Kakawin

Kakawin is a genre of classical poetry from the Indonesian archipelago, notably in Java and Bali, composed in Old Javanese and often using extensive Sanskrit lexicon. The form is part of the kavya tradition and is characterized by long narrative poems written in highly formal, elaborate meter and diction, frequently relying on alliteration and stylized imagery.

Historically, kakawin flourished from roughly the 9th to the 15th centuries under Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Java and later in Bali. Royal courts sponsored the composition and copying of these works, which were produced in temple and palatial settings and widely studied by scholars and clerics. The practice declined with the rise of Islam and changing literary tastes, though the genre remained influential in Southeast Asian literature and language prestige.

Content and themes of kakawin commonly draw on Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as Buddhist and indigenous mythic material. They often retell familiar episodes with localized cultural elements, royal ideology, cosmology, and moral exempla. Some kakawin are adaptations of Indian narratives, while others present originally developed Javanese or Balinese stories, blending religious symbolism with political and ceremonial functions.

Notable examples include Arjunawiwaha, Sutasoma, Kakawin Bharatayuddha (a Javanese version of the Mahabharata), and Kakawin Ramayana. These works are important sources for the study of Old Javanese language, literary form, and the historical culture of Southeast Asia. Modern scholarship treats kakawin as a key bridge between ancient Indian literary influence and indigenous Indonesian literary traditions.