The Teleology Of Poetics In Medieval Kashmir

About The Teleology of Poetics in Medieval Kashmir

The Teleology of Poetics in Medieval Kashmir is a scholarly study by Lawrence J. McCrea, published as volume 71 of the Harvard Oriental Series. It examines how thinkers in Kashmir understood the purpose of poetry, and in particular how the ninth-century scholar Anandavardhana changed Sanskrit literary theory. If you are looking for a serious academic book on the teleology of poetics, this is one of the key works on the subject. Please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

Kashmir was among the great centres of Sanskrit learning, and the ideas that developed there about poetry, meaning and emotion shaped literary thought across South Asia. This book follows those ideas through the debates of the time.

What the book argues

McCrea’s central point is that Anandavardhana insisted that all the parts of a poem should serve a single end, namely the communication of one dominant emotional mood, known as rasa. This way of reading a work as a unified whole drew on methods used in the older tradition of interpreting sacred texts. The book then follows a second, more controversial idea of the same thinker, dhvani, or suggestion, a way in which poetry conveys meaning beyond the ordinary sense of words. McCrea shows that dhvani was eventually accepted by almost everyone, but that the long arguments around it pushed aside the purpose-driven approach that Anandavardhana had himself preferred.

• How poetry came to be understood as having a single purpose
• The role of rasa, or emotional mood, in Sanskrit literary theory
• The idea of dhvani, or suggestion, and the debates it created
• Links between literary theory and older methods of interpreting texts
• The intellectual life of medieval Kashmir

Why the teleology of poetics matters

Teleology means the study of purpose. To ask about the teleology of poetics is to ask what poetry is for and how its parts are arranged to reach that end. The question is not only about Sanskrit. Every literary tradition, including Persian, Urdu, Kashmiri and English poetry, has asked what a poem is meant to do to its reader. Reading how Kashmiri scholars of the Middle Ages answered that question gives students a deeper way to think about poetry in any language.

About the author, Lawrence J. McCrea

Lawrence J. McCrea is a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian intellectual history. This book is his major study of Kashmiri literary theory. It was published in the Harvard Oriental Series in 2008 and runs to 470 pages in its standard edition, and it is cited widely in work on Sanskrit poetics.

Why Kashmir readers will value this book

For readers in Kashmir and beyond, the book is a reminder of the region’s old role as a centre of thought. It places the valley in a long story of scholarship, where debates about language, meaning and beauty were carried on with great rigour. Students of literature, history and Kashmir studies can use it to understand how this heritage developed.

Who should read this book

• University students and researchers in Sanskrit, comparative literature and South Asian studies
• Readers interested in the intellectual history of Kashmir
• Teachers who want a reliable reference on rasa and dhvani
• Poets and critics curious about older theories of poetry
• Libraries of universities, colleges and research centres

How to read an academic study like this

Begin with the introduction, which lays out the argument, and then read the chapters in order. Keep a short glossary of the Sanskrit terms such as rasa and dhvani, since they recur often. Take notes on each chapter in your own words, and compare the ideas with the poetry you already know. If you are using the book for research, mark the pages you plan to cite. Reading a section with a teacher or study group can make difficult passages much easier.

Edition details

Author: Lawrence J. McCrea. Series: Harvard Oriental Series, volume 71. Original publication: 2008, Harvard University, Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies. Language: English. For the binding, printing and condition of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar. Delivery takes about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote this book? Lawrence J. McCrea.

What is it about? It studies how medieval Kashmiri thinkers, above all Anandavardhana, understood the purpose of poetry, rasa and dhvani.

Is it suitable for beginners? It is an academic work, best for students and serious readers, though motivated general readers can follow it with patience.

In which language is it written? English.

How quickly will it arrive? We dispatch the same day from Srinagar; delivery is about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days elsewhere in India.

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