Dogri Epic Jitto: Through the Lens of Indian and Western Poetics

The paper explores the dynamic growth of the epic genre as an oral and written tradition. It surpasses different eras, cultures, geographies to replicate the transcending cultures, eras, and geographies to replicate the worldwide condition of the humans and the values of the society. By juxtaposing the Western and Eastern epic traditions- with reference to the classical figures like Homer, Milton, Valmiki and Vyasa- it places the Dogri epic Jitto by Padma shri awardee Jitendra Udampuri in the larger context of the Indian ad Western poetics. The Dogra cultural philosophy has been deeply articulated in Jitto, which is grounded in the legend of Bawa Jitto, an agrarian folk hero who forfeited himself in the resistance of feudal oppression. Based upon the Longinus’s theory of the sublime, Aristotle’s principles of epic structure and tragedy, Longinus’s notion of the sublime and Bharata’s rasa theory in Natyasastra, the paper examines how the mahakavya synthesizes sublimity, heroism and emotional depth. Heroic (vira) rasa which has been chiefly highlighted in the paper aligns with the main themes of sacrifice and resistance as portrayed in Jitto. The study highlights how Jitto not only disseminates a local legend but also reiterates the epic’s everlasting appeal as a genre which is capable of socio-cultural renaissance, historical mindfulness and aesthetic wholeness.