Indian Epics Research Articles

Indian Mythology and Ecocriticism

According to Indian philosophy, human body is said to be formed of five elements – Panchtattva, namely earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) and aether (akasha). From the birth of an individual till his death, the Indian way of life is closely connected to nature. From home hearths to the funeral pyres, wood and fire are predominantly present. A newborn is consecrated with the holy waters of Ganges and the ashes of the dead are immersed in the same holy water. Indians have long had an intense connection with nature. This connection is clearly reflected in the Indian mythology. The two major Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, present nature in its various manifestations presenting it sometimes as a saviour, sometimes a protector and many times as a pioneer. The connection between Indian mythology and nature becomes conspicuous when we come across characters like Bhumija Sita, Suryaputra Karna, Vayuputra Hanumana and Shakuntala (the nature’s child) who is born and brought up in the lap of nature and whose beauty and innocence are as pure as nature itself. These writings and characters have deeply impacted the Indian psyche through ages. This paper will study such connection between Indian mythology and environment in detail and analyse how Indian mythology has contributed in preserving the nature keeping in mind the concept of eco-criticism.

Analysing Femicide and Antinationalism in The Nirbhaya Case: A Feminist Revisionist Mythmaking Reading of Clea Chakraverty's La Voix de Sita

Violence against women often stems from gender inequality, societal structures such as patriarchy, impunity, and institutional violence. Despite the remarkable progress it has made in establishing the representation of women in all fields, India still finds itself an unsafe country for women, with multiple cases of femicide reported every year. The present paper proposes a close look at violence against women in India through a multidisciplinary reading of Clea Chakravarty’s novel La Voix de Sita [Sita’s Voice] which is a retelling of the 2012 Delhi gang rape. Commonly known as the Nirbhaya Case, it ushered a lot of debates around women’s modesty and morality, alongside controversial anti-feminist remarks by the dominant misinformed strata of society on women being responsible for crimes done against them and the branding of feminism as anti-national. By approaching the revisionist mythmaking of Indian epics in the novel through a feminist lens, the paper also traces the root cause of violence against women in India by analysing media reports, interviews, and anecdotes focused on the case.

Hidden Gems of the Kathasagara*- A Study of Sidelined Women Characters in the Indian Epics and Puranas

The epics, puranas and mythological tales of India are rich in women characters that can stand in par with the female protagonists of these stories. The only drawback of these characters is that they are less understood and less studied by the reading public. They are cast aside as minor or unimportant characters whereas they prove themselves as possessing qualities of boldness, self-confidence, sacrifice and intelligence often left unobserved or unacknowledged. This study offers a handful of such characters that we can really be proud of-the real gems among women.

Denial of Selfhood in Kavita Kane’s select novels

This paper throws light on the denial of one’s own right based on patriarchal impositions levied on women of all ages. Even epic heroines have been voiceless because of the social conventions set by the male dominated society. The prolific writer Kavita Kane has skillfully portrayed the intricate details of the Indian Epics The Ramayana and The Mahabharata by retelling the story from perspectives of unvoiced characters like Urmila, Menaka, Surpanaka and Satyavati.

Gaspare Gorresio: The prolific Italian scholar who pioneered major Indological studies in the West with his translation of the Indian Epic "Ramayana"

Gaspare Gorresio: The prolific Italian scholar who pioneered major Indological studies in the West with his translation of the Indian Epic "Ramayana"

Ashwamedha Yagya: Gupta Dynasty

The Ashwamedh Yagya, an ancient Vedic ritual extensively documented in Indian epics and Vedic texts, holds significant historical importance. This ritual, detailed in texts such as the Rig Veda and Yajur Veda, is also elaborated upon in the Mahabharata’s Ashwamedha Parva. Despite its ancient prominence, the frequency and depth of the Ashwamedh Yagya declined over time after the Gupta dynasty. Archaeological evidence, including inscriptions and rock edicts, provides substantial insights into the practice of the Ashwamedh Yagya. The Gupta dynasty's inscriptions, particularly those issued by rulers like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, provide critical genealogical and historical data regarding the Ashwamedh Yagya. These inscriptions mention the performance of the ritual and highlight its significance during their reigns. Samudragupta, in particular, revived the Ashwamedh Yagya and issued commemorative Ashwamedha coins, which serve as crucial historical artifacts. These coins depict the ritual’s elements and were used to honor the Ashwamedh Yagya, showcasing the advanced metallurgical technology of the Gupta period. Furthermore, archaeological discoveries, including inscriptions and rock edicts, illuminate the extensive practice of Ashwamedh Yagya among the Gupta rulers to build the nation and culture against foreign attackers of the time. Overall, the Ashwamedh Yagya's practice and its documentation through archaeological findings, inscriptions, and coins reveal its extensive significance in ancient Indian history, particularly within the Gupta dynasty, for reviving Vedic culture through Ashwamedh Yagya. \\

