Vedic voices : intimate narratives of a living Andhra tradition

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Автор: David M. Knipe

Название: Vedic voices : intimate narratives of a living Andhra tradition

Язык: английский

Издательство: Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press

Год: 2015

Формат: pdf

Размер: 17,7 mb

Страниц: xxi, 340

Knipe (emer., South Asian studies, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison) provides an essential work of anthropological scholarship, a product of his more than 35 years of field research as well as careful textual analysis. It is a rare resource for anyone interested in India's Vedic traditions, their continued embodiment in living practice, and their potential loss... It is a model work of contemporary Indology that surely will be widely cited long into the future... Essential.

List of Illustrations xi

Preface XV

Acknowledgments xix

Maps xxi

1. The Godavari Delta 5

1.1. Riverine Lifelines 5

1.2. A Historical Overview of the Delta 7

1.3. Agrahara, Villages, and Pilgrimage Towns 23

2. Vedamlo, “Living in the Veda” 28

2.1. The Vocabulary of the Veda Pandit 28

2.2. Choices for Livelihood 38

2.3. The Vocabulary of an Ahitagni 41

2.4. Bonding with Agni 49

2.5. The Voices of Ahitagni and Other Veda pandits 32

3. A Selection of Ahitagni and Other Veda Pandits in Agrahara, Villages, and Towns 54

3.1. The Sriramapuram Agrahara 54

3.2. Kamesvari Agrahara Near Nedunuru Village 97

3.3. Vyaghresvaram Village 106

3.4. Kakinada Town 110

3.5. From Kakinada to Vijayawada and Beyond 116

3.6. Iragavaram Village 132

4. Becoming a Veda 141

4.1. A Tumult of Veda and the Brahmacarin 141

4.2. The Work of the Text 144

4.3. The Sama-vartana: Graduation Day 147

4.4. Advanced Degrees 148

4.5. The Sabha: Debating in an Assembly of Veda Pandits 153

5. Becoming a Householder 157

5.1. The Voices of Women 157

5.2. Marriage 162

5.3. Children and Their Life-cycle Rites 170

5.4. Livelihood 176

5.5. Old Age. Retirement, and Thoughts on Renunciation 180

5.6. Death and Beyond 184

6. Becoming Agni 187

6.1. Agni, Private and Kxtended 188

6.2. The Adhana, Setting the Fires for Srauta Agni-hotra 190

6.3. The Agni-hotra, Sunset and Sunrise Milk Offerings 194

6.4. Offerings to the New Moon. Full Moon, and Constellations 199

6.5. The Agrayana Harvest Sacrifice 205

6.6. The Catur-masya Seasonal Rituals 206

6.7. The First Soma and Animal Sacrifice, Agni-stoma 210

6.8. The Pravargya 218

6.9. The Soma-sacrifice Schedule and Other Rituals 220

6.10. Variations of Agni-cayana, Building a Fire Altar 222

6.11. The Vaja-peya Drink of Strength 228

6.12. The Maha-vrata Great Vow and Go-sawa Bull Imitation 230

6.13. The Sautramani Offering to Indra the Protector 232

6.14. The Asva-medha, Sacrifice of the Royal Horse, the Purusa-medha, and the Raja-suya 234

6.15. Final Absorption into Agni: Funeral Rites 237

6.16. Becoming an Ancestor 243

Epilogue: Becoming "Modem" 247

E.1. A New Cash Economy 248

E.2. Mobility 249

E.3. Huna-vidya: A Rival Form of Education 250