoted to love and longing but includes religious themes. Kavya is a broad category that also encompasses longer poems (sometimes called ‘epics’). In addition, the term refers to an ornate literary style and aesthetic that flourished in the period, especially during the Gupta Empire and afterward. Early texts Buddhacarita The Buddhacarita (‘Life of the Buddha’) by Asvaghosa is often recognised as the earliest of these classical Sanskrit poems. Composed approximately 100 CE as a hagiography of the historical Buddha, it is also one of the simplest of these compositions in metrical terms. Of its 28 chapters, or cantos, only the first 14 are found in extant Sanskrit versions, although complete versions do survive in Chinese and Tibetan. Although the text contains no specifically Mahayana Buddhist features, it is included within the Mahayana canon because it was preserved by Mahayana sects. Sattasai Another early but little-known collection is the Sattasai (‘Seven Hundred’) by Hala (c. 100 CE). These 700 single-verse, secular poems were composed in Prakrit (a regional variant of Sanskrit), probably in the Deccan. The poet Halla was a king of the Satavahana dynasty, though little is known of his life. Kalidasa Works The most influential classical poet was Kalidasa (5th c. CE), who was patronised by Gupta kings. Kalidasa was prolific. He wrote two long poems (Kumarasambhava, ‘Birth of the War God Kumara’ and Raghuvamsa, ‘Dynasty of Raghu’), two shorter ones (Megaduta, ‘The Cloud Messenger’ and Rtusamhara, ‘Garland of the Seasons’), a still- performed play (Shakuntala) and several other works that do not survive. Megaduta Although the Megaduta (‘The Cloud Messenger’) by Kalidasa is a short work of a little over a 100 verses, it is one of the most popular poems in classical Sanskrit. Critics and readers enjoy not only the compression and coherence of the work but also the visual images that Kalidasa creates. The story, which is slight, concerns a lover’s longing for his beloved. Exiled from to a mountain, during the rainy season the lover sees a cloud pass overhead toward the city where his beloved lives. The lover then addresses the cloud, telling it what to say to his beloved. Kalidasa adorns the poem with luxuriant imagery of both landscape and city, imbued with the rasa of eroticism. Kumarasambhava The Kumarasambhava (‘Birth of the War God Kumara’) has the appearance of a religious poem, since it tells the story Siva and has many mythological characters. It is, however, essentially a secular story and, like ‘The Cloud Messenger,’ includes stunning descriptions of landscape, in this case the Himalayas. The story narrates the courtship of Siva and Parvati, their marriage and then the birth of their son, Kumara. Kumara becomes general of the gods’ army and leads it into battle against the demons. Here Kalidasa excels in describing the gore and terror of battle. Other poets Bhartrhari Little is known about Bhartṛhari, though most scholars believe he lived in the 5th century CE and wrote important Sanskrit texts, such as the Vākyapadīya (an original discourse on Sanskrit grammar and philosophy). He is best known, however, for the poems in the Śatakatraya. This collection of short verses consists of three groups of 100 poems, each of which is dedicated to a different rasa (the distillation of an aesthetic mood in a reader/listener). Bhāravi Bhāravi probably lived in the 6th century CE and probably in south India. We do know that he wrote the Kirātārjunīya (Arjuna and the Kirāta), an epic poem considered one of the finest of the period and included in the category of mahakavya or ‘great epic.’ The story, in eighteen chapters or cantos, describes a battle between Arjuna (a warrior in the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita) and Siva in the form of a hunter (kirata). The two men shoot the same boar and then fight over the spoils. Eventually Arjuna realises that the hunter is in fact Siva and asks for his blessing. Scholars and critics, both at the time and now, have drawn attention to the poem’s emotional depth and its display of linguistic tricks, which is a key feature of kavya literary style. Reading Edward Dimock (et al.), The Literatures of India (Chicago, 1974), pp. 115-143 Daniel Ingalls, An Anthology of Sanskrit Court Poetry (Harvard, 1987) Sheldon Pollock, The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India (California, 