scholarly journals The Rhetoric of Krishna versus the Counter-Rhetoric of Vyas: The Place of Commiseration in the Mahabharat

Humanities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Bhushan Aryal

In the context of the mixed perception among scholars whether the Mahabharat is a pacifist or a militant text, this paper analyzes the rhetorical project of the epic to examine its position on violence. Highlighting the existence of two main arguments in the Mahabharat, this paper argues that the author has crafted a grand rhetorical project to question the dominant war ideology of the time that Krishna presents as the divine necessity. Historically, the emergence of Krishna—one of the major characters of the epic—as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Hindu tradition and the extraction and elevation of the Bhagavad Gita from the epic as an independent text have undermined the complexity of Vyas’ rhetoric. This paper places Krishna’s argument within the broad rhetorical scheme of the epic and demonstrates how Vyas has represented Krishna’s rhetoric of ‘just war’ only to illustrate its pitfalls. By directing his narrative lens to the devastating consequences of the war in the later parts of the epic, Vyas problematizes Krishna’s insistence on the need to suppress human emotions to attain a higher cognitive and ontological condition. What emerges is the difference between how Vyas and Krishna view the status of feeling: the scientist Krishna thinks that human emotions and individual lives are trivial, incidental instances in the cosmic game—something not worthy of a warrior’s concern; Vyas’ rhetoric, this paper argues, restores the significance of ordinary human emotions. It is a war—not human life and feeling—that arises as a futile enterprise in Vyas’ rhetoric.

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 229
Author(s):  
Mohammad Syifa Amin Widigdo

This article studies the reception of the Bhagavad Gita within circles of Perennial Philosophy scholars and examines how the Gita is interpreted to the extent that it influenced their thoughts. Within the Hindu tradition, the Gita is often read from a dualist and/or non-dualist perspective in the context of observing religious teachings and practices. In the hands of Perennial Philosophy scholars, the Gita is read from a different angle. Through a critical examination of the original works of the Perennialists, this article shows that the majority of the Perennial traditionalists read the Gita from a dualist background but that, eventually, they were convinced that the Gita’s paradigm is essentially non-dualist. In turn, this non-dualist paradigm of the Gita influences and transforms their ontological thought, from the dualist to the non-dualist view of the reality. Meanwhile, the non-traditionalist group of Perennial Philosophy scholars are not interested in this ontological discussion. They are more concerned with the question of how the Gita provides certain ways of attaining human liberation and salvation. Interestingly, both traditionalist and non-traditionalist camps are influenced by the Gita, at the same time, inserting an external understanding and interpretation into the Gita.


Sæculum ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Author(s):  
Dragoş Dragoman

AbstractThe brief episode represented by the Bhagavad-Gītā, entrenched in the great body of the epic Hindu poem Mahābhārata, is revealing for the long lasting intellectual and spiritual effort made by the enlightened Indian philosophers in order to over-pass the ritual and social constraints put in place by the Veda, during the early period of the Hindu tradition. By focusing on the dialogue between a valiant knight and the earthly incarnation of God himself, a perennial wisdom is to be noticed. This is a promise for salvation from fear and death for all who dare to follow their duty, by offering them other ways of attending the Supreme. The self-sacrifice, the renunciation to all ego and the pure love for the Divine represent sacrifices that equal those offered by Hindu priests. By this, every single individual is meant to finally embrace freedom and eternity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.J. Allen

Arjuna is in many ways the central character of the Mahābhārata, the great Sanskrit epic. By order of birth he is the third among the Pāṇḍavas, the five sons of Pānḍu, who represent the forces of cosmic order. When, after humiliation and exile, the Pānḍ;avas finally triumph, primogeniture prevails, and it is the eldest brother, Yudhisfhira, who takes the throne; but in other respects, Arjuna is usually a more salient figure than his dutiful eldest brother. Thus it is to Arjuna that Krishna addresses his teaching in the Bhagavad Gitā (part of Book 6 of the Epic). Moreover although Pānḍu is pater to the five brothers, each has his own divine genitor, and the genitor of Arjuna is Indra, king of the gods in the classical pantheon. A paper about Arjuna is a paper about a major figure in Hindu tradition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Ida Bagus Putu Adnyana

<p><em>Catur Yoga are four ways that humans can take to unite themselves with Brahman. The four paths include Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga. Of the four paths, this study will discuss Raja Yoga, which is the most difficult way or way for humans to do if it is done without the assistance of a spiritual teacher. Raja Yoga teachings emphasize the process of the self to be able to control all activities of the movement of the mind for the realization of a clear and good mind and always focus on Brahman. The state of the self that is able to control the movement of one's mind in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is called Citta Vrtti Nirodha. Citta Vrtti Nirodha will lead human life to Moksartham Jagadhita Ya Ca Iti Dharma. The teachings of Raja Yoga will be studied in depth and comprehensively using the literature study of the sacred literature of Bhagavad Gītā as the main source.</em></p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Aswindar Adhi Gumilang ◽  
Tri Pitara Mahanggoro ◽  
Qurrotul Aini

The public demand for health service professionalism and transparent financial management made some Puskesmas in Semarang regency changed the status of public health center to BLUD. The implementation of Puskesmas BLUD and non-BLUD requires resources that it can work well in order to meet the expectations of the community. The aim of this study is to know the difference of work motivation and job satisfaction of employees in Puskesmas BLUD and non-BLUD. Method of this research is a comparative descriptive with a quantitative approach. The object of this research are work motivation and job satisfaction of employees in Puskesmas BLUD and non-BLUD Semarang regency. This Research showed that Sig value. (P-value) work motivation variable was 0.019 smaller than α value (0.05). It showed that there was a difference of work motivation of employees in Puskemas BLUD and non-BLUD. Sig value (P-value) variable of job satisfaction was 0.020 smaller than α value (0.05). It showed that there was a difference of job satisfaction of BLUD and non-BLUD. The average of non-BLUD employees motivation were 76.59 smaller than the average of BLUD employees were 78.25. The average of job satisfaction of BLUD employees were 129.20 bigger than the average of non-BLUD employee were 124.26. Job satisfaction of employees in Puskesmas BLUD was higher than non-BLUD employees.


Author(s):  
Detlef Liebs

Abstract Four kinds of Romans in the Frankish kingdoms in the 6th to 8th centuries. Roman law texts from Merowingian Gaul make a difference between cives Romani, Latini and dediticii, all considered as Romans. This difference mattered only to slaves who had been freed. The status of Latin and dediticius was hereditary, whereas the descendants of one who had been freed as civis Romanus were free born Romans, who should be classified as a proper, a fourth kind of beeing Roman; it was the standard kind. The difference was important in civil law, procedural law and criminal law, especially in wergeld, the sum to be payed for expiation when somebody had been killed: Who had killed a Roman, had to pay different sums according to the status of the killed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document