RELS 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Kamsa, Primogeniture, Upanishads

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 131
• Professor: Aditi Sen- Chowdhury

Document Summary

Epics part 2: accessible to all, circular: reincarnation therefore the chronology is problematic, give ideas: method to preach and convey ideas. Each story maintains social order and delivers a message of morals: shows us the consequence of transgressing morals, create role models. Serve as a bridge between the rituals and philosophical ideas. Duty or dharma important: centre of the story. Monogamy, fidelity: patriarchal set up: forest, sita doing the fire test. No one is happy of either arrangement yet neither of them dispute against. Older than ramayana but because it is bigger, the finished version is younger. Not patriarchal: women characters do not often fit the ideals. Primogeniture and inheritance is the central narrative. Great war, krishna is the main character, gita is a part of it. Rivalry between 5 brother"s vs cousins of 100 brothers: fighting over the throne and land, lead to war: good vs. evil (100 brothers bad) Strong women: 5 husbands and does not care.