Helen Creese | The University of Queensland, Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Helen Creese

Pustaka Larasan eBooks, 2012

Indonesia and The Malay World, Jan 2, 2016

This special issue is devoted to the study of janda (widows and divorcees) in Indonesia and the s... more This special issue is devoted to the study of janda (widows and divorcees) in Indonesia and the stigma that they experience. The single word janda refers to both widows and divorcees in Indonesian, but can be made more specific with the addition of qualifiers: janda mati (widow) and janda cerai (divorcee). The idea for the special issue grew out of a team research project in which researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia came together in three workshops held in April, October and December, 2013, to study the social and cultural construction of jandahood. As far as we know, this was the first time that janda had been identified and studied as a distinct social group and identity. The reason we proposed the project was our understanding that janda, as individuals and as a group, suffered discrimination and disadvantage in contemporary Indonesia. We knew of extreme disadvantage and widow sacrifice in India, and in the precolonial Indic courts of Bali, though in Bali it was only a small number of minor wives of royalty who committed sati (Creese 2004). We were not proposing that widows in Indonesia share the plight of widows in India. It was, rather, our knowledge of women in today’s Indonesia who are unhappily married but remain married out of fear of the stigmatisation of divorce; of women we know to be divorced but who keep it to themselves, as best they can, out of shame; and of the rash of unflattering representations of janda in contemporary sinetron (Indonesian soap operas), pop songs and movies. The impetus for the project was thus the researchers’ awareness that janda are routinely stigmatised in everyday Indonesian social life. Single and unattached, many with dependent children and living in straitened economic circumstances, janda comprise a major disadvantaged social grouping within contemporary Indonesian society. Some have lost the breadwinner in the family and need to eke out a livelihood for themselves and their children for the first time; for others, the loss of a husband is not felt as an economic loss. There are an estimated 9 million Female Heads of Household (FHH) in Indonesia, 14% of the total of 65 million households in Indonesia (Akhmadi et al. 2010: 1). The vast majority of FHH are janda. They figure disproportionately among the poor and vulnerable (Akhmadi et al. 2010). Many janda are also vulnerable because of their uncertain marital status. Many do not have legally recognised marriages and/or divorces, as is common in Lombok (Platt 2010). Some were child brides, not meeting the minimum legal age of marriage for women of 16 years. Many were married secretly or unofficially (nikah siri – see Parker et al. 2016). Many are poor and live remote from government offices and so cannot afford the cost of a formal marriage registration or divorce (Akhmadi et al. 2010). Some have been abandoned by their husbands. Although the concept of the Female-Headed Household is well established

... and Switzerland to the east, Belgium to the north and Spain to the south; it is ringed by the... more ... and Switzerland to the east, Belgium to the north and Spain to the south; it is ringed by the ... last line of this poem contains the word kasinoman, literally 'a group of young men in service' but used in other historical Balinese texts, including the Kidung Sunda and Rangga Lawe, to ...

Bijdragen en Mededelingen betreffende de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden, 1994

Routledge eBooks, Jan 28, 2015

History of Badung; the war between the Dutch and the Badung Kingdom on Bali Island; a centennial ... more History of Badung; the war between the Dutch and the Badung Kingdom on Bali Island; a centennial commemoration volume

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2019

The Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin, the earliest known Javanese literary work, is based on the ... more The Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin, the earliest known Javanese literary work, is based on the sixth-century Sanskrit Bhaṭṭikāvya. It is an outcome of a careful and thorough project of translation and adaptation that took place at a formative moment in the cultural exchange between South and Southeast Asia. In this essay we explore what it was that the Javanese poets set out to capture when they rendered the Bhaṭṭikāvya into Old Javanese, what sort of knowledge and protocols informed their work, in what way the outcome was different from the original, and what the Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa can teach us about Bhaṭṭi’s poem and the nascent poetics of kakawin literature. In particular, we show how Sanskrit figures of speech, or ornaments (alaṃkāra) were understood, commented upon, expanded, and reconfigured. A close look at these texts allows us insights into this remarkable moment of cultural exchange.

