Release of new publications of the IFP

[efeoci]

NEWLY RELEASED

from the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient
and the International Institute for Asian Studies:---

Kar.na Mook.sam---Karna's Death: A play by Pukalentippulavar. Translation,
Hanne M. de Bruin. Publications du departement d'Indologie 87. 1998. 

Introduction, Tamil transcription, English translation, glossary. Pp.
xxxvi, 260.
Price: Rs. 350. Postage extra.

NEWLY RELEASED

from the French Institute of Pondicherry and the Ecole Francaise
d'Extreme-Orient:---

Anargharaaghavapa~ncikaa : The Commentary of Vi.s.nubha.t.ta on the
Anargharaaghava of Muraari. 2 vols. Critical edition, Harinarayana Bhat
B.R. Publications du departement d'Indologie 82. 1998.

Volume I : The Commentary of Vi.s.nubha.t.ta. Pp.xlvi, 307.
Volume II : The  Anargharaaghava of Muraari as read by Vi.s.nubha.t.ta,
notes, appendices. Pp. 322.

Introduction, Sanskrit texts, notes, indices. Price: Rs. 800. Postage extra.

The summaries of the two books are given below.

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SUMMARY of Kar.na Mook.sam

Kar.na Mook.sam contains the Tamil transcription and translation into
English of
the Mahaabhaarata story of Karna's life and his tragic death on the
battlefield.
The transcription is based on a performance of the play by the Po-n-nucaami
Naa.taka Ma-n-ram from the village of Peru"nka.t.tuur near Kanchipuram.
This theatre group is one of the hereditary representatives of
Ka.t.taikkuuttu (or Terukkuuttu) -- an important traditional theatre genre
in Tamil Nadu.

The transcription and translation are preceded by an introduction in which
the Ka.t.taikkuuttu tradition, its socio-historical context and form, as
well as the performance context and content of Kar.na Mook.sam are described.
In addition, the introduction includes a discussion on the difficulties
encountered
by the translator in transcribing and translating the play. These concern in
particular the problem of how to represent a ``live'' oral text originating
in a rural,
non-Western cultural context in a written format that responds to current
literary
and academic conventions and tastes.

SUMMARY of Anargharaaghavapa~ncikaa 

This book contains the first critical edition of Vi.s.nubha.t.ta's
commentary Pa~ncikaa (composed between 1400 and 1450 AD) on Muraari's
ninth-century drama Anargharaaghava. The commentary is exhaustive and
erudite; it provides
a thorough analysis of the structure of the play. The author
Vi.s.nubha.t.ta was
not only an insightful literary critic but also a grammarian of significance.
His Pa~ncikaa is referred to in the grammatical treatise Prakriyaasarvasva
(1616 AD) of Melputtur Naaraaya.na Bha.t.ta. As regards dramaturgy,
Vi.s.nubha.t.ta
supports the views of Si.mhabhuupaala, author of Rasaar.navasudhaakara
(1381 AD), in particular with reference to sandhyantara-s and bhuu.sa.na-s.
The Pa~ncikaa serves not only as a valuable tool for understanding the text
of the
Anargharaaghava, it also makes a substantial contribution to the study of
dramaturgy.

The introduction by the editor briefly surveys the plot of the Anargharaaghava
and evaluates some of the available commentaries. It discusses the date and
authorship of the Pa~ncikaa and assesses the contribution of the commentary
to the study of dramatic literature. The text of the Anargharaaghava as
read by
Vi.s.nubha.t.ta is given separately in the second volume. This second volume
also contains notes to the text of the Pa~ncikaa, indices and appendices.