Visvamitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology Sathaye, Adheesh A. creator text xx New York Oxford University Press 2015 9999 1st ed. monographic und xix, 310 p. ; 25 cm. Normative Brahminical ideology deems it impossible for an ordinary individual to change caste without undergoing death and rebirth. However, the sage Visvamitra transformed himself from a king into a Brahmin through ascetic power (tapas). This book examines the legends of Visvamitra across Sanskrit, vernacular, oral, and visual traditions, offering a historical analysis of how these stories reinforced or adapted Brahmin social power over three thousand years. Adheesh A. Sathaye Brahmins Hindu mythology Religious aspects Social stratification 294.508621 SAT 9780199341115 260708 20260708150741.0