indian lit hinduism & gita
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Indian Literature – Hinduism – Bhagavad Gita
Sri Venkateshwara Temple
Indian Literature
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©Associated Press Photo
India• 7th Largest country• 1 Billion inhabitants• 81% practice Hinduism• Highest mountains – Himalayas• Major rivers – Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra• 16 Official languages from 1,000 languages
Sanskrit•ancient sacred and literary (Classical – 500 BCE)
•Devanagari script
• official language of Uttarakhand
2007 by Maeda Martha at http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Image:Devimahatmya_Sanskrit_MS_Nepal_11c.jpg
2009 Photo by Thomas at http://www.flickr.com/photos/87472505@N00/3263767592
How does the Indian culture view language?
What is a familiar example of sacred sound?
2009 Photo by Hartwig HKD at http://www.flickr.com/photos/16230215@N08/3322872251
2006 Photo by Raevig at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kurukshetra.jpg
What is the great epic of India where we find Bhagavad Gita?
Major classical works:
• epics Mahabharata (including Bhagavad-Gita),
the Ramayana
• poetry the Vedas,
the Upanishads
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2010 Photo by Jean-Marc at http://www.flickr.com/photos/guerinjeanmarc/4724504327
What was importance of memorywith regard to Sanskrit literature?
2009 Photo by Shreyans Bhansali at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebigdurian/4165106346
Terms related to Indian LiteratureRelated Terms
Hinduism
• major world religion• a way of life• system of social classes (castes)• desire for liberation from earthly evils• reincarnation • complex polytheism of deities as avatars
for aspects of one God• view that many opposing theories are aspects of one central truth•assimilates rather than excludes2010 Photo by Riza Nugraha at http://www.flickr.com/photos/44115070@N00/2260184731/
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:
“Whatever god one worships, it is I who answers the prayer.”
2005 Photo by DeyAlexander at http://www.flickr.com/photos/45966355@N00/65829367
• a "descent" of the divine into the realm of material existence
• referring to incarnation and representation of Brahman
avatar
2009 Photo by Richard Thomas at http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardthomas78/404988489
Brahma
2006 Photo of “Brahma” by Calvin Krishy at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahma_Halebid.jpg 2003 Photo of “Vishnu” by Steve Jurvetson at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/3782562009 Photo of “Shiva” by RoseMania at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_statue_of_nataraja.jpg
ShivaVishnu
Creator Preserver Destroyer
2007 Photo by Devibhakta at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tridevi.png
Shakti
Mother GoddessLakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati
2009 Photo by Vijay Bandari at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ganesh_mimarjanam_EDITED.jpg
Ganesha
Remover of Obstacles
• one’s own right action or duty
. . . according toVedic ritual, ethics, and civil and criminal law
dharma
2007 Photo taken 1993 by Gnozef at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnozef/361565117
• sum of one's actions, good or bad• attached to the soul as it transmigrates and each new body is affected by previous karma
karma
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reincarnation
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• spirit, after the death of the body, returns to Earth in a newborn body
• transmigration of souls
samsara
2006 Photo by Stephen Shepard at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_wheel_of_life,_Trongsa_dzong.jpg
• concept of wheel of life ~~ reincarnation
• “to flow on”
• essence of Brahman present in the individual
• one's true self, beyond worldly existence
Ātman
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• a "descent" of the divine into the realm of material existence
• referring to incarnation and representation of Brahman
2005 Photo by Sven Hoppe at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wassertropfen.jpg
Brahman
• in Hinduism, eternal, infinite divine God
• Absolute Reality
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Brahmin
• member of the priestly class
devout, well versed in Vedic texts and sacred knowledge
Brahma
• member of the priestly class
devout, well versed in Vedic texts and sacred knowledge
2006 Photo of “Brahma” by Calvin Krishy at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahma_Halebid.jpg
Om
• sacred syllable used in meditation• A U M in Devanagari
2009 Photo by Dietmut Tejigeman-Hansen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/25824202@N02/4276538159
Yoga
• meditative practice in the mental, verbal and physical
• “yoking” (Sanskrit)
• contemplation, absorption
• 2009 Photo by Mukul Banerjee at http://www.flickr.com/photos/98097439@N00/4760672794
Yoga
In Bhagavad Gita Karma yoga: actionBhakti yoga: devotionGnana yoga: knowledge
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Bhagavad Gita
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
QUOTE1
GITA QUOTE 1 -- from Book 1
Facing Bhishma and Dronaand all the great kings,he said, “Arjuna, seethe Kuru men assembled here!”
Arjuna saw them standing there:fathers, grandfathers, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons and friends.
QUOTE2
GITA QUOTE 2 -- from Book 2I see nothing that could drive awaythe griefthat withers my senses;even if I won kingdomsof unrivaled wealthon earthand sovereignty over gods.
[Sanjaya]Arjuna told this to Krishna — then saying“I shall not fight,”he fell silent.
QUOTE3
GITA QUOTE 3 -- from Book 2
[Lord Krishna]You grieve for those beyond grief,and you speak words of insight;but learned men do not grievefor the dead or the living.
Never have I not existed,nor you, nor these kings;and never in the futureshall we cease to exist.
QUOTE4
GITA QUOTE 4 -- from Book 2
Nothing of nonbeing comes to be,nor does being cease to exist;the boundary between these two is seen by men who see reality.Indestructible is the presencethat pervades all this;no one can destroythis unchanging reality.
Our bodies are known to end, but the embodied self is enduring,indestructible, and immeasurable;therefore, Arjuna, fight the battle!
QUOTE5
GITA QUOTE 5 -- from Book 2
As a man discards worn-out clothesto put on newand different ones,so the embodied selfdiscardsits worn-out bodiesto take on other new ones.----- If you think of its birthand death as ever-recurring, then too, Great Warrior,you have no cause to grieve.
QUOTE6
GITA QUOTE 6 -- from Book 2 In this quote "it“ refers to"death“
Rarely someonesees it,rarely anotherspeaks it,rarely anyonehears it ---even hearing it,no one really knows it. The self embodied in the bodyof every being is indestructible;you have no cause to grievefor all these creatures, Arjuna! Look to your own duty.
QUOTE7
GITA QUOTE 7 -- from Book 11
[Arjuna to Krishna] Tell me ---who are you in this terrific form?Homage to you, Best of Gods!Be gracious! I want to know youas you are in your beginning.I do not comprehendthe course of your ways.
QUOTE8
GITA QUOTE 8 -- from Book 11
You are the gods of wind,death, fire, and water;the moon; the lord of life;and the great ancestor.Homage to you,a thousand times homage!