“This impressive book, concerned with the paradigm of South Indian kingship found in works of literature, is itself a paradigm of the new South Asian scholarship—interdisciplinary, comparative, and grounded in poststructuralist theory. At once a bold, broad inquiry into social symbolism and a painstakingly documented treatise, it amasses warmly sensitive, detailed readings of an eclectic group of texts which includes some of the most famous stories of traditional India. Shulman’s concept for the book is complex, his language is sophisticated, and his points are densely argued, yet, emerging from many passages as well as the overall design, there springs a lively engagement of the imagination and intellect only too rare in academic writing…A most significant contribution to our understanding of South Asian culture, Shulman’s book deserves wide reading and discussion.” --Katheryn Hansen, Pacific Affairs “This is one of those splendid books which effortlessly bridge the gap between two alien cultures and bring a different level of perception within our own periphery, while at the same time making it intelligible not only to the scholar but also to the average intellectually informed reader.” --Albertine Gaur, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society “This book is a major addition to a growing corpus of works expounding and interpreting Indian myth and epic tales. Professor Shulman’s contribution will undoubtedly remain a classic in its breadth, scholarship and subtlety. In particular, his brilliant analysis of Hindu comic themes and figures should serve as a seminal starting point for future scholars, whether Indologists, literary critics or cultural anthropologists…The full complexity of this book can only be hinted at. Its scholarship extends well far beyond the south Asian literature, embracing universal general themes. It is, without doubt, a marvelously evocative book, providing a broad humanistic vision of Hinduism in its wider context.” --Pnina Werbner, Man David Dean Shulman is Professor of Indian Studies and Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of Tamil Temple Myths: Sacrifice and Divine Marriage in the South Indian Saiva Tradition (Princeton) and coeditor of Orthodox, Heterodoxy and Dissent in India (Mouton).