Kristubhāgavatam, the Slaughter of Innocents, and the Requirements of the Mahākāvya Genre

The paper analyzes selected passages from Kristubhāgavatam (“On Holy Christ”), a Sanskrit epic (mahākāvya) on the life and deeds of Jesus composed by P.C. Devassia (1906–2006). Focusing on the episode of the Slaughter of the Innocents, the author examines how Devassia interpreted and adapted the formal requirements of the mahākāvya genre and what literary techniques he used to construct an epic that conforms to the classical model outlined by theoreticians. Furthermore, through an analysis of selected verses, the article shows how Devassia enriched the narrative of Jesus with numerous references to Indian culture and how he skillfully wove in the fabric of the poem to bring the story of Christ closer to the contemporary Indian reader. The paper also considers the readership and relevance of modern Sanskrit works, arguing that that although such literary production lies outside the mainstream of contemporary Indian literature, it still attracts attention and finds its recipients

Diverse Philosophical and Cultural Studies · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Indian History and Philosophy