Vishnu is the Supreme form of God in the Hindu sect known as Vaishnavism. This means that, while there are other gods and demigods, Vishnu reigns supreme above all. He, in the minds of the Vaishnavites, is the lord of all creation. Vishnu has taken many forms throughout the eons, known as his avatars, whenever the dharmic balance on the earthly plains requires direct intervention in order to be set right. The ten most recognizable of these avatars are called the Daśāvatāra, among them such heroes
At the end of the masterpiece, The Mahabharata, Yudhisthira and a dog meet Indra. Indra tells Yudhisthira that he will take Yudhisthira to heaven if Yudhisthira leaves the dog behind. Yudhisthira refuses and it is revealed that the dog was really Dharma. For passing this test, Yudhisthira is rewarded with heaven. This scene perfectly encapsulates the themes of duty, loyalty, fairness, and dharma and being justly rewarded for such actions that were present throughout the entire Mahabharata. It is
Chapter 58, it describes planting public orchards, with trees that give fruits to strangers and shade to travellers, as meritorious acts of benevolent charity. In Chapter 59 of Book 13 of the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira and Bhishma discuss the best and lasting gifts between people: An assurance unto all creatures with love and affection and abstention from every kind of injury, acts of kindness and favour done to a person in distress, whatever
3. DUTIES OF THE KING The main duty of the King, according to Bhishma was to uphold ‘dharma’ and ‘prajahit’ i.e. welfare of the public. “The king is the heart of the people; he is their great refuge; he is their glory; and he is their greatest happiness.”8 (shloka number 59 of chapter 68). The king is the person who receives habitual obedience from all because the king is the “delighter of the people, bestower of happiness, possessor of prosperity, the best of all, healer of injuries, master of earth
Kunti’s life is beset with sadness because of the curse that her husband has to live with, and then his death. Even though she gives birth to the Pandavas as a result of the boon of Sage Durvasa, the same boon causes the birth of Karna as well which brings her immense grief. Caste and social values were balanced in Ram-Rajya. Nishadraj, Kevat, Shabari and other persons of lower caste have beenreferred in the Ramayana in a decent manner, but in the Mahabharata, the caste issue became very serious
“Dharma is the knowledge prominently directed towards the achievement of desired happiness here (i.e., in this life) and hereafter by means of appropriate actions” (Khan, Benjamin. The Concept of Dharma in Valmiki). Rama and Krishna have been set as perfect exemplars of Dharma in the texts of Ramayana and Mahabharata, respectively. They are considered to be the reincarnations of God Vishnu, a Supreme Being, and supposedly lived their lives according to the Dharmic (or right) way of life. However
Pandava, and his charioteer, who really is a god, is Krishna. Arjuna does not want to fight; he does not understand why he must shed the blood of his relatives, the Kauravas, for a kingdom that he does not want. “Krishna, how can I fight against Bhishma and Drona with arrows when they deserve my worship?” (World Literature 469) For him, killing his family is the greatest sin of all, but Krishna urges Arjuna to fulfill his dharma, “sacred duty”and wage battle. Arjuna shows selflessness by not focusing
The Conception of Time in William Buck's Mahabharata In Hindu philosophy, there is no absolute beginning to the universe and no absolute ending. Therefore, time is not conceived of in a linear fashion as is common in western philosophy. Instead, time is seen as a wheel turning within a larger wheel, and moksha, or the release from this wheel is one of the goals of of the Hindu devotee. In William Buck's Mahabharata, time is viewed by the characters as an enemy of sorts, a personified entity
About Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is celebrated throughout the country; it is particularly popular in Uttar Pradesh. Maha Shivratri falls on the 14th day of the dark half of 'Margasirsa' (February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva and it is believed that on this day Lord Shiva was married to Parvati. On this festival people worship 'Shiva - the Destroyer'. This night marks the night when
TOP 15 BOOKS ON MAHABHARATA Mahabharata is the longest epic poem ever written and is one of the most important text of Hindu faith. The name itself explains it as the Tale of the Bharat Dynasty and is a mythological history of India. 1. The Palace of Illusions By Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni This book is a remagination of the famous Indian epic, the Mahabharata from the point of view of a strong woman- Paanchali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers. Takes us back to the time that half history
There has been an inconsistency between scripture and the role of women in society for hundreds of years now. As Elizabeth Cady Stanton once said, ”If the Bible teaches the equality of women, why does the church refuse to ordain women to preach the gospel, to fill the offices of deacons and elders, and to administer the Sacraments...?” And today many Muslim women view wearing a hijab as a sign of feminism in an otherwise sexually obsessed Western Culture. So how does religion affect women? How is
dharma is the fountainhead from which all Indian thought proceeds (Essays, 29). Dharma like many concepts in Hinduism is difficult, if not impossible, to define adequately, though many attempts have been made to do so (Larson 146). The Grand Sire Bhishma in the Mahābhārata make this point while conversing with Yudhishthira, “It is difficult to say what righteousness [dharma] is. It is not easy to indicate it. No one in discoursing upon righteousness can indicate it accurately” (Ganguli, Santi Parva