Subhadrāwiwāha : an old Javanese kakawin
Creators: name: Creese, Helen Mary
Publisher: name: The Australian National University
Year: 1981
Subjects: subject: Subhadrawiwaha Commentaries

description: The Subhadrawiwaha is a kakawin from the later period of Old Javanese literature, which apart from one brief description (Zoetmulder 1974:383-385) has previously been ignored by Old Javanese scholars. Although commonly relegated to the category of ' minor' kakawins, most of which are of Balinese origin, the Subhadrawiwaha is still fairly close in language and style to the kakawins of the classical period. Certain changes are apparent which do separate the Subhadrawiwaha from earlier works but these deviations from traditional Old Javanese poetical technique are not so great that the Subhadrawaha can be considered to be of Balinese origin with any degree of certainty. The Subhadrawiwaha thus occupies a special, though ill-defined, position in the scheme of Old Javanese literature. This thesis consists of two parts . The first part, the Introduction, is devoted to a discussion of various as pects of the Subhadrawiha and begins with a summary of the plot (1.1), and a brief discussion of the possible themes and function of this text (1.2). In the following two sections, the structural aspects of the Subhadrau,iwaha - the poetical requirements of content and form (1.3) and the language of the text (1.4) - are considered. Section 1.5 deals with the dating and authorship of the poem. The author dedicates his work to the descendant of sri Surawirya but the identity of this patron has not yet been established. The work probably dates from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, although an earlier time of composition is possible. The occurrence of the word nirarthaka in the manggala suggests that this may have been the author's name. In Chapter 2, the relationship of the SubhadraJ.;Jiwaha to other Old Javanese literary works is examined . The story of Arjuna's exile, first recorded in the tenth century Old Javanese Adiparua proved to be very popular in the later period . A second version of the Subhadrawiwaha has recently been discovered, and this story is also the subject of two later kakawins., the Kalayawanantaka and KheoJ,r;l.aWa:uJanadahana. Section 2.1 considers the treatment of the story in each of these works as well as their relationship to the Old Javanese Adiparwa and to each other. Section 2 .2 contains a detailed comparison of the two versions of the Subhadrawiwaha. In terms of content, structure and degree of verbal correspondence, the two versions are closely interdependent ·It seems likely that the version edited here is the later of the two. There are three marriages in the Subhadrawiwaha, and in Chapter 3,this text, and Old Javanese literature in general, are considered in an attempt to determine how far the marriages described depict the contemporary Javanese situation and the extent of Indian influence on ancient Javanese marriage customs. Three aspects of marriage are examined. Section 3 .1 deals with forms of marriage and the conclusion is that although Indian influence on fo'rms of marriage was slight, two forms of marriage - marriage by arrangement and marriage by abduction - were practised in Java during the kakawin period. Section 3.2 demonstrates that in the choice of marriage partners, in direct conflict with the teachings of the Indian dharmasastras, cousin marriage was practised in Java . Section 3.3 draws together the information in the kakawins concerning the celebration of marriage. Parallels with present day marriage ceremonies indicate that the kakawins do depict the contemporary wedding ceremonies of their authors. Part Two of the thesis begins with a brief description of the manuscripts of the Subhadraiuiwaha and their interrelationship. This is followed by the Text of the poem together with Variae Lectiones, an English translation of the Text and Notes to the translation. Appendix I is a list of proper names occuring in the Text and Appendix II contains a list of the metres used in the Subhadrawiwaha .
description: Vol. 1 contains the text and introduction: vol. 2 contains the English translation and notes