Ucchvāsa, sarga and lambha: Text divisions in Sanskrit poems (mahākāvyas)
Ucchvāsa, sarga and lambha: Text divisions in Sanskrit poems (mahākāvyas)

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to the structure of Sanskrit mahākāvyas in prose (kathā and ākhyāyikā) and verse (sargabandha). It seems that the origin of kathā is connected with the art of storytelling, whereas the roots of ākhyāyikā are in the heroic epic tradition, which facts influenced the inner organization of the texts belonging respectively to both genres. One of the main aims of sargabandha is to present the events from the past (described earlier also in the Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa), however in accordance with theory and practice of kāvya tradition. Again, it has its impact on the text architecture as will be shown.

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