Dasakumaracarita: A Cultural Study

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About the Book The present volume is an expression of long and deep research of the author pointing out the challenging task of rightly placing Dandin's perception in a frame of relevance. The author has delineated the topographical, political, social, economic religious and philosophic aspects of Dasakumaracarita of Dandin just to suggest that an all round developments-material as well as spiritual-prevailed in Dandin's time. The state and society ensured freedom, happiness, prosperity and a full fledged development of human society.

About the Author Dr. (Ms.) N.Q. Pankaj is an authority on the history of ancient India for last 31 years serving presently as a Reader in the Department of History, Banaras Hindu University. Varanasi. She has in her credit a number of articles on political, social, economic and religious conditions of ancient India and so also on south-east Asia, in research journals of repute. Dr. Pankaj has also in her credit another book State and Religion in Ancient India. Published in 1983, it was highly acclaimed and quoted by eminent Scholars. Presently Dr. Pankaj has taken up a study of the Economic History of Ancient India (from Early Times to the 12th Century A.D.) She is associated with several academic and social Institutions and Associations. Her style is simple and lucid but at the same time critical and penetrating.

Preface The present volume attempts a Cultural Study of the De Dasakumaracarita of Dandin, a noted poet and prose writer of Sanskrit, who lived in the court of the Pallavas of Karla towards the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century A.D. The text evaluates the traditional culture of ancient India of both north and south and determines the tendencies which later became characteristics of early medieval period. We do not have much literary sources during this intervening period. This has been one important consideration for selecting Dasakumaracarita as a subject of cultural study.

History in fact is a living story of the life of people and it incorporates as such, besides, the happenings of the past, a complete picture of its political, social and cultural patterns and aspirations. The cultural history unfolds to us the very spirit of an age through the ideas, attitudes and behaviour in thought, speech and action of the people of time. It enables us to comprehend the origins of various social and cultural currents of today and to examine in right perspective both their strength and weakness.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages