Indian Mythology And The Mahabharata - 1219 Words

INTRODUCTION In Mythologies across the world there have been innumerable references to non-heterosexuality. Hindu mythology tells of women becoming men, such as Shikhandi, and men becoming women, in the case of Vishnu who turns Mohini. There are also stories of men creating children without women and vice versa, Nara and Narayana who gave birth to Urvashi, and the boneless Bhagirath who was born of two women. Even the languages of this country, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil have words like kliba, napumsaka, mukhabhaga, pedi, etc that point to familiarity with non heterosexual behavior and thought. This paper deals specifically with the character of Shikhandi, from the Mahabharata, in retellings of the epic. Indian mythology is a work in progress, that is to say a story, told and retold over generations, develops its own sub-plots, introduces new characters and relatable events and changes perspectives according to the storyteller. This is especially true of the epics oh Hindu mythology, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata reached its final form somewhere between 300 BCE and 300 CE. It is generally thought that it was initially a simple folk story. With each retelling, it was â€Å"appropriated, Sanskrit-ized, and sanitized by Brahmins†. Earlier the book was known as Jaya, with 8,800 verses, attributed to Vyasa; Bharata with 24,000 verses as recited by Vaisampayana, and finally the Mahabharata as told by Ugrasrava Sauti exceeding 100,000 verses. The present versionShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Influence of Injustice to Women in Hindu Mythology1645 Words   |  7 Pagesoriginated from mythology. Hindu mythology repeatedly reinforces gendering in Indian society, in which the males have a certain point to prove and the females are forced to sacrifice their own happiness. In the Ramayana, a ruthless villain Ravan kidnaps Sita. Her husband, Rama, saves her, but then doubts her chastity because she has lived with another man for so long. Sita is then forced to prove her innocence. Stories with this same archetype are repeated throughout the Mahabharata, another HinduRead MoreThe Great Epics And Tales1605 Words   |  7 PagesMythology is one of the most interesting parts of a culture. It reveals customs, history and traditions like no other. Above all it defines the way of living and reflects the mentality of an entire civilization. Almost every society in this world has faced sexism in one form or the other. Some societies chose to fight it and bring a change. On the other hand there are a few societies where sexism became a way of life. It is instilled in the minds of the people and passed from one generation to anotherRead MoreAnalysis Of The Palace Of Illusions By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni2039 Words   |  9 PagesChitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s approach towards Draupadi in â€Å"The Palace of Illusions† â€Å"Mythology is the study of people’s subjective truth expressed in stories, symbols and rituals. Subjective truth is indifferent to rationality.† – Devdutt Patnaik Introduction The Palace of Illusions was written by the award winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and published in 2008. It is a retelling of the story of Mahabharata from the perspective of one of its main characters – Draupadi. It takes us throughRead MoreHinduism Is A Religion Of 300 Million Gods1473 Words   |  6 Pagesknown gods and goddess Some of the gods had more than one name. Shiva, for example, had the name known as Shankar, Mahadev, Natraj, Mahesh and so on. Architecture and sculpture are inseparably connected in India. If one gets the chance to talks about Indian architecture without observing the luxurious molded improvement with which landmarks are secured, an incomplete and misshaped picture is introduced. Central of gods is often portrayed with multiple arms, particularly when they are occupied with aggressiveRead MoreIndian Mythology Of Hindu Mythology2302 Words   |  10 PagesINTRODUCTION In Mythologies across the world there have been innumerable references to non-heterosexuality. Hindu mythology tells of women becoming men, such as Shikhandi, and men becoming women, in the case of Vishnu who turns Mohini. There are also stories of men creating children without women and vice versa, Nara and Narayana who gave birth to Urvashi, and the boneless Bhagirath who was born of two women. Even the languages of this country, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil include words like klibaRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Mahabharta 1560 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract:The greatest Indian epic, â€Å"The Mahabharta† has resonated in the collective imaginations for millenniums owing to its universal themes. Having given the world the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, an abbreviated version of the Ramayana, and the Rishyasringa, often considered as works in their own right, it is basically a story of men pursuing power and men who have wronged and have been wronged with. By virtu e of this content, the author has tried to put forth her take on the grey charactersRead More12 Literary Piece1670 Words   |  7 Pagesbasis of Christianity originating from Palestine and Greece 2. Koran: The Muslim bible originating from Arabia 3. The Iliad and the Odyssey: These have been the source of Myths and Legends of Greece. They were written by Homer. 4. The Mahabharata: The Longest epic of the world. It contains the history of religion in India. 5. Canterburry: it depicts the religion and customs of English in early days. This originated from England and written by Chaucer. 6. Uncle Toms Cabin: writtenRead MoreComparing Mahabharata And The Palace Of Illusions By C. Rajagopalachari1672 Words   |  7 Pages Mahabharata has been an oft-cited Indian epic for its grey portrayal of characters, their foibles and the unique codes of righteousness it preaches. The story came into existence as conceived by the medieval saint Tulsidas, and spread by word of mouth for centuries thereafter. The first and most noted English text on Mahabharata has been â€Å"Mahabharata† as written by C. Rajagopalachari which is the central focus of discourse here. A lot has been said about the anecdotes, preachings and characterisationRead MoreDabur Chyawanprash Product Related Marketing Challenges1209 Words   |  5 Pages(healthcare product of India) marketing related challenges. 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The bird refuses to leave, even though the tree is dead, because he has