{"product_id":"crossing-the-lines-of-caste-adheesh-a-sathaye-9780199341115","title":"Crossing the Lines of Caste: Visvamitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology","description":"What 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. \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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Adheesh A. Sathaye\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0199341117\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780199341115\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/04\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 334\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d","brand":"Adheesh A. Sathaye","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44119439245567,"sku":"9780199341115","price":43.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_0ac67811-7c5e-4af2-82c2-be1285d7f646.jpg?v=1687409356","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/crossing-the-lines-of-caste-adheesh-a-sathaye-9780199341115","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}