Cultural Encounters: Puppetry Performing Arts (Wayang) and Dangdut Music as a Reflection of India-Indonesia Integration

The purpose of this research is to reveal the relationship or social and cultural influence of the Indian nation on the expression of performing arts (wayang) and dangdut music in Indonesia. The hope of this research is to increase public awareness of the identity of national performing arts and music, which is rarely realized to be heavily influenced by Indian culture. Specifically, the aspects examined in this research include changes in the content of stories from Indian epics in the adaptation of Indonesian performing arts, as well as dangdut music that adapts the energetic spirit of music and dance from India. The method used in this research is qualitative with primary data sources derived from scientific articles and books related to the research. The data validation analysis technique used in this research is triangulation. Triangulation is used as a means of comparing the amount of data, to determine its consistency and accuracy, which will be displayed in the research. The results of this study show that, the culture brought by India is not really one hundred percent imitated or copied by the Indonesian people. The author concludes that the hybridity that occurs between Indian and Indonesian culture actually forms a new innovation in the field of art itself or can also be called a new work. The Mahabharata and Ramayana stories, which were originally the source of puppetry, changed and adapted to Indonesian culture. As a result, there are many compositions of the two epics, character changes, and the emergence of new characters that do not exist in the Mahabharata and Ramayana themselves, such as the punakawan characters that are closely related to the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The same goes for dangdut, a music that was originally based on the character of Malay music from Indonesia, now transformed into a new genre called dangdut due to the influence of India, through political elements and the spread of Indian movies in the 20th century.

Leading Through Crisis: Lessons from Hanuman's Journey to Lanka as depicted in Sundarkand

This paper explores the leadership strategies exemplified by Hanuman in the Sundarkand, a pivotal chapter of the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, and elucidates their relevance in navigating crises in contemporary leadership contexts. Through a detailed analysis of Hanuman's actions and decision-making processes during his mission to Lanka, this paper identifies key leadership lessons, including strategic thinking, courage, teamwork, and resilience. Drawing parallels between the challenges faced by Hanuman and those encountered by leaders in modern times, this study offers insights and actionable strategies for effective crisis management and leadership development. Key Words Hanuman, Sundarkand, Ramayana, crisis leadership, strategic thinking, resilience, teamwork.

Jernail Singh Anand's Mahabharat: The Battle of Words - A Modern Epic: Rewriting of Traditional Wisdom

Jernail Singh Anand's Mahabharat: The Conflict of Words - A Modern Epic is a modern epic that rewards the conventional understanding of the conflict and its aftermath. It is the follow-up to the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata. The author retells the epic from the perspective of Draupadi, the heroine who was treated dishonorably at the Kuru king's court, to bring the Pandavas—the primary protagonists of the War—and their spiritual master, Lord Krishna, to the forefront. The book casts doubt on the legitimacy and relevance of the Bhagavad Gita. This sacred text forms the basis of the Mahabharata, given today's violent, conflict-ridden, and unequal world.
 Additionally, the novel draws parallels with other epics that focus on the ideas of honor, devotion, and love, including the Ramayana and Troy. The central theme of Anand's writing is dishonor, particularly in light of Draupadi's humiliation at the hands of King Dhritrashtra. The action of this sequel moves beyond Kurukshetra's real battlefield and into the reader's imagination. In a biased conversation with Lord Krishna, the author expresses worries about the state of modern society and makes an effort to justify its purported deviations from the predestined path of justice.

