Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
open access
The Mahabharata, being a humungous epic narrative and a significant Hindu scripture, has been studied intensely by western academics for more than a century. The various characters, scenes and...Show moreThe Mahabharata, being a humungous epic narrative and a significant Hindu scripture, has been studied intensely by western academics for more than a century. The various characters, scenes and doctrines have been subject to academic scrutiny, all seeking to establish the multi-dimensional and even paradoxical aspects and teachings of the epic. However, while characters such as Arjuna, Karna and Draupadi have been focused on by academics and Hindus to look for heroism and epic and moral paragons, the most viable candidate for the moral exemplar, Yudhisthira, remains largely ignored by both academics and Hindus. He is the dharma-raja and the royal heir, he is placed at the pith of the epic narrative. He plays a central role in most of the ethical dilemmas which enforce the story. Yet despite these factors Yudhisthira does not enjoy the same popularity as other characters. This thesis looks into why this is the case. It establishes that Yudhisthira is an epic character through which the contradictory and significant philosophies which defined Epic, ancient Indian history, are explored. Being a didactic instrument in the narrative, Yudhisthira unifies, in confusing fashion, the multiple ideologies presented in the epic. Thus, in Yudhisthira, we find a significant aspec of the narrative which suggests a holistic reading of the entire Mahabharata, and suggests its cohesiveness despite apparent contradictions.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
This thesis researches a Sanskrit law code called the Manusmrti or Manava Dharmasastra, translated in English as "The Laws of Manu". Through a critical analysis of the translations and...Show moreThis thesis researches a Sanskrit law code called the Manusmrti or Manava Dharmasastra, translated in English as "The Laws of Manu". Through a critical analysis of the translations and interpretations of Indologists Wendy Doniger and Patrick Olivelle, it will be argued that the current interpretations of the Manusmrti are starkly Western and prove a continuation of a discourse initiated in British colonial India. This discourse entails a framework of Western law and law code. The Manusmrti, however, is concerned with the Sanskrit concept of "dharma". With the help of the translation theories of Walter Benjamin and Jacques Derrida it will be argued that "dharma" is a concept very distinct from the Western "law" and proves untranslatable. Furthermore, this thesis proposes a reading for the Manusmrti different from the current Western framework of law. The proposed new interpretation is based upon the concept of "aphorism" as described by Friedrich Nietzsche. To elucidate the differences in philosophy between the current interpretations and the interpretation proposed in this thesis, the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Benedictus Spinoza will be deployed. Their ideas will help to show that the proposed interpretation will ultimately entail another, more productive world-view for the Manusmrti and the conceptualisation of its key term "dharma".Show less
