Recent Russian Publications On Indian Epic

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

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THE ADYAR LIBRARY BULLETIN
much more elusive than that of M. Nevertheless, G. maintains that there is hardly a justification for doubts about its historical basis or at least about the fact that
indirectly it reflects certain real events. In this connection G. points out that in many other epics historical facts and figures can be traced. In the history of many peoples there existed a heroic age. In India this heroic age must have lasted roughly from the 14th to the 10th century B.C. Between the heroic age and the epics themselves there is normally a period of several centuries (sometimes up to five or six centuries). During that period of time in India the exploits of Rama, of the Kaurava-s and of Arjuna were sung and transmitted. G. remarks that it is not surprising that in the course of time historical events were distorted. He adduces several examples from other epics such as the Chanson de Roland, the Nibelungenlied and the Russian byliny (epic songs). The Sanskrit epics contain chronologically incompatible elements as is obvious from the different social, political and cultural conditions which are described in it. G. quotes A. N. Veselovsky who declared that the history on which the epic is based, cannot on the whole be identified with certain specific events and that each epic contains a stratification of facts and a blending of elements separated by several centuries. G. points out that neither the metre nor the language of the epic is a product of one period. Older and freer metres are combined with classical metres in which the number of syllables is fixed. The language of the epic is not spoken Sanskrit but contains