The Bhagavad Gita – A Manual for Self-management

The Holy Indian Epic, the Bhagavad Gita is not merely a religious text of the Hindus; rather it is a comprehensive philosophy which has universal applicability. By applying the teachings of Bhagavad Gita in everyday regime, individuals can enlighten themselves, dispel their doubts and overcome their dilemmas. This philosophy acts as a guide that offers numerous self-management lessons. Self-management is a basic prerequisite for effective management of people, groups, organizations, and societies. It enables individuals to maximize their productivity, improve their performance and accomplish personal and professional goals. However, self-management has received scant attention in the western and modern management. On the contrary, the Indian philosophy has emphasized the relevance of self-management since time immemorial. This paper aims to explore our rich heritage to uncover probable solutions in the Bhagavad Gita that can be implemented to resolve problems that confront modern man in the discharge of his or her duties.

World Literature: An Indian Way of Thinking

The idea of the world is a dynamic phenomenon, and the development of world literature is tied to both literary and extra-literary events. Worldwide literary centers can be found in many locations spanning both time and space. The concept of the world, or Visva (Sanskrit), is considerably older even if world literature has been a discursive framework that has affected the literary structures of many languages around the world since the 19th century. “Vasudhaiba Kutumbakam,” or the universal neighborhood, is a term from ancient Indian literature that attests to the age of the concept of Vasudha, or the world. As a result of numerous trade routes, cultural interactions, the expansion of ancient and medieval kingdoms, and the transit of literary writings, cosmopolitan literary spaces were created in various parts of t8he world. Additionally, the absence of modern cartography and the sovereign state system enabled constant changes in the borders of the empires, resulting in spaces with many languages. India has connections to several Asian nations dating back to ancient times, as well as to Europe since the medieval period. The diverse traditions of human thought from various parts of the world are carried in Indian literature. Significant literary contacts and the ongoing formation of new literary legacies were witnessed in the East, Middle East, South East, and South Asia of the present. The Sufi and Bhakti traditions, the reception of Indian epics as oral, written, and performative texts in South-East Asia, and the role of the royal courts as multilingual literary spaces continue to broaden the intellectual traditions of Bharat (India). Thus, the pre-modern development of world literature seemed intriguing and a subject worth exploring for literary professionals. This essay contends that ancient and medieval India and Bengal, particularly their languages, continually bargained to expand their intellectual frontiers.

From Exile to a Global Citizen

In ancient Greek literature and Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, exile or banishment is depicted as a punishment meted out for sins and crimes committed by humans, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Gradually, from individual/ group punishment, exile evolved into mass exodus resulting from war, conquests and other conflicts. All forms of exiles suffer from the pain and sorrow of leaving behind one’s homeland and belongings. Consequently, the literature produced by exiled poets and writers are filled with nostalgia and agonizing memories. However, over the years, other concerns related to their new lives gain prominence in their writings. This paper attempts to trace the journey of exiles from the past to the present and move towards the future in the writings of diasporic writers of different decades. This paper will focus on the works of V.S. Naipaul, Monica Ali, Zia Haider Rahman and Tarfia Faizullah to discover the newer trends emerging in their texts. V.S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr Biswas (1961) is the epitome of the diasporic writer’s attempt to understand his past in relation to his present. The ownership of a house in the new country is like staking a claim to belong to that country, and Mr. Biswas is desperate to do so. On the other hand, Monical Ali’s Brick Lane, published at the turn of the century, deals with a husband and wife negotiating the difficulties of belonging to a new society. Zia Haider Rahman and Tarfia Faizullah belong to the next group of diaspora writers, who are second generation immigrants growing up in a new land no longer ‘foreign’ to them. The protagonist of Rahman’s novel in The Light of What We Know (2014) successfully confronts problems and complications to ‘belong’ and ‘become’ a British citizen. Tarfia Faizullah, a young Bangladeshi-American poet, uses the history of the War of Independence of Bangladesh to align it with other similar universal discourse of genocide. It appears that figuratively, the exiled writer has now arrived at an acceptable point where s/he is flying out as a global citizen. This transformation of diasporic writers from the periphery to the centre as globally read figures has given rise to the concept of transnationalism. Spectrum, Volume 17, June 2022: 1-11

