Nectar Gaze and Poison Breath: An Analysis and Translation of the Rajasthani Oral Narrative of Devnarayan.

• Author: Murphy, Anne
• Position: Book review

Nectar Gaze and Poison Breath: An Analysis and Translation of the Rajasthani Oral Narrative of Devnarayan. By ADITYA MALIK. New York: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2005. Pp. xxv + 548.

Aditya Malik's new work on the Devnarayan epic of Rajasthan provides valuable access in English to an important oral and print tradition of Western India and a comprehensive introduction to related scholarly issues. As such, it contributes significantly to an existing literature on South Asian oral epics by scholars such as John Smith, Stuart Blackburn, Ann Gold, and others, the work of whom provides one of the many contexts for Malik's inquiry. This field of research does not often see new additions, so a work of this kind and scope is particularly welcome.

The translations are beautifully rendered. Malik effectively evokes aspects of the performance of the epic, particularly the interaction between the two singers, with the second reiterating and expanding on the prior singer's lines. This can be seen, for example, in an account of some Jogis who were dismembered and then put back together in not quite the right way, where the italic text provides the echoing words of the second singer:

As soon as they awoke they began quarreling--vah vah They said "Why is my arm stuck on you, brother?" Yes, how come my arm is stuck on you?... Bhangiji said "O Incarnate One, you've done a great job. Yes, you've revived them all right. But you've created a quarrel." Yes, you've caused a fight amongst them! (p. 222) In addition to providing a full translation of the oral narrative, the author has presented a multi-faceted analysis, notable for its breadth. This analysis suggests areas that invite (and sometimes require) further exploration, as I will suggest below. The analysis touches upon major themes in relation to the epic, including--following generally the chapter organization of the analysis--its status as both verbal and visual narrative, the interactions of textuality and intertextuality central to its composition, the epic as a form of historical representation, the articulation of social positions and communities within the narrative, and the function of the narrative as a form of "divine testimony." This final section provides a very effective overview of key events and their religious and narrative significance, making the full translation extremely accessible despite its length and complicated narrative thread.

The role of the epic as an oral form is a major concern...