{"product_id":"crossing-the-lines-of-caste-visvamitra-and-the-construction-of-brahmin-power-in-hindu-mythology-9780199341115","title":"Crossing the Lines of Caste: Visvamitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Adheesh A. Sathaye\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Oxford Univ PR\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Oxford Univ PR\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: Hinduism - Sacred Writings\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat does it mean to be a Brahmin, and what could it mean to become one? Over the years, intellectuals and dogmatists have offered plenty of answers to the first question, but the latter presents a cultural puzzle, since normative Brahminical ideology deems it impossible for an ordinary individual to change caste without first undergoing death and rebirth. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThere is, however, one notable figure in the Hindu mythological tradition who is said to have transformed himself from a king into a Brahmin by amassing great ascetic power, or\u003cem\u003e tapas\u003c\/em\u003e the ornery sage Visvamitra. Through texts composed in Sanskrit and vernacular languages, oral performances, and visual media, \u003cem\u003eCrossing the Lines of Caste\u003c\/em\u003e examines the rich mosaic of legends about Visvamitra found across the Hindu mythological tradition. It offers a comprehensive historical analysis of how the \"storyworlds\" conjured up through these various tellings have served to adapt, upgrade, and reinforce the social identity of real-world Brahmin communities, from the ancient Vedic past up to the hypermodern present. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUsing a performance-centered approach to situate the production of the Visvamitra legends within specific historical contexts, \u003cem\u003eCrossing the Lines of Caste\u003c\/em\u003e reveals how and why mythological culture has played an active, dialogical role in the construction of Brahmin social power over the last three thousand years.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Atlantic Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46486143762583,"sku":"9780199341115","price":4687.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780199341115.jpg?v=1766329442","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/crossing-the-lines-of-caste-visvamitra-and-the-construction-of-brahmin-power-in-hindu-mythology-9780199341115","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}