2009) Indira Peterson, Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic: the Kirātārjunīya of Bhāravi (SUNY, 2003) A.K. Warder, Indian Kavya Literature (South Asia Books, 1989) Siegfried Leihnard, A History of Classical Poetry-Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit (Otto Harrassowitz, 1984) Discussion questions For more than a thousand years Sanskrit was a sacred language used for ritual purposes. But by the beginning of the Common Era, spoken Sanskrit had diverged significantly from Vedic Sanskrit, and a famous grammar (by Panini, c. 500 BCE) had codified classical Sanskrit so that it became a literary language for courtly enjoyment. Analyse the corpus of Sanskrit classical poetry as a literary form that that bore no resemblance to the language spoke at the time. Pay special attention to ornate figures of speech, extended metaphors and long compounds, such as this description of a river: ‘with the stars twinkling brightly across her high-surging waves.’ Despite these literary conventions (known collectively as alankara or ‘decoration’), some of the best poems possess great emotional power. Choose one of the longer texts (‘The Cloud Messenger,’ for example) or a sample of shorter verse and analyse how the poet achieves such subjective depth by means of such elevated literary devices. Here is one example: In this summer month which blasts all hope, burns the vines, is angry at the deer, is tree-wilting, bee-distressing, jasmine-hating, dries up lakes, heats dust and fries the sky; in this month that glows with cruel rays, how can you, traveler, walk and live? Bana One of long poems is the Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi, which was written in praise of Siva but in the form of a war poem. In this respect, it resembles the earlier Mahabharata, written in praise of Visnu/Rama using battle scenes. Analyse the Kiratarjuniya through a comparison with the Mahabharata. Pay special attention to the former’s reliance on the literary conventions of classical Sanskrit, the alankara or ‘decorations.’ Consider also the themes of devotionalism, dharma (religious duty) and asceticism. At the other end of the spectrum is the earlier Buddhacarita by Asvaghosa. Written at the beginning of the Common Era in simple prose, it narrates the life of the historical Buddha. Analyse this seminal text, first by comparing it with the Jataka tales and then with the lives of two other religious founders (Christ, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Muhammad, Mahavira or Abraham). Texts 1. Poem by Samghasri, translation by Daniel Ingalls, 1987 Love and anger both are states Hostile to self-control What then did Siva hope to gain By slaying the God of Love in anger? Rather may he who by forbearance Quelled Love together with a hundred foes, That chief of saints, the Buddha, Point you to your welfare 2. Poem by Dīkṣita, translation by Usha Kishore and M Sambasivan, 2013 Singing with bees thronging the locks decking the girls bowing before her, razing and wrecking and routing all evil - thus may Gaurī’s lotus feet ever be. 3. Poem by Sriharsa, translation by Usha Kishore and M Sambasivan, 2013 My love so slim, see you not how the tens on tens of stars glow white in the sky, each as it were a hole – cut by the sharp hoof of a steed of the sun – full to the brim as moon juice drips down night on night? 4. Anonymous poem translated by A. Haksar, 2012 When the pet parrot of the house, which heard at night the couple’s love-talk, began repeating it in front of the elders in the morning, the bride, embarrassed and aghast, took a ruby from her eardrop and, pretending to the bird, that it was a pomegranate seed, stuffed the gem inside its beak to stop it prattling any more. PART II : Tamil Poetry (c. 100 – 500 CE) Overview Tamil is a Dravidian language, historically unrelated to Sanskrit and the Indo-European language family. During the classical period Tamil was the status language throughout the southern region of the subcontinent. Tamil tradition has its own set of poetic genres, broadly speaking love and war poems. The corpus of Tamil classical poetry (2,381 poems by 473 named and 102 anonymous poets) was composed during the early centuries of the Common Era. Similar to Japanese haiku poets, the Tamil poets explore the natural world around them with precision and emotional insight. Their poems contain no grand vision, no