Recent Russian Publications On Indian Epic

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

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RUSSIAN PUBLICATIONS ON THE INDIAN EPIC
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remarks that the number of pure formulas' in M is not very great and is extremely small when compared to the number of pāda-s which contain only a supporting word as formulaic element.
In the śloka especially the fourth pāda contains formulas, for instance: tad adbhutam ivābhavat, param kautūhalam hi me. Often this pāda contains comparisons: simhaḥ kṣudram/gam yathā (-mțgān iva), garutmān iva pannagam, etc. Developed formulas can occupy two pāda-s, three pāda-s or even an entire śloka. Vasil'kov divides them into two groups of which the first consists of often used phrases (relating to battles, asceticism, descriptions of nature, etc.). The component parts are formulaic pāda-s which can be used also independently. Sometimes a developed formula is a more ‘rigid' formula-cliché, for instance:
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsam purātanam prahlādasya ca samvādam
muner ängirasasya ca (2.61.58) baler vairocanasya ca (3. 29. 1)
muner ājagarasya ca (12.172.2) Other proper names can be combined with the supporting word samvāda in pāda c: indrakāśyapasamvādam (12.173.4), bịhaspateś ca samvādam (14.6.1). The supporting word can even be absent as in the following two śloka-s:
atrāpy udāharantīMAM ITIHĀSAŅ PURĀTANAM I agastyasya mahāyajñe purāvşTTAM arimdama 11
(14.95.4)