Arjunawijaya. Vol. 1 : a kakawin of Mpu Tantular : Introduction and text

Like many works of Old Javanese literature, the kakawin Arjunawijaya (Arj.) was first introduced to the wor1d of Western scholarship in 1849 through the well-known report of Friederich, Voorloopig Verslag van het Eiland Baii. In this report Friederich (1959: 25) says: 'The Arjuna Vijaya ("the Triumph of Arjuna") is fonned after the Uttarak??l4a ... It contains the combat of Arjuna with R?vat]. a and his victory. R?vat]. a is here bound, but not yet killed, because his time has not yet arrived. Re is to be destroyed by R?ma ... ' Written in 1849, when the study of Old Javanese had barely taken the first step in its slow progress on a long and arduous road, Friederich's report was a promising start. It is therefore disheartening to discover how, 120 years later, the Arj. is still little more than a closed book. To the best of my knowledge there is not one article exclusive1y devoted to any aspect of the poem, let alone a major publication. It would be an exaggeration, however, to say that the Arj. is completely unknown to students of Old Javanese. Short descriptions of the manuscripts of this kakawin, and even outlines of their contents, have been given in the Catalogues of the Old Javanese manuscripts in the possession of the Library of the University of Leiden, and in the few articles and books treating Old Javanese literature in general. Occasionally a reference to the Arj Front Matter....Pages N2-XI The Dating of the Arjunawijaya....Pages 1-15 The Origin of the Arjunawijaya....Pages 16-26 A Detailed Comparison of the Arjunawijaya with the Old Javanese Uttarakāṇḍa....Pages 27-35 Structural Modification: From Parwa to Kakawin....Pages 36-48 Notes on Contemporary Life as Reflected in the Arjunawijaya....Pages 49-68 The problems of ‘ŚRĪ Parwatarājadewa’....Pages 69-82 Arrangement of the Edition....Pages 83-92 Back Matter....Pages 93-179 The poem under study only became better known to Western scholars in 1849, when R. Friederich described it. Although many scholars in the field have been familiar with the poem ever since, no separate study has been devoted to it. It is now published together with the translation and its explanatory notes.