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Indira Viswanathan Peterson provides an introduction to the Sanskrit court epic (mahaµkaµvya), an important genre in classical Indian poetry, and the first study of a celebrated sixth-century poem, the Kiraµtaµrjuniµya (Arjuna and the Hunter) of Bhaµravi. Sanskrit court epics are shown to be characterized both by formalism and a deep engagement with enduring Indian values. The Kiraµtaµrjuniµya is the earliest literary treatment of the narrative of the Paµn|d|ava hero Arjuna’s combat with the great god Siva, a seminal episode in the war epic Mahaµbhaµrata. Through a close analysis of the structural strategies of Bhaµravi’s poem, the author illuminates the aesthetic of the mahaµkaµvya genre. Peterson demonstrates that the classical poet uses figurative language, rhetorical devices, and structural design as the primary instruments for advancing his argument, the reconciliation of heroic action, ascetic self-control, social duty, and devotion to God. Her discussion of the Kiraµtaµrjuniµya in relation to its historical setting and to renderings of this epic episode in literary texts and temple sculpture of later periods reveals the existence of complex transactions in Indian civilization between the discourses of heroic epic and court poetry, political ideologies and devotional religion, Sanskrit and the regional languages, and classical and folk traditions. Selections from the Kiraµtaµrjuniµya are presented in poetic translation.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Frontmatter
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  1. Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic
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  1. Contents
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  1. List of Figures
  2. p. ix
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xi-xii
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  1. 1. Introduction: The Study of the Sanskrit Court Epic
  2. pp. 1-5
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  1. 2. The Poetics of the Mahākāvya
  2. pp. 7-20
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  1. 3. The Setting and Structure of the Kirātārjunīya
  2. pp. 21-46
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  1. 4. Prelude to Action: Epic Speech in Bhāravi's Poem
  2. pp. 47-79
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  1. 5. The Debate between the Brothers: Logic, Rhetoric, and Politics in the Court Epic
  2. pp. 80-88
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  1. 6. Landscapes with Women: Bhāravi’s Descriptive Art
  2. pp. 89-116
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  1. 7. The Conundrum of the Warrior-Ascetic
  2. pp. 130-138
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  1. 8. The Theater of Combat
  2. pp. 139-160
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  1. 9. Wrestling with God: Rasa and Bhākti in the Kirātārjunīya
  2. pp. 161-188
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  1. A Note on the Translation Selections
  2. pp. 189-190
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  1. Appendix A.
  2. pp. 191-194
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  1. Appendix B.
  2. pp. 195-202
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  1. Appendix C.
  2. pp. 203-214
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  1. Appendix D.
  2. pp. 215-220
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  1. List of Abbreviations
  2. pp. 221-268
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  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 269-288
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 289-302
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  1. Index of References to the Kirātārjunīya
  2. pp. 303-306
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