| Abstract: |
This research concerns a comparative study between the Old Javanese kakawin Arjunawiwāha, dating from the beginning of the 11th century, and its presentation in narrative reliefs in Ancient Javanese buildings. It has been limited to one episode of the Arjunawiwāha-story, namely the one concerning the meditation of Arjuna, and as concerning the reliefs a restriction has been made on two buildings: Candi Surawana dating from the 14th century, and Goa Selamangleng/Tulungagung dating from about the middle of the 11th to the beginning of the 12th century. The main focus was put on the investigation of the congruence or the divergence between the episodes in the narrative and those depicted in the reliefs, that means an investigation of the reasons (a) for the selection of certain episodes in the reliefs, (b) for the neglect of other, (c) for the addition of certain elements which do not occur in the narrative. As a basic of the research the context of the narrative reliefs was considered in a broad sense: the historical and religious context, the surroundings of the place, with a special focus on the philosophical contents. The results of the research showed that certain aspects of the narrative have been transferred to the reliefs in accordance to the special context of the building, the most important philosophical aspects being the ideal of Arjuna - the hero of the Arjunawiwāha - as a yogi and as a kşatriya (warrior), overcoming māyā (illusion) and gaining śakti (inner power). The symbolic forms of this transfer were investigated with the help of the iconological method.
|
