was the two-line verse, which was a self-
contained unit with regard to meaning.
Verses were composed in meters
ranging from four to twenty-six syllables
per half-line, and were ornamented
with various alamkaras (“figures of
speech”) in an effort to convey the mood
(rasa) appropriate to the subject matter.
Poetic forms range from single-verse
epigrams, such as those of Bhartrhari,
to extended epic poems (mahakavyas),
most notably those of Kalidasa.
Although such poetry contains frequent
references to religious life, it was
primarily intended for entertainment
rather than moral encouragement, an
emphasis which reflects the court
atmosphere in which it was composed.
The singular exception to this trend is
the Gitagovindaof Jayadeva, a text
said to have been composed at the
Jagannathtemple in Puri, which focus-
es on devotion to the god Krishnaas
lord of the universe.
Kayasth
Traditional Indian society was modeled
as a collection of endogamous, or inter-
marrying, subgroups known as jatis
(“birth”). The jatis were organized
(and their social status determined)
by the group’s hereditary occupation,
over which each group held a monopoly.
The Kayasths worked as scribes and
recorders. They were mostly associated
with maintaining business and
mercantile records, accounting, and
keeping businesses running smoothly
and profitably.
Kedarnath
Village and sacred site (tirtha) in the
Himalayas at the headwaters of the
Mandakini River, one of the tributaries
of the Ganges. The village is named for
its presiding deity, who is the god Shiva
in his manifestation as the “Lord of
Kedar.” Shiva is present at Kedarnath in
the form of a linga, a pillar-shaped
image. The Kedarnath linga is deemed
one of the twelve jyotirlingas, a network
of sites deemed especially sacred to
Shiva. Kedarnath’s sanctity is only
matched by the difficulty in getting to it.
Its high altitude—close to 12,000 feet—
means that it is only accessible between
late April and October, a characteristic
also of Yamunotri, Gangotri, and
Badrinath, the three other major
Himalayan pilgrim sites. A trip to
Kedarnath preserves some of the diffi-
culty formerly associated with
Himalayan pilgrimage. Pilgrims travel
the last ten miles on foot or horseback,
during which the path climbs five thou-
sand feet. Those braving the trek must
contend with the unpredictable moun-
tain weather, but may also be rewarded
with spectacular vistas. The temple of
Kedarnath is surrounded by mountain
meadows and shaded by mountains
capped with snow year-round.
The Kedarnath linga is a natural
ridge of stone considered to be a self-
manifestation (svayambhu) of Shiva,
and is considered to be unusually pow-
erful. The particular shape of this linga is
tied to Kedarnath’s charter myth. One
version of this story is connected to the
five Pandavabrothers, who are the pro-
tagonists in the Mahabharata, the later
of the two great Hindu epics. The
Pandavas make their final journey into
the Himalayas, searching for a vision of
Shiva. They finally see him at a distance,
but when they try to get closer, Shiva
takes the form of a bulland begins run-
ning through the snow. The bull burrows
into a snow bank. When the Pandavas
follow, they find the body of the bull in
the snow. The ridge of rock that forms
the Kedarnath linga is considered to be
the hump of this bull. The bull’s head
continues traveling over the hills, even-
tually stopping in Nepal, where it takes
form as Pashupatinath.
A completely different charter myth
draws on the traditional belief that Shiva
makes his home high in the mountains.
This myth identifies the Panchkedar(a
network of five Shiva shrines in the
Garhwal region) with five parts of
Shiva’s body, thus connecting the deity
with the land itself and making the landKedarnath