Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic

Explores the earliest literary treatment of Arjuna's combat with the great god Siva, providing an introduction to the Sanskrit court epic.Peterson proves that it is possible and fruitful to approach mahakavya such as 'Arjuna and the Hunter' through the aesthetic values it embodies. She succeeds in making one of the greatest works of literature accessible and meaningful to non-specialists, as well as useful for teachers of South Asian culture and religion. - History of ReligionsIndira Viswanathan Peterson provides an introduction to the Sanskrit court epic (mahakavya), an important genre in classical Indian poetry, and the first study of a celebrated sixth-century poem, the Kiratarjuniya (Arjuna and the Hunter) of Bharavi. Sanskrit court epics are shown to be characterized both by formalism and a deep engagement with enduring Indian values.>Indira Viswanathan Peterson is Professor of Asian Studies at Mount Holyoke College. She is the author of Poems to S?iva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints and editor of Indian literature for The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Expanded Edition.