A Ramayana for Our Times: Superheroes, Science Fiction and Myth

Recent retellings of Indian epics draw upon science fiction. This article discusses an Indian superhero comic based on the Ramayana in which Rama, the central figure in the epic, is portrayed as the superhero Nagraj. The story uses the figure of the avatara (reincarnated one) to align the world of the epics with the contemporary world by incorporating science-fiction elements into their stories. It may seem that these retellings are drawing on strategies within science fiction to update the epics for the present so as to make mythic figures equivalent to superheroes. However, these strategies are not new. Parallel compositional techniques within folk epics prefigure these science-fictional strategies. This is borne out by the fact that Nagraj is an avatara of Rama, said to be reborn in the dark Kali age to fulfil unfulfilled desires from the past. In other words, instead of being for the sake of the present, superheroes are in the present to complete a quest from another time, drawing the present within the ambit of the mythic. There is a juxtaposition of a cyclical view of time associated with myth with the eventful linear time of superheroes, reorganising assumptions about chronicity in both superhero comics and epics.

Reimagining the Myth of Ahalya: A Feminist Reading of Nandini Sahu’s Poem Ahalya’s Waiting

In the last two decades of the new millennium, as far as Indian Writing in English is concerned, the focus has shifted from the mainstream characters to the marginal figures of the Indian epics which is evinced by a renewed interest in Indian mythology through numerous retellings in the recent past. These retellings are unique in the sense that the focus is mainly on women and marginalized characters thereby offering fresh perspectives of interrogation and interpretation and also foregrounding new sensibilities in the process. Hence, in the recent times, more specifically from a women-centric perspective, appropriations and reworkings of the central women characters from two prominent Indian epics, that is, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, can be observed in the form of folk songs by rural women as well as by women writers attempting to dissect the traditional narratives from a feminist perspective.
 In the quest of understanding the experiences and values that shape the collective consciousness of a given society, epics serve as an important tool of exploration as they continue to hold influence over the masses even today. Additionally, epics continue to form an important part of the cultural domain, and hence, all such appropriations serve a very specific purpose among many vis-à-vis tapping into the potential of traditional narratives to act as a resource in so far as understanding and interrogating gender politics and dominant ideologies and at the same time offering subsequent corrective measures is concerned.
 ‘Ahalya’s Waiting’, a poem by Professor Nandini Sahu, then, seeks to embark upon two important projects, that is to unravel and interrogate the gender politics and offer alternative sites of resistance against the dominant ideologies that continue to impinge upon the aspirations of women even today. The poem features in her anthology of poems titled A Song, Half and Half (2022). Moreover, the poem portrays not only the unjust treatment Ahalya is subjected to after she has been deceitfully seduced and raped by Indra and her subsequent metamorphosis into a stone owing to the curse by her husband sage Gautama but also concerns itself with her assertion of self and claiming subjectivity as its central theme.

A Study in Subversive Literature vis-à-vis Sita and Ahalya in the poems of Nandini Sahu

The Ramayana and Mahabharata are two timeless sources of inspiration for Indian folk poetry. Writers have attempted to reconnect with the past in an effort to lessen the poison of modernity and to restore aesthetic vitality through myth and folklore by re-reading them in the context of today. The characters have been scrutinized extensively and viewed through the prism of contemporary theories. Examples are Sita and Ahalya from Nandini Sahu. As renowned female figures, Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara, and Mandodari from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are lauded. However, they occasionally experience subordination due to their gender. Although these characters have independent traits, a feminist spark, vigor, and rebellion, patriarchy has doomed them to submission and obedience. Indian epic-based literature frequently serves as a stage for subversive analyses of conventional stories. The values and tenets of an existing system are questioned in subversive literature, which also aims to change the patriarchal institutions and social norms.

