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Indian Literature Abounds In A Variety Of Myths And Legends Narrating Allegorical/Historical Stories With Moral Teachings Where Celestial Or Semi-Celestial Beings, In Particular The Apsarases, Occupy An Important Place. The Work Examines The Origin And Development Of The Institution Of Apsarases And Their Characteristics As Described In The Vast Corpus Of Vedic, Epic-Puranic And Classical Works, With A Thorough Study Of The Depiction Of The Legend Of The Urvasi And Pururavas.
This monograph presents scholarly exposition of the Apsara myth and its evolutionthrough centuries. Mentioned for the first time in the Rig Veda Apsaras find mention inIndian scriptures, epics, Puranas, dramas, poetry and numerous literary works. As a creationof ancient water cosmology she is described as a exceedingly beautiful and charmingperson adept in dancing, singing as well as art of seduction and amorous sports. Themonograph speaks of her profound influence on Indian art which is particularly visibleon the magnifient medieval temples in the form of female sculptures of immense beautyfamous all over the world. Written in lucid style the book reveals the story of Indian waternymph, the Apsara, in its infinite variety.
Gautam has here laid out the first serious reading of Michel Foucault in relation to key Sanskrit texts, and--what may be a surprise to many--he has written the first book-length work in English on the nature and origin of the Kamasutra. Gautam also takes up the Natyasastra (the Kamasutra's twin), locating in the first the themes of sexual-erotic pleasure, and locating in the second the classical Indian view of theater, music, dance, and aesthetic pleasure. The book shows how closely intertwined the history of erotics in ancient Indian culture is with the history of theater-aesthetics. Foucault provides a framework for opening up the intellectual horizon of Indian thought; it is his distinction between ars erotics (erotic arts) and scientia sexualis (science of sexuality) that fuels Gautam's exploration of the courtesan as symbol of both erotic and aesthetic pleasure, particularly in her role as a wife to her patron, which entails the morphing of erotics into a form of theater. The scope broadens ambitiously, to an inquiry on the nature of knowledge formation, erotics, theater, and gender relations in premodern Indian society and culture--as they converged on the historical figures of the courtesan and her male counterpart, the dandy. Gautam's twining of aims and subjects--Foucault's western philosophy of pleasure and India's classic text on eros (anchored in art and aesthetics)--transforms both the modern and the ancient texts with new understandings, and as new forms of investigating erotics and subjectivity itself.
"Ila is the queen of Pratishtanapur but she can never be an Empress. The kings in Aryavart would never bow down to a woman. But she isn't one to give up. She desires to live out her dream vicariously - through her son, Pururava. Pururava's mind is entrenched with his mother's ambitions so much so that all of his personal decisions too come to be dictated by this. Including his marriage to the Princess of Kashi, Aushinari. Elsewhere, the breathtakingly beautiful Urvashi is offered a place amongst the apsaras in Amaravati. Naïve and driven by her impulses, she is quick to accept it. When Pururava meets Urvashi on a visit to Amaravati, he irrevocably falls for her. So does Urvashi. But their union isn't as simple. Urvashi is an apsara bound to the directives of Lord Indra. Pururava is bound by his responsibilities to Aryavart. Can they have a happy ending together? Or will they be torn apart ? Read, to find out in this riveting retelling of the story picked from the pages of Indian Mythology."
In Ka, Roberto Calasso delves into the corpus of classical Sanskrit literature recreating and re-imagining the enchanting world of ancient India. Beginning with the Rig-Veda, Ka weaves together myths from the Upanishad, the Mahabharata and the stories of the Buddha, all of which pose questions that have haunted us for millennia.
An illustrated A to Z reference containing more than 700 entries providing information on the theology, people, historical events, institutions and movements related to Hinduism.
The Fairy Tale World is a definitive volume on this ever-evolving field. The book draws on recent critical attention, contesting romantic ideas about timeless tales of good and evil, and arguing that fairy tales are culturally astute narratives that reflect the historical and material circumstances of the societies in which they are produced. The Fairy Tale World takes a uniquely global perspective and broadens the international, cultural, and critical scope of fairy-tale studies. Throughout the five parts, the volume challenges the previously Eurocentric focus of fairy-tale studies, with contributors looking at: • the contrast between traditional, canonical fairy tales and more modern reinterpretations; • responses to the fairy tale around the world, including works from every continent; • applications of the fairy tale in diverse media, from oral tradition to the commercialized films of Hollywood and Bollywood; • debates concerning the global and local ownership of fairy tales, and the impact the digital age and an exponentially globalized world have on traditional narratives; • the fairy tale as told through art, dance, theatre, fan fiction, and film. This volume brings together a selection of the most respected voices in the field, offering ground-breaking analysis of the fairy tale in relation to ethnicity, colonialism, feminism, disability, sexuality, the environment, and class. An indispensable resource for students and scholars alike, The Fairy Tale World seeks to discover how such a traditional area of literature has remained so enduringly relevant in the modern world.