Matryoshka Narration: The Arrival of Sauti: from Adi Parva Section I

[sealchan]

I'm breaking this out as per my new method of one question (more or less) per thread...

Sauti arrives at Naimisha Forest where Saunaka and many sages have completed a twelve year sacrifice. Saunaka asks what Sauti has been up to and Sauti indicates he has heard the Mahabharata by Vyasa as performed by Vaisampayana at Janamejaya’s attempted complete Snake Sacrifice. This story draws from the Vedas and contains great knowledge which has been published and is being taught across the earth.

Link to the text: The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Section I
Note: I'm only looking at a sub-section here...up to, but not including, where Sauti starts talking about the creation of the Universe...

My question is this:

• What is the significance of the narrative container structure (story within a story) featuring the story-tellers Vyasa, Vaisampayana, and Sauti (not to mention Sanjaya)?

As Aupmanyav stated in the other thread:

Vyasa (VedaVyasa, Badarayna, Krishna Dwaipayana, various names probably of the same person), Vaishampayana, Souti, Shuka are the main discussants and story tellers. The writer is providing the setting of the narration.Perhaps it was a re-telling of an old story. Such assemblages, religious drama, dance performances, still take place in all parts of India. It is fun as well as ethical instruction.

That is what Mahbhaata is. It shows that a laugh at someone's fall and a taunt can lead to a big war. Draupadi laughed when Duryodhana stumbled in the palace in Indrprastha and Draupadi taunted that after all he is the son of a blind man. Duryodhana was her senior relation and she should not have done that.

 

[sealchan]

I have two thoughts on this...

• Framing the story in narrative containers demonstrates the process by which the story was actually created, grew and was preserved
• In dreams "containership" is a frequent metaphor for self-consciousness and the organization of the psyche

As I understand that the Mahabharata is still re-told in various ways and various forms, then in this section we have this demonstrated within the story itself. Perhaps this piece that self-references Sauti is merely the last in a line of addtions, embellishments and containers within which this story has grown and taken the form that it has taken.

Is it ironic or significant that we understand that this translation includes the story of Sauti himself who mentions that the story he is about to tell has already elsewhere "been published"? Certainly that form of the story does not include himself telling the story!

I'll come back to the dream "containership" idea...

 

[Aupmanyav]

Add: Ugrasrava, Souti's name, means one with loud voice. Generally such people were the conductors of the programs which were held in open places, the village square, the anchors.

"Puranas containing precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit": That is the main purpose of a Purana.

"who is both a non-existing and an existing-non-existing being; who is the universe and also distinct from the existing and non-existing universe .. the wonderful and inconceivable being present alike in all places; the invisible and subtle cause, whose nature partaeks of entity and non-entity": That I take as Hindu Quantum Mechanics where existence and non-existence loose their meaning.

"Lord Pitamaha Brahma, the one only Prajapati; with Suraguru and Sthanu. Then appeared the twenty-one Prajapatis, viz., Manu, Vasishtha and Parameshthi; ten Prachetas, Daksha, and the seven sons of Daksha. Then appeared the man of inconceivable nature whom all the Rishis know and so the Viswe-devas, the Adityas, the Vasus, and the twin Aswins; the Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas, and the Pitris.": Here we have a wonderful cocktail of Aryan and indigenous beliefs.

"Yaksha may mean a shooting star or any meteor, literally what shoots or hastens along; see VII, 61, 5. ná yâ´su kitrám dádrise ná yakshám; also note to V, 55, 1. .. If we follow the later Sanskrit, yaksha would mean a class of spirits, followers of Kuvera, also ghosts in general."
Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: VII, 56. To the Maruts (the Storm-gods)

You see, every word or sentence has to be analyzed, if one does not take it as a simple story.

The problem is that you have selected the original. It would be easier if you first go through some easy translation of Mahabharata and leave this version for research scholars. But whatever you choose. For example P. Lal's abridged version is available here for free download in PDF format: The Mahabharata Of Vyasa : Lal, P. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Is it ironic or significant that we understand that this translation includes the story of Sauti himself who mentions that the story he is about to tell has already elsewhere "been published"? Certainly that form of the story does not include himself telling the story!

I find it strange that the sage is mentioned here as Souti. Normally in Hindi versions he is known as sage Soota. Now Soota or Sutradhar is one who conducts a performance, he is the one who tells the other people what they have to do at any moment. It is sort of introduction and we do not give much attention to this and quickly pass on to the main story.
Soota or Sutradhara means the thread-holder.
See the meaning of Sutradhara here: Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit

 

[sealchan]

Add: Ugrasrava, Souti's name, means one with loud voice. Generally such people were the conductors of the programs which were held in open places, the village square, the anchors.

"Puranas containing precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit": That is the main purpose of a Purana.

"who is both a non-existing and an existing-non-existing being; who is the universe and also distinct from the existing and non-existing universe .. the wonderful and inconceivable being present alike in all places; the invisible and subtle cause, whose nature partaeks of entity and non-entity": That I take as Hindu Quantum Mechanics where existence and non-existence loose their meaning.

I can see the quantum connection here. I think what you quote here comes from the next sub-section of Section I of the Adi Parva so I will return to this fairly soon.