cosmogony or philosophy, but in their quiet way they do tell stories. Genre Tamil literary tradition developed a complex aesthetic framework to describe poetry. The system has two overarching genres: akam (‘interior’) and puram (‘exterior’). This dichotomy (first articulated about 500 CE) refers to both the topographical and psychological dimensions of a poem. Love poems Love poems (akam) describe the various inner states of love, usually in or around the house. They are further divided into five groups, each devoted to a specific type or condition of love: separation, union, domestic waiting, betrayal and elopement. Each of these five states of love is also associated with a specific landscape: seashore, mountains, forest/pasture, paddy fields and scrubland.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • OLD FLORIDA BOOK SHOP, INC. Rare Books, Antique Maps and Vintage Magazines Since 1978
    William Chrisant & Sons' OLD FLORIDA BOOK SHOP, INC. Rare books, antique maps and vintage magazines since 1978. FABA, ABAA & ILAB Facebook | Twitter | Instagram oldfloridabookshop.com Catalogue of Sanskrit & related studies, primarily from the estate of Columbia & U. Pennsylvania Professor Royal W. Weiler. Please direct inquiries to [email protected] We accept major credit cards, checks and wire transfers*. Institutions billed upon request. We ship and insure all items through USPS Priority Mail. Postage varies by weight with a $10 threshold. William Chrisant & Sons' Old Florida Book Shop, Inc. Bank of America domestic wire routing number: 026 009 593 to account: 8981 0117 0656 International (SWIFT): BofAUS3N to account 8981 0117 0656 1. Travels from India to England Comprehending a Visit to the Burman Empire and Journey through Persia, Asia Minor, European Turkey, &c. James Edward Alexander. London: Parbury, Allen, and Co., 1827. 1st Edition. xv, [2], 301 pp. Wide margins; 2 maps; 14 lithographic plates 5 of which are hand-colored. Late nineteenth century rebacking in matching mauve morocco with wide cloth to gutters & gouge to front cover. Marbled edges and endpapers. A handsome copy in a sturdy binding. Bound without half title & errata. 4to (8.75 x 10.8 inches). 3168. $1,650.00 2. L'Inde. Maurice Percheron et M.-R. Percheron Teston. Paris: Fernand Nathan, 1947. 160 pp. Half red morocco over grey marbled paper. Gilt particulars to spine; gilt decorations and pronounced raised bands to spine. Decorative endpapers. Two stamps to rear pastedown, otherwise, a nice clean copy without further markings. 8vo. 3717. $60.00 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Pahari Paintings from the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection
    PAHARI PAINTINGS FROM THE EVA AND KONRAD SEITZ COLLECTION francesca galloway ww.francescagalloway.com 1 2 Pahari paintings, meaning paintings from the hills, come from the in Jammu, and Chamba had returned to their non-naturalistic Rajput roots mountainous regions of northern India once known as the Punjab Hills but and were illustrating traditional Hindu texts such as the Ramayana (cat. 2), the which now form the present day states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Rasamanjari and Ragamalas (cat. 1) in brilliantly assured fashion, dependent Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They include some of the most brilliant as well as again on line and colour with their figures set against conceptual renderings the most lyrically beautiful of all Indian painting styles. of architecture and landscape. Such a style had spread throughout most of the Pahari region in the early 18th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries this area was divided into over 30 kingdoms, some of moderate size, but others very small. The kingdoms were established in Although much of the hill region formed strongholds for the worship of Shiva the fertile valleys of the rivers that eventually flowed into the plains – the Ravi, and the Devi, and paintings and manuscripts reflected this (e.g. cats. 12, 13), the Beas, Sutlej, and the Jumna and Ganges and their tributaries – and divided spread of Vaishnavism and, especially the worship of Krishna, induced patrons from each other by high mountains. The Himalayas to the north-east formed to commission illustrated versions of Vaishnava texts, such as the Bhagavata the almost impenetrable barrier between these little kingdoms and Tibet.
