Literature

Introduction to the Kathāmṛta – Part 19 – Kathā-sarit-sāgara and the Society, cont.

Another noteworthy element visible in Kathā-sarit-sāgara is the amiability within society - even those days there were religions, castes, occupations, and good and bad people; but they did not clash due to these differences; even the principles of Buddhism which are termed Cārvāka or Nāstika (atheist), merged with Hindu traditions like milk and water. Within the same families there were people who followed different paths; wonder why people should brawl over this! What do we have to profit from bickering over which god is great?

Introduction to the Kathāmṛta – Part 18 – Kathā-sarit-sāgara and the Society

Naravāhanadatta who comes as a part of the Bṛhatkathā is special because of the streams of ‘knowledge’ he specialises in. There are stories where vāmācāra is practised and vetālas play prominent roles.  They do not dazzle like the Pāṇḍavas who were filled with quialities of brilliant dharma and vīra. In the Bṛhatkathā, kāpālikas play a more important role as against the yājñikas. It is for this reason that Bāṇa-bhaṭṭa says:

समुद्दीपित कन्दर्पा कृतगौरी प्रसाधना।
हरलीलेव नो कस्य विस्मयाय बृहत्कथा ||

Caturvidhābhinaya in the Kumārasambhava - Part 2 - The Himālayan āhārya

Kālidāsa designs his epic poem as though to bring out the philosophical journey first from the wholly material to the absolutely spiritual. The poem then tapers back to the material, but now bolstered by the spiritual. In other words, the poem begins with the most expansive elements of animated āhārya, moves on to the finer and personal elements of āhārya, proceeds into highs and lows of āṅgika and vācika and culminates in sāttvika.