In the valley of the Kauravas : a divine kingdom in the Western Himalaya / William S. Sax.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sax, William Sturman, 1957- author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mahābhārata--Influence.

Mahābhārata.

Hindu gods--India--Uttarkāshi (District).

Hindu gods.

Mythology, Indic--India--Uttarkāshi (District).

Mythology, Indic.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (271 pages)

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2024.

Summary:

In Western Himalaya, local gods are seen to rule as kings, communicating with their subjects through their human oracles. They remain central in modern society, and 'In the Valley of the Kauravas' explores how the power of the local gods and oracles remains by examining the myths, legends, rituals, and folklore of the region.

Contents:

Intro

Halftitle page

Title page

Copyright page

Dedication page

Epigraph

Acknowledgments

Transliteration

Contents

1. Introduction: Agency and Intentionality in the Divine Kingdoms of Rawain

Gods as Agents

Three Problematic Terms: Culture, Ontology, Ritual

The Structure of the Book

2. Divine Kingdoms in South and Southeast Asia

The Rule of the Gods in the Western Himalaya

Summary

3. The King's Three Bodies

Karna in the Mahabharata

Karan Is a King

Raja Karan vs. Chalda Mahasu

Karan Is a Jogi

Karan Is a Brahman

4. The Realm: Land and People

A Moral Ecology

The Mulk and Its Parts

The Ball Game

Palanquin Journeys and Historical Change

Conclusion: From Subject to Citizen

5. The Ballad of Jariyan

Anthropology and Folklore

The Musician: Buli Das "Dhaki"

The Ballad of Jariyan

I

6. The Minister and the Army

The vazir: Raj Mohan Singh Rangad

Crime and Punishment

The Summer and Autumn Festivals

Stalemate

Conclusion

7. A Treasury of Honor: Folklore and Practical Reason in West Himalayan Pastoralism

The Anthropological Study of (Pastoral) Nomadism

Transhumant Pastoralism in Rawain

The Ballad of Chandu

8. The Ally

On Assignment with Death's Henchman

The Oracle: Kitab Singh Rana

Pokkhu vs. the Chief Minister

9. The Enemy

Modernity and the Mulk

Reform in the Kingdom of "Duryodhana"

The King with the Red Cloak

Making a New World through Public Enactments

Appendix

Document 1

Document 2: maafipatra

Document 3: samajhautaa patra

Document 4: Kapuaa

Bibliography

Glossary

Index.

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2024.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on October 23, 2023).

ISBN:

0-19-198930-4

0-19-887941-5

0-19-887940-7

OCLC:

1405432200