    [Show full text]
  • Literary Cultures in History Reconstructions from South Asia
    Literary Cultures in History Reconstructions from South Asia EDITED BY Sheldon Pollock UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London 1 Sanskrit Literary Culture from the Inside Out Sheldon Pollock In contrast to most other literary cultures examined in this book, Sanskrit literature has a long and deep tradition of scholarship. A serious attempt at a comprehensive account appeared by the middle of the nineteenth cen- tury, and today many single- and multi-volume histories are available.1 With- out the foundation this impressive body of work provides, the historical study of Sanskrit literature would be hard indeed to undertake. At the same time, this scholarship, like all human works, has been shaped by the categories and assumptions of its times, and these seem especially vulnerable to criticism from the theoretical perspective adopted in the present volume. The difficulty of defining the object of analysis, to which the introduction to this volume has called attention, is in evidence everywhere in Sanskrit lit- erary scholarship. For many writers, “literature” embraces everything pre- served in writing, or even in speech. Narrower definitions prove to be arbi- trary stipulations or mere tautologies, and hand-me-down qualifiers such as “classical” are typically left unexplained.2 Implicitly, Sanskrit literature is usu- ally understood to be Brahmanical and, by preference, the oldest literature, the Veda, the body of orally transmitted texts of myth and ritual; post-Vedic Sanskrit literature remains for many present-day scholars merely “pretty” and “curious,” as the nineteenth-century scholar F. Max Müller put it, and 1. Weber 1852. Among the more influential texts following upon Weber are Müller 1859, Lévi 1890, Krishnamacariar 1906 (and 1937), Winternitz 1908–1922, and Keith 1923 and 1928.
    [Show full text]
  • The Argumentative Indian
    176/KALEIDOSCOPE 555 The Argumentative Indian Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998 for his contribution in the field of welfare economics. He is Lamont Professor at Harvard. This text forms the opening sections of the first essay in Sen’s book of the same title published in 2005. The sub-title of the book is ‘Writings on Indian Culture, History and Identity’. Sen argues in this essay that in India there has Amartya Sen been a long tradition of questioning the truth of Born 1933 ideas through discussion and dialogue. Prolixity is not alien to us in India. We are able to talk at some length. Krishna Menon’s* record of the longest speech ever delivered at the United Nations (nine hours non-stop), established half a century ago (when Menon was leading the Indian delegation), has not been equalled by anyone from anywhere. Other peaks of loquaciousness have been scaled by other Indians. We do like to speak. This is not a new habit. The ancient Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana. and the Mahabharata, which are frequently compared with the Iliad and the Odyssey, are colossally longer than the works that the modest Homer could manage. Indeed, the Mahabharata alone is about seven times as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey put together. The Ramayana. and the Mahabharata are certainly great * Krishna Menon was India’s Defence Minister from 1957 to 1962. He led the Indian delegation to the United Nations, and on 23 January 1957 delivered an unprecedented 9-hour speech defending India’s stand on Kashmir.
    [Show full text]
  • The Possessed Mood of Nonduality in Buddhist Tantric Sex by Anna
    MCGILL UNIVERSITY He dances, she shakes: the possessed mood of nonduality in Buddhist tantric sex by Anna Katrine Samuelson A THESIS SUBMITTED TO MCGILL UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS FACULTY OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES MCGILL UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL DECEMBER 2011 © Anna Katrine Samuelson 2011 Table of Contents Table of Contents..………………………………………………………………………………...i Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..…………..…ii Abstrait……………………………………………………………………………..…………….iii Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….................iv INTRODUCTION – VOYEURISM: VIEWING NONDUAL AESTHETICS AND PERFORMANCE IN BUDDHIST RITUAL SEX__________________________________1 Voyeuristic lens: scholarship and methods for viewing tantric sex…………………...