Hmm. Maybe. But from what I've read in the Mahabharata so far, I don't get the sense that the dharmic path is always hassle-free. Maybe one of my Hindu friends on Substack would want to weigh in on this?
Dharma is more like a moral code of conduct and a dharmic life is certainly not supposed to be hassle free. philosophers over the ages have weighed in on all sorts of dilemmas but ultimately the goal is to fulfill one’s duties and obligations to live righteously, so as to attain “moksha” or freedom from the cycle of rebirths.
Gosh this reminds me of our childhood days of reading Amat chitra katha– these Indian comic books, which basically was how every Indian child my generation of the 70s learn their epics
Thanks for the comment. I hadn't come across St. Augustine's Soliloquies before. But I did limit my speculation to fiction, since Augustine contributed so much to the notion of an "inner man." My hypothesis is about the emergence of an omniscient narrator who reveals the innermost thoughts of a fictional character. Sanjaya clearly fills the bill, but I'm struggling to find anything similar before Shakespeare. I've looked at Medea, again, but mostly I see her talking to the chorus. She is clearly torn when she's talking to her children, too. But both of those are cases where the audience may or may not infer an inner life. There must be something going on inside there, we think, for her to say those words. But that inference may simply be how our modern folk psychology explains behavior.
There are asides in the middle of speeches to the chorus that are proto-solilioquies. I saw a citation for this in Medea and I have a memory of Sophocles doing this too. I use proto- because they’re not a Shakespearean solilioquy but they are some percentage down the road to it. In The Bacchae (and numerous other places) you have a god toying with a man before destroying them for their transgression, and like in the Bible and hardening Pharaoh’s heart, Dionysius makes sure Pentheus has numerous opportunities to recognize him and repent, but also forces him not to. This isn’t an omniscient narrator revealing character thoughts, but rather manufacturing them.
I'll keep looking. These are all good suggestions that I'll follow up on. I'm pretty sure my hunch is wrong. But I don't have enough background to confidently say one way or another. The Mahabharata's narrators delve into the silent reflections, feeling, and calculations of the characters so often—and usually when those thoughts are at odds with their actions or words—they sound very modern.
Yeah. The fight scenes are operatic violence. The battlefields, too, are landscapes of apocalyptic grandeur and gore. All the controversy about Peckinpah's aesthetics of violence seems pretty parochial, considering.
Dharma is more like a moral code of conduct and the Bhagavad-Gita is still considered a kind of guide on how to live a righteous life, fulfilling one’s duties and obligations thus leading to “moksha” or freedom from the cycle of rebirths.
Hmm. Maybe. But from what I've read in the Mahabharata so far, I don't get the sense that the dharmic path is always hassle-free. Maybe one of my Hindu friends on Substack would want to weigh in on this?
Dharma is more like a moral code of conduct and a dharmic life is certainly not supposed to be hassle free. philosophers over the ages have weighed in on all sorts of dilemmas but ultimately the goal is to fulfill one’s duties and obligations to live righteously, so as to attain “moksha” or freedom from the cycle of rebirths.
Gosh this reminds me of our childhood days of reading Amat chitra katha– these Indian comic books, which basically was how every Indian child my generation of the 70s learn their epics
Since I had never heard of any of these characters or stories, this is all very exciting and new to me. I love it! Mahabharata comic books.
Ghaṭotkaca is not the son of Arjuna but of Bhīma. Otherwise, great article.
Fixed it! Thank you for the correction.
Ancient Greek drama has soliloquies. Euripides Medea would be one example. Augustine also wrote a book of soliloquies.
Thanks for the comment. I hadn't come across St. Augustine's Soliloquies before. But I did limit my speculation to fiction, since Augustine contributed so much to the notion of an "inner man." My hypothesis is about the emergence of an omniscient narrator who reveals the innermost thoughts of a fictional character. Sanjaya clearly fills the bill, but I'm struggling to find anything similar before Shakespeare. I've looked at Medea, again, but mostly I see her talking to the chorus. She is clearly torn when she's talking to her children, too. But both of those are cases where the audience may or may not infer an inner life. There must be something going on inside there, we think, for her to say those words. But that inference may simply be how our modern folk psychology explains behavior.
There are asides in the middle of speeches to the chorus that are proto-solilioquies. I saw a citation for this in Medea and I have a memory of Sophocles doing this too. I use proto- because they’re not a Shakespearean solilioquy but they are some percentage down the road to it. In The Bacchae (and numerous other places) you have a god toying with a man before destroying them for their transgression, and like in the Bible and hardening Pharaoh’s heart, Dionysius makes sure Pentheus has numerous opportunities to recognize him and repent, but also forces him not to. This isn’t an omniscient narrator revealing character thoughts, but rather manufacturing them.
I'll keep looking. These are all good suggestions that I'll follow up on. I'm pretty sure my hunch is wrong. But I don't have enough background to confidently say one way or another. The Mahabharata's narrators delve into the silent reflections, feeling, and calculations of the characters so often—and usually when those thoughts are at odds with their actions or words—they sound very modern.
Yeah. The fight scenes are operatic violence. The battlefields, too, are landscapes of apocalyptic grandeur and gore. All the controversy about Peckinpah's aesthetics of violence seems pretty parochial, considering.
How does one know what is one's dharma? Ultimately, if you are obstructed, you are on the wrong path. Take note! And alter your course.
Dharma is more like a moral code of conduct and the Bhagavad-Gita is still considered a kind of guide on how to live a righteous life, fulfilling one’s duties and obligations thus leading to “moksha” or freedom from the cycle of rebirths.
I'm fascinated by the idea and the description of blood and gore as an aesthetic experience.