Kakawin
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2024) |
Kakawin are long narrative poems composed in
Although the poems depict events and characters from
Structure of a kakawin
A kakawin stanza consists of four lines. Each line has a set number of
. A syllable which contains a long vowel is called guru (Sanskrit for "heavy"), while a syllable which contains a short one is called laghu (Sanskrit for "light"). The term guru laghu denotes the structure of a line.For example, each line of the kakawin metre called "Śardūlawikrīd[?]ita" consists of 19 syllables. The guru laghu of each line is as follows" ---|UU-|U-U|UU-|--U|--U| U. The notation "-" means that the syllable in question is long, while the "U" means that the syllable is short.
As an example, the opening stanza of the
- ambĕk sang paramārthapaṇḍita huwus limpad sakêng śūnyatā
- tan sangkêng wiṣaya prayojñananira lwir sanggrahêng lokika
- siddhāning yaśawīrya donira sukhāning rāt kininkinira
- santoṣâhĕlĕtan kĕlir sira sakêng sang hyang Jagatkāraṇa
- A tentative translation in English:
- The thought of the one who knows the Highest Knowledge has leapt from the emptiness.
- It is not because he wishes to fulfill his senses, as if he only wants to have the worldly things.
- The success of his virtuous and good deeds are his goals. He endeavours for the happiness the world.
- He is steadfast and just a wayang screen away from the "Mover of the World".
A syllable which contains a long vowel is automatically long (ā, ī, ū, ö, e, o, ai, and au) and thus guru. But on the other hand, a syllable with a vowel followed by two consonants is also long. In addition to that the last syllable of a line may both contain a long or a short syllable. It is an anceps.
List of notable kakawin
- Kakawin Adiparwa
- Kakawin Arjunawijaya, by Mpu Tantular
- Kakawin Arjunawiwaha, by mpu Kanwa, ~ 1030
- Kakawin Banawa Sekar Tanakung
- Kakawin Bharatayuddha, by Mpu Sedah and Mpu Panuluh, 1157
- Kakawin Bhomakawya
- Kakawin Bhomantaka
- Kakawin Brahmandapurana
- Kakawin Dharmaśunya
- Kakawin Gatotkacaśraya
- Kakawin Hariwangsa
- Kakawin Hariśraya
- Kakawin Kalayawanantaka
- Kakawin Khandawawanadahana
- Kakawin Kṛsnataka
- Kakawin Krsnayana
- Kakawin Kunjarakarna, by Mpu Dusun
- Kakawin Nagarakṛtâgama/Kakawin Desawarnana, by Mpu Prapanca, 1365
- Kakawin Nirarthaprakṛta
- Kakawin Nitiśastra
- Kakawin Parthayajña
- Kakawin Ramayana ~ 870
- Kakawin Śivagŗha, 856
- Kakawin Siwaratrikalpa by Mpu Tanakung
- Kakawin Smaradhana
- Kakawin Subhrawiwaha
- Kakawin Sumanasantaka by Mpu Monaguṇa
- Kakawin Sutasoma, by Mpu Tantular
- Kakawin Wrtasañcaya by Mpu Tanakung
- Kakawin Wṛttayana
See also
- Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
- Javanese historical texts
- Javanese poetry
- Nagarakretagama
- Panji tales
- Pararaton
References
- ^ ISBN 0-300-10518-5.
- ^ http://wwwsshe.murdoch.edu.au/intersections/issue5/creese.html Helen Creese, "Images of Women and Embodiment in Kakawin Literature", Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, Issue 5, May 2001
- ^ http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/APM/TXT/creese-h-02-96.html Helen Creese, "Temples of Words: Balinese Literary Traditions", Asia-Pacific Magazine, No. 2 May 1996, pp. 38-43
Further reading
- A. Teeuw, 1950, Hariwangsa, Den Haag: Martinus Nijhoff. VKI 9. (Extracts of texts, in Dutch)
- Petrus Josephus Zoetmulder, 1974, Kalangwan. A Survey of Old Javanese Literature, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.