He holds a series of Australian Research Council grants (Discovery and Linkage) looking at Indone... more He holds a series of Australian Research Council grants (Discovery and Linkage) looking at Indonesian-Australian connections, labour and industry in Southeast Asia, and Balinese art. my PhD supervisor, now at EFEO Jakarta), Australia (Helen Creese) and Indonesia (Titik Pudjiastuti) the idea to submit an application, in the hope that our joint collaboration would stand a good chance in a competitive selection process. We were indeed able to nd the ANRC willing to act as main sponsor of a workshop, which was held at the premises of the KITLV branch in Jakarta on May th-th , and which was made possible by substantial extra contributions from the EFEO and the Stichting J. Gonda Fonds of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences. e theme of the workshop was e Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa: Text, History, Culture. lock's idea of a 'Sanskrit Cosmopolis' and a 'Vernacular Millenium'. It is no exaggeration to observe that crucial, and o en controversial, issues within various academic elds relating to Indonesia involve the interpretation of facts drawn from the Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa. e Old Javanese poem indeed constitutes a source of primary importance for the historical study of ancient Central Java. But the poem itself was clearly not the only version of the Rāmāyaṇa story that circulated in Indonesia at that time. e story as a whole, as well * * * is volume includes a selection of nine of the twenty-one papers presented during the workshop, which saw participation from four scholars af liated with Dutch academic institutions, ve with Australian, seven with Indonesian, two with American institutions, and one with a French University, as well as two Dutch independent scholars. Nationalities represented were Indonesian, Australian, Dutch, American, Italian, Singaporean and German. An Indonesiabased scholar from the USA, omas Hunter, could not attend the workshop but submitted a paper for publication, which we were glad to accept in the volume as tenth contribution. One of the explicit conditions of the workshop funding received from the ANRC was the participation of Southeast Asian scholars, and the workshop indeed saw participation of seven Indonesian scholars, plus one Singaporean. One of the purposes of the ANRC workshop grants is capacity building, and so we were glad to count among these eight participants three We have presented the papers in two parts, the rst entitled Old Javanese Kakawin and the Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa, the second e Rāmāyaṇa at Caṇḍi Prambanan and Caṇḍi Panataran. Part One starts with two papers giving general perspectives on Kakawin as a genre. S R starts from a perspective internal to the genre, identifying a speci c formal feature that might be offers an overview of the locally composed Kakawins inspired by the Rāmāyaṇa story. Despite the persistent popularity of the Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin itself in Bali, the Old Javanese prose version of the Uttarakāṇḍa turns out to have been much more in uential in Balinese Kakawin production, both as a source of themes and as a point of reference for themes le unexplored in that text but made the topic of a long stream of poetic compositions. ese local Balinese Kakawins remain almost entirely unstudied, and the available manuscript sources are therefore presented in detail. A V takes up a Balinese painting to show how also locally produced prose (parwa) works, in this case the thus far unstudied Kapiparwa, were composed in Bali under inspiration from the Rāmāyaṇa cycle, and have themselves come to in-Hymns of Praise in Kakawins aim of those striving a er nal release, and as the lord of creation (.-.). is induces Śiwa to relinquish his terrifying aspect […]. (Zoetmulder :-) e hymn itself is found in Cantos and , a total of only ve stanzas, and is termed a stuti (in. d and. a). Another example is to be found in the Kakawin Ghaṭotkacāśraya (my personal favourite). Abhimanyu's affair with Kṣiti Sundarī has been discovered, and so Baladewa is furious and determined to marry her off to Duryodhana's son before Kṛṣṇa can get back. Abhimanyu is forced to ee, and while he is asleep the demon Karālawaktra nds him. Quoting from the summary in Kalangwan, On hearing that he is a servant of the goddess Durga, who has sent him to look for prey, either animal or human, which is to be brought for her to devour, Abhimanyu persuades him to accept him as a prospective victim. Together they go to the abode of the goddess. She appears, frightening to behold, her hands outstretched to seize him, but halts when she hears his mantras. She listens to him worshipping her and praising her as the goddess who is one with the Supreme Being, and is merciful and generous to her devotees, but terrifying to her enemies, and so she becomes kindly disposed towards him and favours him with her advice. He is to seek help from Ghaṭotkaca […]. (Zoetmulder :). Here is the substitute for yourself-come, look, arise! Come, cast it into the holy Fire, make haste, So that the impurities will be gone and burnt up, And in this way you can focus your mind on the prince'. . Dr. Supomo (email of-) has kindly pointed out that we nd in Bhāratayuddha .