Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

SR No.: 001566
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1982
Total Pages: 210
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, Mythology, & Story
File Size: 15 MB

Page 175

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS
In a study of this type, the consideration of individual tales and groups would contain discussion and criticism on them and would embody its results. Therefore, much may not remain to be said by way of conclusions. However, a sort of general recapitulation of the observations already made before and some further observations on their basis will not be found out-of-place here.
(1)
The two Great Epics occupy an important place in our national life. Primarily they profess to narrate only one single connected tale each. Yet the presence of innumerable secondary tales in them, though inessential, is yet imposing and glaring. An enquiry into the purposes they serve would be interesting and instructive.
The tales are for the most part drawn from the floating mass of folk-literature. The relation of the epics with Atharvaveda, with the Bhrgus, their being called “itihāsa”, their relation with and development from the popular bardic poetry, their preservation, amplification and popularity in the oral folk tradition - all of these go to prove the folk-literary character of the epics, which can be shown to possess the characteristics of folk-literature as described by Stith Thompson.
As collections of tales, the epics are unique. In introducing secondary tales, the techniques of frame-stories and emboxing-tales are resorted to, and in these the epics are similar to the other world-famous tale-collections; but unlike them, the epics were primarily intended to narrate only one single connected tale each, and the overgrowth succeeded in completely obviatisg their epic-characteristic,
The emphasis in folk-literature is on the tale, i.e. the content-structure, and not on the aesthetic form. The verbal form of a folk-tale is not steady; therefore, the form of a folk-tale is decided by the nature of its contents, whereas the content-structure of a folk-tale. which can be called its inner form, often decides in the epics the function of a particular tale. A functional approach to the study of these tales, therefore, would be more appropriate. The epics themselves often reveal such an approach adopted in grouping their secondary tales.
The term 'Secondary' is relative. To decide what is secondary, we should first decide what is 'primary' or 'original'. The motif-pattern of the opening episc des of the Nala-story, of RM (AyK) and MBh; the index in Adip, 55; and an analysis of the chain of events concerning Maya Dānava yield that the entire AdiP, like BK, is secondary. Implications of the MBh being called "Jaya" itihāsa make it very proba