Guest guest Posted August 17, 2003 Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 I don't know how Buck's Mahabharata and Ramayana are considered from a scholarly point of view but simply as storytelling they are spellbinding. My favorite passage is in Bucks Ramayana where Guha tells Lakshmana his story about the Statue of Shiva. The bare bones of the story are that Guha had vowed to kick everyday the statue of Shiva which had been placed in his forest. One day he was prevented from doing this by wolves which had chased him up a tree over the statue and all night he had shivered and knocked leaves out of the tree and thrown things at the wolves. Then when he died he was saved by Shiva from Yama the Lord of Death because of his night of 'puja'. (This doesn't do justice to Bucks version!) I've seen similar stories (but with another character than Guha) in stories about Mahashivaratri, but I've never been able to locate this story in Valmiki's Ramayana. Does anyone know if this story is actually in any of the Ramayanas. Or did Buck interpolate it from another source. Harry Spier 371 Brickman Rd. Hurleyville, New York USA 12747 >"Phillip Ernest" <phillip.ernest >INDOLOGY ><INDOLOGY> >[Y-Indology] Buck's Bharata >Sat, 16 Aug 2003 22:20:48 -0400 > >I read William Buck's Mahabharata and Ramayana ages ago, and recall that he >said in the introductions that he did not know Sanskrit, but worked by >cannibalizing and regurgitating mainly the Roy Bharata and Sastri Ramayana. >I have heard his versions abominated by sanskritists, so I am surprised to >find that Wendy Doniger in her Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology cites him >several times with respect. Is there a substantial number of sanskritists >who think that he had something original to contribute despite his >scholarly >limitations? > >P. Ernest > > > > >indology > > > >Your use of is subject to > > _______________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 - "Harry Spier" <harryspier <INDOLOGY> Sunday, August 17, 2003 6:59 PM Re: [Y-Indology] Buck's Bharata > I don't know how Buck's Mahabharata and Ramayana are considered from a > scholarly point of view but simply as storytelling they are spellbinding. Yes, Doniger seems to regard him as having an extraordinary sensitivity to myths' meanings, and quotes him for insightful emphases in his retellings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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