A Study in the Poetic Structure of Buddhist Kāvya
First Statement of Responsibility
Salomon
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Leiden
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Brill
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
A careful reading of the Buddhist epic Saundarananda shows that the poet Aśvaghosa strategically repeated and manipulated key words, phrases, and images from the love scene in sarga IV in the scene of Sundarī's despair in sarga VI. The earlier images of love and pleasure are transformed into symbols of despair and misery, illustrating the fundamental Buddhist principles of suffering and impermanence.