Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3Eliot, Charles
Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3
Eliot, Charles
Asia -- Religion; Buddhism; Hinduism
Javanese architecture and sculpture are no doubt derived from India,
but the imported style, whatever it may have been, was modified by
local influences and it seems impossible at present to determine
whether its origin should be sought on the eastern or western side of
India. The theory that the temples on the Dieng plateau are Chalukyan
buildings appears to be abandoned but they and many others in Java
show a striking resemblance to the shrines found in Champa. Javanese
architecture is remarkable for the complete absence not only of
radiating arches but of pillars, and consequently of large halls. This
feature is no doubt due to the ever present danger of earthquakes.
Many reliefs, particularly those of Panataran, show the influence of a
style which is not Indian and may be termed, though not very
correctly, Polynesian. The great merit of Javanese sculpture lies in
the refinement and beauty of the faces. Among figures executed in
India it would be hard to find anything equal in purity and delicacy
to the Avalokita of Mendut, the Manjuśri now in the Berlin Museum
or the Prajñâpâramitâ now at Leyden.
6
From the eleventh century until the end of the Hindu period Java can
show a considerable body of literature, which is in part theological.
It is unfortunate that no books dating from an earlier epoch should be
extant. The sculptures of Prambanam and Boroboedoer clearly presuppose
an acquaintance with the Ramayana, the Lalita Vistara and other
Buddhist works but, as in Camboja, this literature was probably known
only in the original Sanskrit and only to the learned. But it is not
unlikely that the Javanese adaptations of the Indian epics which have
come down to us were preceded by earlier attempts which have
disappeared.
The old literary language of Java is commonly known as Båså Kawi or
Kawi, that is the language of poetry[420]. It is however simply
the predecessor of modern Javanese and many authorities prefer to
describe the language of the island as Old Javanese before the
Madjapahit period, Middle-Javanese during that period and New Javanese
after the fall of Madjapahit. The greater part of this literature
consists of free versions of Sanskrit works or of a substratum in
Sanskrit accompanied by a Javanese explanation. Only a few Javanese
works are original, that is to say not obviously inspired by an Indian
prototype, but on the other hand nearly all of them handle their
materials with freedom and adapt rather than translate what they
borrow.
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