A “Mini-Bhagavadgītā” in the fourth “book” of Vālmīki’s “Rāmāyaṇa”
https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6401-2019-8-171-188
Abstract
The author of this paper analyses a fragment from the fourth “book” (“Kiṣkindhā-kāṇḍa”) of the “Rāmāyaṇa” of Vālmīki, in which fragment Rāma explains to the dying monkey king Vālin why he, Rāma, had the right and even was obliged to kill him, Vālin. This fragment of the “Rāmāyaṇa”, in the author’s opinion, resembles the famous poem “Bhagavadgītā” (“The Lord’s Song”), part of the “Mahābhārata”. In the “Bhagavadgītā”, Kr̥ṣṇa (like Rāma, also an avatāra of Viṣṇu) explains to the warrior Arjuna why he, Arjuna, had the right and even was obliged to kill his relatives and teachers in the course of a battle. Apart from the similarity in the content, there are specific lexical similarities in the two texts. In both cases, the discussion of a specific event brings about a discussion of some fundamental problems of life. By the end of the paper, three “key words” from Rāma’s speech/sermon are discussed: kāla (‘Time’), svabhāva (‘that which possesses its own being’) and niyati (‘predeterminacy’, ‘fate’).
Keywords
About the Author
S. D. Serebriany
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Sergei D. Serebriany, Dr. of Sci. (Philosophy), Cand. of Sci. (Philology)
bld. 6, Miusskaya Square, Moscow, GSP-3, 125993
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Review
For citations:
Serebriany S.D. A “Mini-Bhagavadgītā” in the fourth “book” of Vālmīki’s “Rāmāyaṇa”. RSUH/RGGU BULLETIN. Series Philosophy. Social Studies. Art Studies. 2019;(3):171-188. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6401-2019-8-171-188
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