"Lord Pitamaha Brahma, the one only Prajapati; with Suraguru and Sthanu. Then appeared the twenty-one Prajapatis, viz., Manu, Vasishtha and Parameshthi; ten Prachetas, Daksha, and the seven sons of Daksha. Then appeared the man of inconceivable nature whom all the Rishis know and so the Viswe-devas, the Adityas, the Vasus, and the twin Aswins; the Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas, and the Pitris.": Here we have a wonderful cocktail of Aryan and indigenous beliefs.

"Yaksha may mean a shooting star or any meteor, literally what shoots or hastens along; see VII, 61, 5. ná yâ´su kitrám dádrise ná yakshám; also note to V, 55, 1. .. If we follow the later Sanskrit, yaksha would mean a class of spirits, followers of Kuvera, also ghosts in general."
Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: VII, 56. To the Maruts (the Storm-gods)

You see, every word or sentence has to be analyzed, if one does not take it as a simple story.

The problem is that you have selected the original. It would be easier if you first go through some easy translation of Mahabharata and leave this version for research scholars. But whatever you choose. For example P. Lal's abridged version is available here for free download in PDF format: The Mahabharata Of Vyasa : Lal, P. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.

I'm not concerned with being exhaustive and I'm not too concerned with even finishing...I just know that I am motivated. I've been working on Genesis and Matthew from the Christian Bible for years. I'm on Chapter 38 of 50 in Genesis...when I get to the end I will have to celebrate somehow.

I hope to take my time and enjoy the splendors as I see them. I see that in the Mahabharata as well as the Bible there is a lot to find in each small section of scripture. Again finishing is not my main concern. Keeping up a reasonable pace is something I have some experience with. I find that I can find something interesting to pick out from each section and still keep myself mainly confined to that section of scripture.

You've been a great help so far and I hope that you continue to participate in my long, slow walk through the Mahabharata!

 

[sealchan]

I find it strange that the sage is mentioned here as Souti. Normally in Hindi versions he is known as sage Soota. Now Soota or Sutradhar is one who conducts a performance, he is the one who tells the other people what they have to do at any moment. It is sort of introduction and we do not give much attention to this and quickly pass on to the main story.
Soota or Sutradhara means the thread-holder.
See the meaning of Sutradhara here: Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit

Ganguli's translation was done in the late 1800's. Perhaps that is why it differs from what you are familiar with.

 

[sealchan]

Add: Ugrasrava, Souti's name, means one with loud voice. Generally such people were the conductors of the programs which were held in open places, the village square, the anchors.

"Puranas containing precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit": That is the main purpose of a Purana.

"who is both a non-existing and an existing-non-existing being; who is the universe and also distinct from the existing and non-existing universe .. the wonderful and inconceivable being present alike in all places; the invisible and subtle cause, whose nature partaeks of entity and non-entity": That I take as Hindu Quantum Mechanics where existence and non-existence loose their meaning.

"Lord Pitamaha Brahma, the one only Prajapati; with Suraguru and Sthanu. Then appeared the twenty-one Prajapatis, viz., Manu, Vasishtha and Parameshthi; ten Prachetas, Daksha, and the seven sons of Daksha. Then appeared the man of inconceivable nature whom all the Rishis know and so the Viswe-devas, the Adityas, the Vasus, and the twin Aswins; the Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas, and the Pitris.": Here we have a wonderful cocktail of Aryan and indigenous beliefs.

"Yaksha may mean a shooting star or any meteor, literally what shoots or hastens along; see VII, 61, 5. ná yâ´su kitrám dádrise ná yakshám; also note to V, 55, 1. .. If we follow the later Sanskrit, yaksha would mean a class of spirits, followers of Kuvera, also ghosts in general."
Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: VII, 56. To the Maruts (the Storm-gods)

You see, every word or sentence has to be analyzed, if one does not take it as a simple story.

The problem is that you have selected the original. It would be easier if you first go through some easy translation of Mahabharata and leave this version for research scholars. But whatever you choose. For example P. Lal's abridged version is available here for free download in PDF format: The Mahabharata Of Vyasa : Lal, P. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.

I should also mention that I have additional study materials I have gathered that I will be reading separately from this work. Besides nearly completing viewing B.R. Chopra's TV series (now on episode 90 of 94), I have several books I will be reading including DK Publisher's amazing The Illustrated Mahabharata as well as Ramesh Menon's "Modern Rendering".

 

[sealchan]

Regarding "containership"...I have frequently encountered in dreams that spaces are organized in nested containers and that this architecture often relates to the four functions of consciousness: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. The relationship is often one that does not describe the functions themselves but their hierarchical biasing within the psyche.

Another significant dream motif is of the dreamer as witness to events in the dream. This can take on many forms including the dreamer leaving their body to the dream showing events taking place on a television or computer monitor.

Without making too much of this in the early stages of my exploring the Mahabharata, I wanted to make note of this so as to be on the lookout for interesting examples and related motifs. In particular, I suspect I might encounter certain "strange loops" where the narrator and the narrative reference each other. Also, in this bit of scripture we see, potentially, the problem of self-reference where in reading the Mahabharata we are presented with a frame for the Mahabharata itself. It may be that this is an accidental self-referencing issue, or, perhaps, it is intentional and will be used to some effect at some point. I suppose that will depend on the extent to which Ugrasrava-Sauti disappears from the narrative and how his telling of the story is, or is not, used.

So just some anticipatory thoughts really. I will move on to the next sub-section of scripture for my next thread.

 

[Aupmanyav]

You've been a great help so far and I hope that you continue to participate in my long, slow walk through the Mahabharata!

Yeah, sure. I like to participate in your topic, energizes my brain-cells too.