Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits (Religion and Postmodernism Series)

Throughout India and Southeast Asia, ancient classical epics—the Mahabharata and the Ramayana—continue to exert considerable cultural influence. Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics offers an unprecedented exploration into South Asia's regional epic traditions. Using his own fieldwork as a starting point, Alf Hiltebeitel analyzes how the oral tradition of the south Indian cult of the goddess Draupadi and five regional martial oral epics compare with one another and tie in with the Sanskrit epics. Drawing on literary theory and cultural studies, he reveals the shared subtexts of the Draupadi cult Mahabharata and the five oral epics, and shows how the traditional plots are twisted and classical characters reshaped to reflect local history and religion. In doing so, Hiltebeitel sheds new light on the intertwining oral traditions of medieval Rajput military culture, Dalits ('former Untouchables'), and Muslims. Breathtaking in scope, this work is indispensable for those seeking a deeper understanding of South Asia's Hindu and Muslim traditions. This work is the third volume in Hiltebeitel's study of the Draupadi cult. Other volumes include Mythologies: From Gingee to Kuruksetra (Volume One), On Hindu Ritual and the Goddess (Volume Two), and Rethinking the Mahabharata (Volume Four). Contents......Page 8 List of Maps and Tables......Page 11 List of Plates......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Conventions......Page 15 1. Introduction......Page 16 2. Oral Epics......Page 26 A. Classical and Oral Epics......Page 27 B. Epic Development and the "Real Hero"......Page 36 C. Against Death and Deification......Page 44 D. Bhakti, Regionality, and the Goddess......Page 52 E. Back to the Frames......Page 58 3. The Elder Brothers and the Heroes of Palnadu......Page 63 1. Births of the Heroes......Page 67 2. Marriage and Virginity......Page 75 3. The Virgin's Blessing......Page 77 4. Campuka's and Anapotu Raju's Stratagems......Page 78 5. The Virgin's Anger......Page 81 6. Impalements......Page 85 7. Satis, Revivals, Salvation......Page 90 8. Transformations of Dasara......Page 96 4. The Epic of Pabuji......Page 103 1. Births of the Heroes......Page 104 2. Marriage and Virginity......Page 111 4. Dhebo's Intervention......Page 116 5. The Virgin's Anger......Page 120 6. Impalements......Page 123 7. Satis and Salvation......Page 128 8. Transformations of Dasara......Page 129 5. Opening Alha......Page 136 A. Portions and Incarnations......Page 141 B. Sons of Devaki......Page 149 C. Frame Stories and Divine Interventions......Page 151 D. The Maro Feud......Page 157 A. Treasures......Page 168 B. Bela Demands Draupadi's Jewels......Page 170 C. The Chain......Page 174 D. Bela's Wedding......Page 177 E. Bela's Homebringing......Page 179 F. Desara......Page 185 G. The Death of Malkhan......Page 188 H. Sprouts......Page 194 I. Bela's Tour......Page 201 7. The Story of Krsnamsa......Page 226 A. What Kind of Text?......Page 227 B. The Muslim Captivity of Udal......Page 233 C. Solar and Lunar Lines......Page 237 D. The Agnivamsa......Page 243 E. Defending Folk Hinduism......Page 247 8. Kuruksetra II......Page 255 A. Divine Plan, Master Plan......Page 256 B. The Establishment of Kali and the Last of the Little Kings......Page 269 C. Duryodhana's Return......Page 274 9. Time-Routes through the Krsnamsacarita......Page 278 A. How Do We Get to Where We Are?......Page 280 B. The Buddhists and the Agnivamsa......Page 293 C. Vikramaditya's Era......Page 296 D. Puranic Nationalism......Page 308 10. Their Name Is Legion......Page 312 A. Rajputs and Afghans......Page 314 B. Rajputs and Afghans Looking South......Page 325 C. The Egalitarian Warband......Page 335 D. Warrior-Ascetics and Wandering Minstrels......Page 347 11. The Ballad of Raja Desing......Page 379 A. The Story and Its Settings......Page 380 B. The Printed Ballad and an Oral Telling......Page 384 C. Rajput-Afghan Heroism Goes South......Page 408 12. Barbarika, Aravan, Kuttantavar: Furthering the Case of the Severed Head......Page 429 A. Reopening the Case......Page 430 B. Tracking Barbarika......Page 432 C. A Permeable Divide......Page 446 13. The Myth of the Agnivamsa......Page 454 A. Variants......Page 457 B. Themes......Page 468 C. Agnikulas, North and South......Page 477 A. Disposing of the Kauruva Widows......Page 491 B. Draupadi Becomes Bela......Page 497 C. High and Low Satis......Page 506 D. Bela Becomes Sati......Page 510 E. Bairagarh......Page 516 F. Questions, Questions......Page 523 Abbreviations......Page 528 Bibliography......Page 530 Index ......Page 558

Throughout India and Southeast Asia, ancient classical epics—the Mahabharata and the Ramayana—continue to exert considerable cultural influence. Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics offers an unprecedented exploration into South Asia's regional epic traditions.

Using his own fieldwork as a starting point, Alf Hiltebeitel analyzes how the oral tradition of the south Indian cult of the goddess Draupadi and five regional martial oral epics compare with one another and tie in with the Sanskrit epics. Drawing on literary theory and cultural studies, he reveals the shared subtexts of the Draupadi cult Mahabharata and the five oral epics, and shows how the traditional plots are twisted and classical characters reshaped to reflect local history and religion. In doing so, Hiltebeitel sheds new light on the intertwining oral traditions of medieval Rajput military culture, Dalits ("former Untouchables"), and Muslims.

Breathtaking in scope, this work is indispensable for those seeking a deeper understanding of South Asia's Hindu and Muslim traditions.

This work is the third volume in Hiltebeitel's study of the Draupadi cult. Other volumes include Mythologies: From Gingee to Kuruksetra (Volume One), On Hindu Ritual and the Goddess (Volume Two), and Rethinking the Mahabharata (Volume Four).

Throughout India and Southeast Asia, ancient classical epicsthe Mahabharata and the Ramayana continue to exert considerable cultural influence. Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics offers an unprecedented exploration into South Asia's regional epic traditions. Using his own fieldwork as a starting point, Alf Hiltebeitel analyzes how the oral tradition of the south Indian cult of the goddess Draupadi and five regional martial oral epics compare with one another and tie in with the Sanskrit epics. Drawing on literary theory and cultural studies, he reveals the shared subtexts of the Draupadi cult Mahabharata and the five oral epics, and shows how the traditional plots are twisted and classical characters reshaped to reflect local history and religion. In doing so, Hiltebeitel sheds new light on the intertwining oral traditions of medieval Rajput military culture, Dalits ("former Untouchables"), and Muslims. Breathtaking in scope, this work is indispensable for those seeking a deeper understanding of South Asia's Hindu and Muslim traditions. This work is the third volume in Hiltebeitel's study of the Draupadi cult. Other volumes include From Gingee to Kuruksetra (Volume One), On Hindu Ritual and the Goddess (Volume Two), and Rethinking the Mahabharata (Volume Four).