…..5 Vajravilasini: the erotic embodiment of nonduality………………………………………7 The siddha poet Lakrminkara……………………………………………………………13 Mingling tantric sex with aesthetics and performance…………………………………..15 CHAPTER 1 – THE FLAVOUR OF THE BUDDHA’S PRESENCE: SAMARASA IN RASA THEORY_____________________________________________________________18 1. Double entendre: sexual and awakening meanings in intention speech………………...20 2. More than a feeling: an introduction to rasa theory…………………………………….25 3. Spngara rasa in siddha poetry and yogini tantras………………………………………29 4. Samarasa: the nondual taste of Buddhist aesthetics…………………………………….39 5. After taste: conclusion…………………………………………………………………...42 CHAPTER 2 – FROM SAMARASA TO SAMAVESA: GENDERED PERFORMANCES OF NONDUAL POSSESSION_________________________________________________44
    [Show full text]
  • Political and Cultural History of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram
    Political and cultural history of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram Sources for the History of the Pallavas The sources for the history of the Pallavas may be classified as native and foreign sources. The native sources may further be classified as literary and archaeological sources. The literary sources for the study of Pallavas include both Tamil and Sanskrit literature. They provide a lot of information about the Pallavas. Tamil Literature The Tamil literature consisted of the songs composed by Azhalvars and Nayanmars. They had lived during the Paliava period. The compositions of Azhalvars are known as Nalayira Divya Prabhandam. The songs of Nayanmars are compiled into Panniru Thirumurais. These works describe the social and religious life of the people during the Pallava rule. The Periyapuranam written by Sekizhar is also another important literary source for this period. Sanskrit Literature The Sanskrit works Avani Sundari Katha written by Dandin and Loga Vibagam written by Sarva Nandi provide a lot of information about the importance of Simhavishnu and his rule, The famous Pallava monarch Mahendravarman I he wrote the Mathavilasa Prakasanam in Sanskrit language. It provides information regarding the social and religious condition during the Pallava period. Archaeological Sources Copper plates, inscriptions, monuments and coins remain the important archaeological sources: for the study of the Pallavas. The Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta mentions about the Pallava king Vishnu Gopa. The Aihole Inscription of the Chalukyan king, Pulakesin II gives details about the Pallava Chalukya conflict. The Kenthoor Stone Carving of Keethivarman also belonged to the Pallava period Apart from these popular inscriptions; there exist hundreds of Pallava inscriptions throughout South India.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography
    BIBLIOGRAPHY Text Editions Aelian (Aelius). On the Characteristics of Animals, 3 vols, translated and edited by A.F. Schofi eld. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1958–59; original title De Natura Animalium, 17 books. Aitareya Brahmana. The Aitareya Brahmanam of the Rigveda, containing the earliest speculations of the Brahmans on the meaning of the sacrifi cial prayers, and on the origin, performance and sense of the rites of the Vedic religion, 2 vols, edited and translated by M. Haug. Delhi: Bharatiya, 1976, 1977; reprint of Bombay, 1863. Alberuni. Alberuni’s India, an account of the religion, philosophy, literature of India about 1030 A.D., translated by E.C. Sachau. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1910; reprint of 1888; original title Kitab fi Tahqiq ma lil-Hind. Barbosa. The Book of Duarte Barbosa: An Account of the Countries Bordering on the Indian Ocean and Their Inhabitants, Written by Duarte Barbosa and Completed About the Year 1518 A.D., 2 vols., translated and edited by M. Longworth Dames. New Delhi: American Embassy School, 2002; reprint of London: Hakluyt Society, 1918. Bharavi. Bharavi’s poem Kiratarjuniya or Arjuna’s Combat with the Kirata, translated by C. Cappeller. Harvard Oriental Series 15. Cambridge: Harvard University, 1912. Charaka Samhita. Caraka samhita: traité fondamental de la médicine ayurvédique, translated by J. Papin. Paris: Almora, 2006. Columella. Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella on agriculture, translated by E.S. Foster and E.H. Heffner. Loeb Classical Library 407. London: Heinemann, 1968. De Clavijo. Narrative of the embassy of Ruy Gonzales de Clavijo to the court of Timour at Samarcand, A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • 10.1: Literature: Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and Tamil 10.2: Scientific and Technical Treatises Author: Dr
