Iwona Milewska

Draupadi’s image in the Mahabharata as the Stereotype for Physical Beauty of its Female Heroines

The article is an analysis of the stereotyped image of physical beauty of the heroines of Indian epic Mahabharata. The features of the character of main plot, Draupadi, are compared with these of minor female characters of this epic. Draupadi’s image is shown in many fragments coming from different books of the Mahabharata but the descriptions of the heroines of sub-stories, even if not so numerous are strikingly similar. The characters of sub-stories chosen for this comparison are Śakuntala, Damayanti, Lopamudra, Sukanya, the unnamed woman of frivolous behaviour and Savitri. The comparison of images of the female characters allows to check the potential influence of the image of the main female character on the range of other images of female beauty as shown in the Mahabharata. The question of probability of this potential influence is posed and discussed in detail.

 

W artykule dokonany został przegląd tłumaczeń fragmentów eposu indyjskiego Mahabharata
na język polski, jakie powstały w ciągu wieków polskiej literackiej tradycji nowożytnej.
Zawiera on również, poza informacjami na temat czasu ich powstawania, krótki opis
dzieł autorów polskich, którzy w swojej twórczości bądź inspirowali się kulturą indyjską, w szczególności Mahabharatą, dokonywali tłumaczeń (pośrednich i bezpośrednich) fragmentów
tegoż eposu na język polski, bądź opracowywali i przekazywali jego streszczenia
szerokim rzeszom czytelników polskich.
Analizie poddany został także wpływ, jaki dzieła te mogły wywierać na inteligencję polską
oraz na szerokie rzesze czytelników.
Dodatkowo podano przykłady fragmentów tłumaczeń na język polski oraz dokonano
krótkiej analizy ich specyfiki i problemów związanych z przekazem tekstów sanskryckich
polskiemu czytelnikowi (problemy używanego w nich języka, stosowania odpowiedniego
nazewnictwa, pisowni imion własnych itp.).

Topos of the Indian Epic Hero or the Image of Perfect Sovereign as Shown in the Mahābhārata

The article is an analysis of some chosen fragments of the Indian epic Mahābhārata. They are chosen in order to check whether, on the basis of them, it is possible to establish the topos of an ideal Indian epic hero. The excerpts come mainly from book three of the epic Vanaparvan and from book one, Ādiparvan. The material gathered enables to  ive the positive answer to the question. The male characters are described there in detail. The given features are so typical that they re-apper in most of the cases. First of all, in the text one can find the descriptions of five heroes of the main narrative, the Paṇḍava brothers – Yuddiṣṭhira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Additionally, several fragments in which the features of sub-stories’ male characters, such as e.g. Aśvapati or Nala, are discussed. The final result of the analyse brings several observations. The typical epic sovereign should have the virtues of both the spritual and physical nature. Most of the heroes of the chosen fragments are described as the ones who should be full of all kind of virtues, just and generous. They cannot be liars. They should fulfill the rights of dharma as far as the obligations of kings are concerned. They should look after their subjects, their wives and families. As far as their bodies are concerned they hàve to be handsome, bright and good to look at. Their faces are compared to the moon or the  un. Their eyes are described as wide and often compared to the lotus petals. Their noses are aquiline. They should be strong and delicate at the same time. Their images are sometimes built with the usage of comparisons to different members of the Vedic pantheon. The most popular comparisons are to Indra and Agni. However, also Kama, Aditya and some others do appear not excluding the demi-gods such as Gandharvas or Yakshas.