Indian Poetics (Kāvya Śāstra) and Narratology Towards the Appreciation of Biblical Narrative (Studies in Biblical Literature)

Though the biblical and the Indian literary traditions had independent origin and growth in terms of spatial and cultural milieux, there are literary landscapes of confluence where the literary fabrics of their collective wisdom are interwoven. Both narrative traditions have rich oral and folk prehistoric traditions in their records and this attribute provides a substratum where their narrative patterns and paradigms can find a common ground. A Hebraic reading of the Bible does not exhaust the meaning of the biblical texts; on the other hand, an Indian reading of the Bible could bring more flesh and blood to the living text. Ancient Indian Kāvya Śāstra (Poetics) and its modern rendering narratology being multifarious and mutually integrative will be able to supply a variety of poetical tools and devices with which the great and vast miscellany of biblical narrative can be approached and appreciated. Indian religious tradition is more narrative/story rather than doctrinal or dogmatic. This demands an Indian reading of the Bible endowed with a narratological and synchronic approach to disentangle the biblical narrative from the burden of dogmas and doctrines and to re-launch its primordial narrative/story culture. The application of the canons of Indian Kāvya Śāstra with its narratological elucidations to the biblical narrative has categorically proved that it can open up a new horizon to an Indian reading of the Bible. Various such narrative approaches, heuristic devices and models thus evolved have been applied to selected narratives in the Davidic Episode of the Books of Samuel. Though the biblical and the Indian literary traditions had independent origin and growth in terms of spatial and cultural milieux, there are literary landscapes of confluence where the literary fabrics of their collective wisdom are interwoven. Both narrative traditions have rich oral and folk prehistoric traditions in their records and this attribute provides a substratum where their narrative patterns and paradigms can find a common ground. A Hebraic reading of the Bible does notexhaust the meaning of the biblical texts; on the other hand, an Indian reading of the Bible could bring more flesh and blood to the living text. Ancient Indian Kāvya Śāstra (Poetics) and its moder rendering narratology being multifarious and mutually integrative will be able to supply a variety of poetical toos and devices with which the great and vast miscellany of biblical narrative can be approached and appreciated. Indian religious tradition is more narrative/story rather than doctrinal or dogmatic. This demands an Indian reading of the Bible endowed with a narratological and synchronic approach to disentangle the biblical narrative from the burden of dogmas and doctrines and to re-launch its primordial narrative/story culture. The application of the canons of Indian Kāvya Śāstra with its narratological elucidations to the biblical narrative has categorically proved that it can open up a new horizon to an Indian reading of the Bible. Various such narrative approaches, heuristic devices and models thus evolved have been applied to selected narratives in the Davidic Episode of the Books of Samuel. --Back cover Though the biblical and the Indian literary traditions had independent origin and growth in terms of spatial and cultural milieux, there are literary landscapes of confluence where the literary fabrics of their collective wisdom are interwoven. Both narrative traditions have rich oral and folk prehistoric traditions in their records and this attribute provides a substratum where their narrative patterns and paradigms can find a common ground. A Hebraic reading of the Bible does not exhaust the meaning of the biblical texts; on the other hand, an Indian reading of the Bible could bring more flesh and blood to the living text. Ancient Indian Kavya Sastra (Poetics) and its modern rendering narratology being multifarious and mutually integrative will be able to supply a variety of poetical tools and devices with which the great and vast miscellany of biblical narrative can be approached and appreciated. Indian religious tradition is more narrative/story rather than doctrinal or dogmatic. This demands an Indian reading of the Bible endowed with a narratological and synchronic approach to disentangle the biblical narrative from the burden of dogmas and doctrines and to re-launch its primordial narrative/story culture. The application of the canons of Indian Kavya Sastra with its narratological elucidations to the biblical narrative has categorically proved that it can open up a new horizon to an Indian reading of the Bible. Various such narrative approaches, heuristic devices and models thus evolved have been applied to selected narratives in the Davidic Episode of the Books of Samuel. Part 1. Biblical Narrative And Indian Kāvya Śāstra. The Point Of Departure For An Indian Approach To Biblical Narrative -- Locating Ancient Indian Kāvya Śāstra And Modern Western Narratology -- The Proposed Models Proper To An Indian Literary Appreciation -- Part 2. An Appreciation Of The Davidic Episode In The Books Of Samuel From The Vantage Point Of Kāvya Śāstra. The Compositional Coherence Of The Books Of Samuel On The Framework Of The Four-s Model -- The Basic Models Of The Indian Narrative Paradigm Towards The Appreciation Of The Davidic Episode -- The Main Features Of Indian Narratology Towards The Appreciation Of The Davidic Episode -- Three Classical Theories Of Kāvya Śāstra Towards The Appreciation Of The Davidic Episode. G. Ayyaneth. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. "Whoever has seen films produced in India will know that the narration is sometimes interrupted by dancing and singing. This phenomenon resembles the way the Books of Samuel are interwoven with poems or songs such as the song of Hannah or the last words of David. Western narratology is heavily influenced by Aristotle's Poetics. However there were stories being told before the lifetime of this Greek philosopher and outside his European culture. G. Ayyaneth presents the rich Indian literary theory and shows convincingly that it offers an interpretative key for the juxtaposition of storytelling and singing in the Hebrew Bible." (Hans Ulrich Steymans, O.P., Professor (OT) and Dean of the Faculty of Theology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland) "I really found G. Ayyaneth's insights helpful and very full of interesting suggestions for further reflection. It fits closely with my background in literary criticism and theory, and does in fact seem to open up interesting new vistas, not only for Indians but for all of us in reading the Bible. One of the most stimulating and original things I have found in quite a while." (David Fleming, S.M., University of Dayton, Ohio, USA) Ancient Indian Kāvya Śāstra (Poetics) and its modern rendering Narratology supplies a variety of poetical tools and devices with which the vast miscellany of biblical narratives can be approached and appreciated. Ancient Indian Kavya Sastra (Poetics) and its modern rendering Narratology supplies a variety of poetical tools and devices with which the vast miscellany of biblical narratives can be approached and appreciated.