Householders and Housewives in Early Kāvya Literature
Householders and Housewives in Early Kāvya Literature
Early Buddhist kāvya contrasts the hassled life of a householder with the peaceful life of a forest hermit: the former is devoid of tranquility and therefore militates against striving for liberation from saṃsāra. Those householders, however, who lead an exemplary life can make at least the first steps on the road leading to mokṣa. Early Prakrit kāvya brings not so much the householder but the housewife into focus, beside the figure of the wealthy landowner. In Kālidāsa’s works both household life and renunciation have their appointed time and role, exemplified by the model kings of the Solar Dynasty.
Keywords: Aśvaghoṣa, Jātakamālā, Ārya Śūra, Haribhaṭṭa, Sattasaī, Kālidāsa
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