-a passage addressed to the dead body of Droṇa (who is likened to Paśupati), that is termed a stawa (Bhāratayuddha. d) and pangastuti (Bhāratayuddha. a). Stuart Robson. e princess was elated and immediately did her worship: Flowers, incense and lamps were arranged, e offerings for the sacred diagrams were complete, And the prayers of offering were carried out perfectly.. e wick of the Deity blazed up very quickly, And while she did homage she approached the 'golden jewel'; Jānakī was indeed deeply devoted, And her petition (prārthana) was that the prince should be victorious:. 'Oh Lord Hutipati, consumer of oblations, You are the 'Mouth of the Gods' , supreme ruler of the gods, Kind to worshippers, the Lord Guṇawidhi, e bearer of mountains, earth and sea.. You are the highest god, the supreme re of Śiwa, You are the eight manifestations, the gods revealed; e divine eight qualities are always with you, And likewise the three qualities you control.. You are valiant and mighty, a powerful ruler-Gods and Dānawas praise you, Siddhas and celestial singers worship you, And your light can be compared to a hundred thousand suns.. And you, Bhārata (= Agni), are the welfare of the world, compassionate, You grant great happiness to your devotees; None other than you are the goal of those who perform austerities, And those who are endowed with right judgment, forever happy.. You are always compassionate and full of goodness, You are the source of happiness and virtue, And it is you who endow a knowledge of the holy texts-You are the reason we reach the realm of release.. You, Lord, are soul alone, and happiness is your purpose, e reason that stains and impurities will be removed, And that existence will be freed from af ictions and calamities, Because of your love for all men.. Oh God of Fire, Lord of the ree Worlds, Look upon me, Lord, with favour: Hymns of Praise in Kakawins Let Rāmabhadra be victorious, May he love me and may we be happy when we meet'. . is was the princess's intention (prayojana), indeed most wonderful. She ceased insisting on dying, now that she had heard that the prince was alive. But the pain of separation had not yet completely disappeared, And lying on her couch she amused herself with reading. So Sītā's address to the god Agni is quite long (and perhaps a little confused, in keeping with her state of mind). We need not dwell on the philological details, but note a few important points. Firstly, Sītā begins with making offerings, before embarking on her petition. Secondly, the Fire is seen as having the function of burning up and removing impurities (. c and. b), and is therefore appropriate in this context. And thirdly, Sītā hopes that the god will be kindly disposed by her offerings and praise, and will grant her petition, which is spelt out in full clarity (. cd). But this is not the rst time that Agni has been invoked. If we turn back to an earlier passage in the same sarga, we nd Sītā contemplating killing herself by descending into the re (. d).. It was the middle of the night, when people were sleeping, No one uttered a sound, all fast asleep; en she built a re, that blazed up amazingly-She was praying, of course, that they should die together. 'theology of the Kakawin'. . Quoted with approval by Curtius :. He would never falter, for the Void he strives, His striving is heroic, he is erce in quietude. Robson understands gal of DW. d as perhaps related to Modern Javanese 'agal, ''rough, coarse'' or […] Old Javanese agul-agul, '' erce, warlike'' '; and sana as perhaps derived from 'sama, ''quietude'' '. e terms 'contingent' and 'non-contingent' here mean that the repeated phrase of a yamaka falls immediately a er its original ('contingent') or is separated by several other words, phrases. Cited from Tubb (:-).. I have taken the liberty of changing the syntax of the (a) and (b) lines, which should have the extended noun phrase of the (b) line as subject to the verb phrase of the rst line, using instead a passive formation using 'with' rather than the usual 'by' of a by-phrase.

Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2009

Law codes with their origins in Indic-influenced Old Javanese systems of knowledge comprise an im... more Law codes with their origins in Indic-influenced Old Javanese systems of knowledge comprise an important genre in the Balinese textual record. Written in Kawi – a term encompassing Old Javanese, Middle Javanese and High Balinese – the legal corpus forms a complex and overlapping web of indigenous legal texts and traditions that encompass the codification and administration of civil and criminal justice as well as concepts of morality and right conduct. The most significant codes include the Adhigama, Kuṭāramānawa, Pūrwādhigama, Sārasamuccaya, Swarajambu, Dewāgama (also called Krĕtopapati) and Dewadanda. Each of these law codes belongs to a shared tradition of legal thought and practice that is linked to Sanskrit Mānavadharmaśāstra traditions. Manu’s code, most notably the aṣṭadaśawyawahāra section detailing the eighteen grounds for litigation, was adopted as the model of legal textual principle in the early stages of contact between ancient India and the Indonesian archipelago. Over...

Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2001

The Self-immolation of Women in Java and Bali Her deep sorrow became intolerable) and as there se... more The Self-immolation of Women in Java and Bali Her deep sorrow became intolerable) and as there seemed nothing else to wait for, she. hurriedly prepared herself for death. She drew the dagger she had been holding all the while, which sparkled now taken from its sheath. She then threw herself fearlessly on it,.and her blood gushed forth like red mineral.

Indonesia and the Malay World, 2012

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. * The singing and interpretation of religious and literary texts (makidung) has historically been a male dominated activity in Bali. In the last decade, however, since makidung programmes on radio and television have become popular, the participation of women in makidung activity has been substantial, with the number of female participants surpassing that of men. In this article, which forms part of a broader wide-ranging study of contemporary textual singing practices in Bali, we present some preliminary findings on the participation and motivation of women in textual singing programmes in the broadcast media. Women take part in on-air textual singing for a variety of personal, religious and social reasons. We show that, in spite of some elements of 'self-promotion' (numpang nampang) as participants seek to build their reputations as skilful practitioners, the participation and motivation of women in on-air interactive textual singing has been instrumental in fostering strong interest in Bali's textual heritage.

Pustaka Larasan eBooks, 2012

Indonesia and The Malay World, Jan 2, 2016

This special issue is devoted to the study of janda (widows and divorcees) in Indonesia and the s... more This special issue is devoted to the study of janda (widows and divorcees) in Indonesia and the stigma that they experience. The single word janda refers to both widows and divorcees in Indonesian, but can be made more specific with the addition of qualifiers: janda mati (widow) and janda cerai (divorcee). The idea for the special issue grew out of a team research project in which researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia came together in three workshops held in April, October and December, 2013, to study the social and cultural construction of jandahood. As far as we know, this was the first time that janda had been identified and studied as a distinct social group and identity. The reason we proposed the project was our understanding that janda, as individuals and as a group, suffered discrimination and disadvantage in contemporary Indonesia. We knew of extreme disadvantage and widow sacrifice in India, and in the precolonial Indic courts of Bali, though in Bali it was only a small number of minor wives of royalty who committed sati (Creese 2004). We were not proposing that widows in Indonesia share the plight of widows in India. It was, rather, our knowledge of women in today’s Indonesia who are unhappily married but remain married out of fear of the stigmatisation of divorce; of women we know to be divorced but who keep it to themselves, as best they can, out of shame; and of the rash of unflattering representations of janda in contemporary sinetron (Indonesian soap operas), pop songs and movies. The impetus for the project was thus the researchers’ awareness that janda are routinely stigmatised in everyday Indonesian social life. Single and unattached, many with dependent children and living in straitened economic circumstances, janda comprise a major disadvantaged social grouping within contemporary Indonesian society. Some have lost the breadwinner in the family and need to eke out a livelihood for themselves and their children for the first time; for others, the loss of a husband is not felt as an economic loss. There are an estimated 9 million Female Heads of Household (FHH) in Indonesia, 14% of the total of 65 million households in Indonesia (Akhmadi et al. 2010: 1). The vast majority of FHH are janda. They figure disproportionately among the poor and vulnerable (Akhmadi et al. 2010). Many janda are also vulnerable because of their uncertain marital status. Many do not have legally recognised marriages and/or divorces, as is common in Lombok (Platt 2010). Some were child brides, not meeting the minimum legal age of marriage for women of 16 years. Many were married secretly or unofficially (nikah siri – see Parker et al. 2016). Many are poor and live remote from government offices and so cannot afford the cost of a formal marriage registration or divorce (Akhmadi et al. 2010). Some have been abandoned by their husbands. Although the concept of the Female-Headed Household is well established

... and Switzerland to the east, Belgium to the north and Spain to the south; it is ringed by the... more ... and Switzerland to the east, Belgium to the north and Spain to the south; it is ringed by the ... last line of this poem contains the word kasinoman, literally 'a group of young men in service' but used in other historical Balinese texts, including the Kidung Sunda and Rangga Lawe, to ...

