Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

Author(s): Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 9

CONTENTS
I INTRODUCTORY
The Epics and Folk Literature
Place of epic-tales in Indian life-1; epics as Itihasa and the Purana literature, epics and Indian Folk-literature-2; Folk literary characteristics of the epics, epics and Atharvaveda-3; Itihasa-lore and oral tradition-4; 'epics of growth' originating from folkliterature-5; evolution of Indian epics-6;
The Epics as Folk Literature
Characteristics: traditionality-7; literary and oral traditions, the comparative aspect, tale-collections-8; tales as told, folk-tale as an art, conditions of folk-tale telling-9; oral narratives, theories about folk-tales, no single clue for all the tales-10;
1-27
The Epics and Other Folk-tale-collections
Floating mass of popular folk-literature, drawn upon by Buddha-Mahāvīra, other tale-collections with emboxing frame-story-11; their difference, homogeneity of contents and intention, kind of audience-12;
Form, Content and Function: Their Inter-relation
Terms defined: Function, content motifs, motif-clusters-13; Form, folk-literature. and sophisticated or creative literature-14;
Implications of 'Secondary'
i. Before the beginning', artistic unity of design and purpose-15; beginnings of Nalopakhyana and RM compared with events of SabP (MBh)-16, events prior to Rajasuya not necessary, Sabha not inevitable-17; events connected with Maya Danava, SabP free from Bhrgu-element-18: third index of MBh (AdiP.55), consideration of contents-19-20; represents its first redaction, indexes of RM, BK called Adikända-21; ii. The End of the 'Original'-22; implications of Jaya'-23; a human war-story-24; two epics, the only surviving examples of Jaya'-25;
iii. Further implications of the 'original' and the 'secondary, VirP interpolation ?-25; similar patterns of opening events of Nalopakhyäna, RM and MBh-26;
iv. The definition of Secondary".
II. THE TALES IN RAMAYANA
A. BALA-KANDA
Puranic style, contradictions-28;
(1) The First Four Sargas
Provide frame-story, framing technique and sacrifices, tragic conception grand, execution poor-29; the sargas meant as introductory, affinity with UK, Valmiki shown
28-88