    Subject: History Lesson: Cultural development Course Developers : 10.1: Literature: Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and Tamil 10.2: Scientific and technical treatises Author: Dr. Shonaleeka Kaul Assistant Professor, Department of History, University of Delhi 10.3: Understanding Indian art: changing perspectives Author: Dr. Parul Pandya Dhar Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Delhi 10.4: Art and architecture: patronage 10.5: The Mauryan phase: monumental architecture, stone sculpture and terracottas Author: Dr. Snigdha Singh Associate Professor, Miranda House, University of Delhi 10.6: The early stupa: Sanchi,Bharhut, Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda 10.7: The rock-cut cave: Western Ghats, Udayagiri and Khandagiri 10.8: Sculpture: regional styles (up to c. 300 CE): Gandhara, Mathura and Amaravati Author: Dr. Devika Rangachari Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of History, University of Delhi, and writer 10.9: Rock cut caves: architecture, sculpture, painting 10.10: Temple architecture, c. 300 - 750 CE 10.11: Ancient Indian sculpture, c. 300 - 700 CE Author: Sanjukta Datta Ph.D Scholar, Department of History, University of Delhi Language Editor: Veena Sachdev Production Editor: Ashutosh Kumar Assistant Professor, Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi NOTE: The dates in modern historical writings are generally given according to the Christian calendar. In recent years, the use of AD (Anno Domini) and BC (Before Christ) has to some extent been replaced by BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era). Both usages are acceptable,
    [Show full text]
  • Indian HISTORY
    Indian HISTORY AncientIndia THEEARLYMAN The Palaeolithic Age G The fossils of the early human being have (500000 BC-9000 BC) been found in Africa about 2.6 million G The palaeolithic culture of India years back, but there are no such developed in the pleistocene period evidence in India. So, it appears that India or the Ice Age. was inhabited later than Africa. G It seems that Palaeolithic men G The recent reported artefacts from Bori belonged to the Negrito race. Homo in Maharashtra suggest that the Sapiens first appeared towards the appearance of human beings in India was end of this phase. around 1.4 million years ago. G Palaeolithic men were hunters and G The evolution of the Earth’s crust shows food gatherers. They had no four stages. The fourth stage is divided knowledge of agriculture, fire or into Pleistocene (most recent) and pottery, they used tools of Holocene (present). unpolished, rough stones and lived G Man is said to have appeared on the Earth in cave rock shelters. They are also in the early Pleistocene. called Quartzite men. G The early man in India used tools of stone G This age is divided into three phases roughly dressed by crude clipping. This according to the nature of the stone period is therefore, known as the Stone tools used by the people and change Age, which has been divided into in the climate. ¡ The Palaeolithic orOldStoneAge ¡ EarlyorLower Palaeolithic ¡ TheMesolithicorMiddleStone Age ¡ Middle Palaeolithic ¡ TheNeolithicorNewStoneAge ¡ Upper Palaoelithic Age Tools Climate Sites Early Handaxes,cleavers Humidity decreased Soan Valley (Punjab) and choppers Middle Flakes-blades,points, Further decrease in Valleys of Soan, Narmada and borers and scrapers humidity Tungabhadra rivers Upper Scrapersandburin Warmclimate Cavesandrockshelters of this age have been discovered at Bhimbetka near Bhopal 2 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE~ Indian History The Mesolithic Age G Neolithic men lived in caves and decorated their walls with hunting and (9000BC- 4000BC) dancing scenes.
    [Show full text]
  • Hindu Scriptures