Bijdragen en Mededelingen betreffende de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden, 1994

Routledge eBooks, Jan 28, 2015

History of Badung; the war between the Dutch and the Badung Kingdom on Bali Island; a centennial ... more History of Badung; the war between the Dutch and the Badung Kingdom on Bali Island; a centennial commemoration volume

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2019

The Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin, the earliest known Javanese literary work, is based on the ... more The Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin, the earliest known Javanese literary work, is based on the sixth-century Sanskrit Bhaṭṭikāvya. It is an outcome of a careful and thorough project of translation and adaptation that took place at a formative moment in the cultural exchange between South and Southeast Asia. In this essay we explore what it was that the Javanese poets set out to capture when they rendered the Bhaṭṭikāvya into Old Javanese, what sort of knowledge and protocols informed their work, in what way the outcome was different from the original, and what the Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa can teach us about Bhaṭṭi’s poem and the nascent poetics of kakawin literature. In particular, we show how Sanskrit figures of speech, or ornaments (alaṃkāra) were understood, commented upon, expanded, and reconfigured. A close look at these texts allows us insights into this remarkable moment of cultural exchange.

He holds a series of Australian Research Council grants (Discovery and Linkage) looking at Indone... more He holds a series of Australian Research Council grants (Discovery and Linkage) looking at Indonesian-Australian connections, labour and industry in Southeast Asia, and Balinese art. my PhD supervisor, now at EFEO Jakarta), Australia (Helen Creese) and Indonesia (Titik Pudjiastuti) the idea to submit an application, in the hope that our joint collaboration would stand a good chance in a competitive selection process. We were indeed able to nd the ANRC willing to act as main sponsor of a workshop, which was held at the premises of the KITLV branch in Jakarta on May th-th , and which was made possible by substantial extra contributions from the EFEO and the Stichting J. Gonda Fonds of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences. e theme of the workshop was e Old Javanese Rāmāyaṇa: Text, History, Culture. lock's idea of a 'Sanskrit Cosmopolis' and a 'Vernacular Millenium'. It is no exaggeration to observe that crucial, and o en controversial, issues within various academic elds relating to Indonesia involve the interpretation of facts drawn from the Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa. e Old Javanese poem indeed constitutes a source of primary importance for the historical study of ancient Central Java. But the poem itself was clearly not the only version of the Rāmāyaṇa story that circulated in Indonesia at that time. e story as a whole, as well * * * is volume includes a selection of nine of the twenty-one papers presented during the workshop, which saw participation from four scholars af liated with Dutch academic institutions, ve with Australian, seven with Indonesian, two with American institutions, and one with a French University, as well as two Dutch independent scholars. Nationalities represented were Indonesian, Australian, Dutch, American, Italian, Singaporean and German. An Indonesiabased scholar from the USA, omas Hunter, could not attend the workshop but submitted a paper for publication, which we were glad to accept in the volume as tenth contribution. One of the explicit conditions of the workshop funding received from the ANRC was the participation of Southeast Asian scholars, and the workshop indeed saw participation of seven Indonesian scholars, plus one Singaporean. One of the purposes of the ANRC workshop grants is capacity building, and so we were glad to count among these eight participants three We have presented the papers in two parts, the rst entitled Old Javanese Kakawin and the Kakawin Rāmāyaṇa, the second e Rāmāyaṇa at Caṇḍi Prambanan and Caṇḍi Panataran. Part One starts with two papers giving general perspectives on Kakawin as a genre. S R starts from a perspective internal to the genre, identifying a speci c formal feature that might be offers an overview of the locally composed Kakawins inspired by the Rāmāyaṇa story. Despite the persistent popularity of the Rāmāyaṇa Kakawin itself in Bali, the Old Javanese prose version of the Uttarakāṇḍa turns out to have been much more in uential in Balinese Kakawin production, both as a source of themes and as a point of reference for themes le unexplored in that text but made the topic of a long stream of poetic compositions. ese local Balinese Kakawins remain almost entirely unstudied, and the available manuscript sources are therefore presented in detail. A V takes up a Balinese painting to show how also locally produced prose (parwa) works, in this case the thus far unstudied Kapiparwa, were composed in Bali under inspiration from the Rāmāyaṇa cycle, and have themselves come to in-Hymns of Praise in Kakawins aim of those striving a er nal release, and as the lord of creation (.