A Critical Study of Draupadi in Disguise in Context to Power Dynamics

Intention and purpose shape an individual’s actions and their results. Social, political, and some personal reasons compel people to disguise their identity. A disguised person begins living in a new form by adopting the respective occupation, name, or fake identity. However, the masked identity could be a temporary solution to problems because it is extremely difficult to hide one’s true identity. True identity reflects one’s principles, ethics, and dispositions. Indian mythology narrates a plethora of cases where Hindu deities or men metamorphose their real identities to serve their purpose. The Mahabharata-the Indian epic also records some such incidents when its characters are bound to act in disguise. However, their intention and purpose justify their actions. Nevertheless, hiding their true identity puts them in a vulnerable position. In VirataParva, we see the five Pandavas along with their common wife Draupadi spend one year at Matsya Kingdom in disguise due to their political tussle with their cousins Kauravas. They adopted different forms and occupations. Draupadi’s disguised identity caused her to work as a maid to the queen of the kingdom. This raises certain questions: By adopting the role, did she face any difficulty as a woman of low rank? How did she deal with the new circumstances? This paper aims to study Draupadi’s character in a new light to the specific narrative in disguise.

10.2 The Legend of Abhimanyu: How the Great Indian Epic of Mahabharata Strengthens the Notion of Fatherhood

10.2 The Legend of Abhimanyu: How the Great Indian Epic of Mahabharata Strengthens the Notion of Fatherhood

Contempt and Righteous Anger: A Gendered Perspective From a Classical Indian Epic

Reading a passage in the Sanskrit Mahābhārata—the attempted disrobing of Princess Draupadī after her senior husband has gambled her away (after losing all his wealth, his brothers and himself)—I suggest that we see in her attitude and angry words an expression of contempt. I explore how contempt is a concept that is not thematized within Sanskrit aesthetics of emotions, but nonetheless is clearly articulated in the literature. Focusing on the significance of her gendered expression of anger and contempt, and the positive acceptance of it in the text, I suggest that contempt can be understood as a transformative attitude in a woman (even a high-born one) towards iniquities in a patriarchal culture.

Women in Indian and Greek Epics: Some Reflections

In the two famous Indian epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there are five admirable women - Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari. These are five special women with remarkable power, wisdom, dedication, and sacrifice which are honoured across periods of the Indian civilisation. Similarly, in Greek mythology also, there are important powerful women characters having exceptional capacity and power. They are Helen, Hecuba, Medea and Thetis. They have not only portrayed their sexuality and motherhood but also demonstrated their power, virtues, kindness, grace and capacity to withstand crisis. In this paper, we take a look at the five women from the famous Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and attempt a comparison of some aspects of their lives with important women characters from the legendary Greek epics, Iliad and Odyssey. In the study of these interesting, dynamic and complex women characters we have found that the customs and norms of those societies dominated by patriarchy have immensely affected their lives. However, it will be grossly unfair to treat them as women only. Their lives were affected by brave, power hungry warriors on one hand but on the other hand all these women have emerged as political entities involved in the intricacies of war from behind and not merely as the observers of incidents of wars. These characters have enjoyed much more power than one may perceive from these epics. This vindicates that it is the power that mattered more than gender notwithstanding the fact that patriarchy remained as an influential force in the society.

Management Lessons from Indian Ethos: Evidence from Ramayana

Ancient Indian Ethos are the basis for modern management practices, as they derive serval lessons from them. The applicability of these lessons are helping to solve todays corporate problems throughout the world. One of theMost revered Epic Ramayana, is considered as marvelous epic, first written literature in the Indian Context. Over the centuries, several authors have explored various dimensions of Ramayana ranging from philosophy, spirituality, politics, economics, sociology, culture, literature, language, poetry, technology, and others. However, we find few research work related to understand the relevance of Ramayana and Management. Hence authors have felt the need for understanding the applicability of great principles and lessons in developing management practices to lead effectively. In this conceptual research paper authors have made an effort to bring management insights from Ramayana. This research paper is developed based on qualitative analysis of earlier research papers, Indian epics and Indian ethos. The review of epic provides valuable insights in developing this article. Based on reviews authors have explored leadership style, motivation, ethical values, people management, team building, planning, strategies, decision making, moral values, governance, tactics, principle of control etc, from Ramayana, which provide important lessons for enhancing managerial effectiveness. The foundation for management and leadership is derived from our Indian ethos, spiritual values and culture. This research paper signifies the practical applicability of great epic “Ramayana” in understanding and developing management practices for the effectiveness.