The Introduction of Symmetry in an Introduction

Abstract

Abstract In this chapter, I closely examine the stutikhaṇḍ or the prologue section of Padmāvat, a popular sixteenth-century Avadhī Sufi narrative composed by the Sufi poet Malik Muḥammad Jāysī. Prologues of Avadhī Sufi premākhyans are rich in references to the immediate literary and historical context of the composer. However, it is often overlooked as formulaic and considered non-essential to the rest of the narrative. The equivocal manner in which new information is weaved into this section using prevailing literary tropes warrants a closer look at the arrangement of stanzas and the tropes within it. I argue that structurally and thematically the verses in the prologue of Padmāvat are arranged in such a way that a clear pattern of symmetry can be discerned. By plotting the repetition of tropes within the verses, I trace the intricate manner in which this pattern appears in the prologue and discusses its possible significance.