-.). is induces Śiwa to relinquish his terrifying aspect […]. (Zoetmulder :-) e hymn itself is found in Cantos and , a total of only ve stanzas, and is termed a stuti (in. d and. a). Another example is to be found in the Kakawin Ghaṭotkacāśraya (my personal favourite). Abhimanyu's affair with Kṣiti Sundarī has been discovered, and so Baladewa is furious and determined to marry her off to Duryodhana's son before Kṛṣṇa can get back. Abhimanyu is forced to ee, and while he is asleep the demon Karālawaktra nds him. Quoting from the summary in Kalangwan, On hearing that he is a servant of the goddess Durga, who has sent him to look for prey, either animal or human, which is to be brought for her to devour, Abhimanyu persuades him to accept him as a prospective victim. Together they go to the abode of the goddess. She appears, frightening to behold, her hands outstretched to seize him, but halts when she hears his mantras. She listens to him worshipping her and praising her as the goddess who is one with the Supreme Being, and is merciful and generous to her devotees, but terrifying to her enemies, and so she becomes kindly disposed towards him and favours him with her advice. He is to seek help from Ghaṭotkaca […]. (Zoetmulder :). Here is the substitute for yourself-come, look, arise! Come, cast it into the holy Fire, make haste, So that the impurities will be gone and burnt up, And in this way you can focus your mind on the prince'. . Dr. Supomo (email of-) has kindly pointed out that we nd in Bhāratayuddha .-a passage addressed to the dead body of Droṇa (who is likened to Paśupati), that is termed a stawa (Bhāratayuddha. d) and pangastuti (Bhāratayuddha. a). Stuart Robson. e princess was elated and immediately did her worship: Flowers, incense and lamps were arranged, e offerings for the sacred diagrams were complete, And the prayers of offering were carried out perfectly.. e wick of the Deity blazed up very quickly, And while she did homage she approached the 'golden jewel'; Jānakī was indeed deeply devoted, And her petition (prārthana) was that the prince should be victorious:. 'Oh Lord Hutipati, consumer of oblations, You are the 'Mouth of the Gods' , supreme ruler of the gods, Kind to worshippers, the Lord Guṇawidhi, e bearer of mountains, earth and sea.. You are the highest god, the supreme re of Śiwa, You are the eight manifestations, the gods revealed; e divine eight qualities are always with you, And likewise the three qualities you control.. You are valiant and mighty, a powerful ruler-Gods and Dānawas praise you, Siddhas and celestial singers worship you, And your light can be compared to a hundred thousand suns.. And you, Bhārata (= Agni), are the welfare of the world, compassionate, You grant great happiness to your devotees; None other than you are the goal of those who perform austerities, And those who are endowed with right judgment, forever happy.. You are always compassionate and full of goodness, You are the source of happiness and virtue, And it is you who endow a knowledge of the holy texts-You are the reason we reach the realm of release.. You, Lord, are soul alone, and happiness is your purpose, e reason that stains and impurities will be removed, And that existence will be freed from af ictions and calamities, Because of your love for all men.. Oh God of Fire, Lord of the ree Worlds, Look upon me, Lord, with favour: Hymns of Praise in Kakawins Let Rāmabhadra be victorious, May he love me and may we be happy when we meet'. . is was the princess's intention (prayojana), indeed most wonderful. She ceased insisting on dying, now that she had heard that the prince was alive. But the pain of separation had not yet completely disappeared, And lying on her couch she amused herself with reading. So Sītā's address to the god Agni is quite long (and perhaps a little confused, in keeping with her state of mind). We need not dwell on the philological details, but note a few important points. Firstly, Sītā begins with making offerings, before embarking on her petition. Secondly, the Fire is seen as having the function of burning up and removing impurities (. c and. b), and is therefore appropriate in this context. And thirdly, Sītā hopes that the god will be kindly disposed by her offerings and praise, and will grant her petition, which is spelt out in full clarity (. cd). But this is not the rst time that Agni has been invoked. If we turn back to an earlier passage in the same sarga, we nd Sītā contemplating killing herself by descending into the re (. d).. It was the middle of the night, when people were sleeping, No one uttered a sound, all fast asleep; en she built a re, that blazed up amazingly-She was praying, of course, that they should die together. 'theology of the Kakawin'. . Quoted with approval by Curtius :. He would never falter, for the Void he strives, His striving is heroic, he is erce in quietude. Robson understands gal of DW. d as perhaps related to Modern Javanese 'agal, ''rough, coarse'' or […] Old Javanese agul-agul, '' erce, warlike'' '; and sana as perhaps derived from 'sama, ''quietude'' '. e terms 'contingent' and 'non-contingent' here mean that the repeated phrase of a yamaka falls immediately a er its original ('contingent') or is separated by several other words, phrases. Cited from Tubb (:-).. I have taken the liberty of changing the syntax of the (a) and (b) lines, which should have the extended noun phrase of the (b) line as subject to the verb phrase of the rst line, using instead a passive formation using 'with' rather than the usual 'by' of a by-phrase.

Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2009

Law codes with their origins in Indic-influenced Old Javanese systems of knowledge comprise an im... more Law codes with their origins in Indic-influenced Old Javanese systems of knowledge comprise an important genre in the Balinese textual record. Written in Kawi – a term encompassing Old Javanese, Middle Javanese and High Balinese – the legal corpus forms a complex and overlapping web of indigenous legal texts and traditions that encompass the codification and administration of civil and criminal justice as well as concepts of morality and right conduct. The most significant codes include the Adhigama, Kuṭāramānawa, Pūrwādhigama, Sārasamuccaya, Swarajambu, Dewāgama (also called Krĕtopapati) and Dewadanda. Each of these law codes belongs to a shared tradition of legal thought and practice that is linked to Sanskrit Mānavadharmaśāstra traditions. Manu’s code, most notably the aṣṭadaśawyawahāra section detailing the eighteen grounds for litigation, was adopted as the model of legal textual principle in the early stages of contact between ancient India and the Indonesian archipelago. Over...

Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2001

The Self-immolation of Women in Java and Bali Her deep sorrow became intolerable) and as there se... more The Self-immolation of Women in Java and Bali Her deep sorrow became intolerable) and as there seemed nothing else to wait for, she. hurriedly prepared herself for death. She drew the dagger she had been holding all the while, which sparkled now taken from its sheath. She then threw herself fearlessly on it,.and her blood gushed forth like red mineral.

Indonesia and the Malay World, 2012

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or s... more This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. * The singing and interpretation of religious and literary texts (makidung) has historically been a male dominated activity in Bali. In the last decade, however, since makidung programmes on radio and television have become popular, the participation of women in makidung activity has been substantial, with the number of female participants surpassing that of men. In this article, which forms part of a broader wide-ranging study of contemporary textual singing practices in Bali, we present some preliminary findings on the participation and motivation of women in textual singing programmes in the broadcast media. Women take part in on-air textual singing for a variety of personal, religious and social reasons. We show that, in spite of some elements of 'self-promotion' (numpang nampang) as participants seek to build their reputations as skilful practitioners, the participation and motivation of women in on-air interactive textual singing has been instrumental in fostering strong interest in Bali's textual heritage.

The Kakawin Ramayana, arguably the oldest Old Javanese epic text in Indic metres (circa 9th centu... more The Kakawin Ramayana, arguably the oldest Old Javanese epic text in Indic metres (circa 9th century AD), holds a unique position in the literary heritage of Indonesia. The poem has retained a remarkable vitality through the centuries in the Archipelago, inspiring many forms of artistic expression not only in the domain of literature but also in the visual and performing arts, from the reliefs of the majestic Central Javanese temples to modern puppet-show performances.

Displaying a virtuoso array of metrical patterns, the Kakawin Ramayana is among the very few Old Javanese texts for which a specific Sanskrit prototype has been identified, namely the difficult poem Bhattikavya (circa 7th century AD), itself a version of the great Ramayana epic ascribed to Valmiki (circa 6th–1st century BC). The Old Javanese poem is an original and skillful work of re-elaboration that documents a fascinating interaction between cultural elements of the Sanskritic tradition with those indigenous to the Javanese setting.

The studies included in this volume, written by experts in a wide range of disciplines, focus on disparate aspects of the Kakawin Ramayana and the constellation of cultural phenomena revolving around it, providing the reader with a key to the understanding of the rich Old Javanese textual heritage and the transcultural intellectual dynamics that contributed to shaping the cultural heritage of Indonesia up to the present.

With contributions from Andrea Acri, Helen Creese, Arlo Griffiths, Thomas Hunter, Roy Jordaan, Lydia Kieven, Cecelia Levin, Wesley Michel, Stuart Robson and Adrian Vickers, this book is the result of a workshop held at the KITLV branch in Jakarta on May 26th–28th 2009 and supported by the Australia-Netherlands Research Collaboration, the École française d’Extrême-Orient, and the Stichting J. Gonda Fonds. http://www.kitlv.nl/book/show/1314