    Hindu Scriptures TOP =======UNDERSTANDING HINDUISM======== PAGES Hindu Scriptures Table of Vedas and their branches As set out by Sri V.A.K.Ayer Hinduism & Quantum Physics Index Alphabetical <Click Krishna Yajur Sukla Yajur Atharva Vedas Rig Veda Samaveda Amazing Science Veda Veda Veda Hindu Festivals - 2031 No.of Mantras-Sacred Fire original 21 85 17 101 9 Cows are Sacred Recensions From Scriptures Taitireeya Available Mitrayani Kanva, Kauthuma, Q & A Pippalada Recensions Shakala Katha Madyandina Ranaayaneeya, Guru Saunaka or Shakas Kapisthala (Vajasanya) Jaimineeya Silent Teachings & Sat-sanga Swetaswetara Yuga Dharma Caste System Panchavimsa, Shadvimsa, Untouchables Samavidhana, Taittireeya Duties Aitaraya, Aarsheya, Brahmanas (Samhita) Sathapatha Gopatha Virtue, Wealth & Pleasure Kaushitiki (or Mantra, Shankhyayana) Taitireeya Ashramas Devatadhyaya, Maya Vamsa, Creation Jaimineeya Aitaraya, Brahad- Dissolution Aranyakas Taitttireeya - - Wisdom versus knowledge Sankhyayana aranyaka Divine Wealth Aitaraya, Aitaraya, Mahanarayana, Prasna, Women Isavasya, Chandogya, Upanishads Kaushitiki, Mitrayani, Mundaka, Marriage Brihadaranyaka Kena Bhashkala Katakha, Mandukya Alluring Adornment Swetaswetara Nataraj Nature of Reality Apasthamba, Baudhayana, God Hiranyakesi, Khadira, The Soul & its Destiny Shrouta Aswalayana, Bharadwaja, Katyayana Latyayana, Vikhanasa Death & Life Sutras Shankhyayana Vaikhanasa, (Paaraskara) Drahyayana, Bhishma Vadhoola, Jaimineeya Immortality Manava, Reincarnation Varaha Heaven & Hell Manava, Emancipation Apasthamba,
    [Show full text]
  • Visual Narration and Interfaces in Indian Painting with Reference to the Episode of “Kiratarjuniyam” from Lepakshi Murals
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH CULTURE SOCIETY ISSN: 2456-6683 Volume - 3, Issue - 7, July – 2019 Monthly, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed, Indexed Journal Scientific Journal Impact Factor: 4.526 Received on : 15/07/2019 Accepted on : 26/07/2019 Publication Date: 31/07/2019 Visual Narration and interfaces in Indian Painting with reference to the episode of “Kiratarjuniyam” from Lepakshi Murals Kota Mrutyunjaya Rao Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. 516005, Email: [email protected] Abstract: The Kiratarjuniyam story is an episode from Mahabharata which was most favorite theme for the painter and sculptors. The Kiratarjuniya theme features the mood of valour (Vira Rasa) written by Bharavi of 6th century A.D. It was a small narrative episode in while Pandavas exile in Vana parva in Mahabharata. This is painted on the ceiling of Natyamandapa of Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh state. These are the best preserved murals in Andhra Pradesh. The entire narration is depicted in 16 frames on 4 panels as horizontal bands on the ceiling. The narrative is painted in sequential mode with mature levels of composition that unfolds interfaces in terms of style, religious impacts and influences. The narration describes from the scene of the arrival of sage of Vedavyasa to the Dvaitavana and suggestion to Dharmaraja to get weapon Pasupatha in order to win over the Kauravas as the first scene to Vrishabharuda Shiva and Parvathi granting Pasupatha to Arjuna as last scene. The narration run from right to left and South to the North in direction, depicted in four panels.
    [Show full text]
  • Bharavi - Poems
    Classic Poetry Series Bharavi - poems - Publication Date: 2012 Publisher: Poemhunter.com - The World's Poetry Archive Bharavi(6th CE) Bharavi (IAST: Bharavi, Sanskrit: ?????) (c. 6th century CE) was a Sanskrit poet known for his Mahakavya (epic), the Kiratarjuniya (Arjuna and the Mountain Man) in 18 cantos based on an episode from the Mahabharata. <b>Time and Place</b> As with most Sanskrit poets, very few concrete details are available about Bharavi's life, and inferences must be made from references to him. A Chalukya inscription from 634 CE mentions him and <a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/kalidasa/">Kalidasa</a> as famous poets of the past. In another inscription, the king Durvinita of the Western Ganga Dynasty mentions having written a commentary on the fifteenth canto of Bharavi's Kiratarjuniya. The Western Ganga Dynasty ruled from about the middle of the fourth century, and Durvinita is usually believed to have lived in the later half of the sixth century. The poet Da??in, who was born in the middle of the seventh century, reports that his great-grandfather was a friend of Bharavi and was introduced by him to a king Vi??uvardhana, before receiving patronage from Durvinita and King Simhavishnu of the Pallava dynasty. This is unlikely to be Vishnuvardhana II (673–682 CE) and is more likely to be Yasodharman Vishnuvardhana, placing Bharavi's floruit in c.?530–550 CE. Bharavi probably belonged to Southern India. "Bharavi" means "lustre of the sun". It is reported that his original name was Damodara, although this may have been an error.
    [Show full text]