Major Themes Of The Mahabhira's 'Mahbharata'

My first theme is don't give up. The theme of don't give up is a important theme because she is always running into issues. When Kira is born at the beginning of the book she learns her father has been taken by beats. A few pages later her mom dies to a unknown sickness. They burn all her stuff as to take precautions in case the sickness was contagious. Another way the theme was important was when Vandara took Kira to the council of guardians to try and make her go out to the field because she had a disability and they usually gave disabilitated kids to the beasts at birth. She could not give up hope that she would be sent to the beasts and at the end she was allowed to stay and got the job as the weaver for the singers robe. This shows that people can push through bad situations and are able to profit from it. You should never give up at anything you do.

The quest towards developing the ideal human character is sought after in both the Bhagavad-Gita and Confucius’ The Analects. In the Bhagavad Gita, the concept of sacred duty is prevalent throughout the text, as the warrior-prince Arjuna faces a moral dilemma throughout the story. In Confucius’ The Analects, filial piety is a virtue which impacts an individual’s character in relation to the Confucian religion. Sacred duty within the Gita requires the protection of one’s dharma, which is defined as the religious and moral law that manages an individual’s actions. Within Confucian thought, filial piety is a virtue of respect for one’s elders, ancestors, and parents within a community. Despite the differences between the contextual meanings of developing the ideal human, both the Bhagavad Gita and The Analects utilize their teachings towards developing ideal human character within the themes of sacred duty and filial piety with the goal of establishing a set of communal ethics to be maintained through different caste systems, essentially protecting the existing social structure. To argue this claim, I will begin by analyzing the similar intentions of deviating from selfish actions and thoughts to develop ideal human character. I will then express how the nature of this character leads towards the development of one’s sacred duty and filial piety. I will then connect these two ideas to show how together they work to develop a communal set of ethics aimed at maintaining order

If you only focus on personal gain and every chance you get you are trying to figure out the right thing to do than you will always be trying to find the right thing to do for yourself. The point I think was made in this chapter is that you need to always be thinking about the best way to do things. This combined with the other aspects of Thick Face Black Heart will lead to great personal gain in any aspect of life that you try to apply this way of thinking to. The only thing I don’t understand is that if dharma is a natural law then but our duties are often determined by others, than how can it be a natural thing. If its natural we wouldn’t need direction to perform

Week 3: In this forum, I would choose Group B. It all started when Paandu inherited the Kingdom in which Kauravs disagreed with the decision. They eventually divided the kingdom but Kauravs wanted more than what he deserved. Lord Krishna made a point to Arjuna to fight and destroy his enemies however he was unwilling to do so due to his strong belief in Hinduism. On the other hand, Lord Krishna stated “Therefore, you get up and attain glory. Conquer your enemies, and enjoy a prosperous Kingdom” (The American/International Gita Society). Lord Krishna’s intention was to build and cultivate Arjuna to protect his own people in his Kingdom by not allowing Kauravs greediness behavior. I believe in this statement because at some point in life,

The paths help to explain that for one to evolve they should worship more, "Men who worship me, thinking solely of me, always disciplined, win the reward I secure" (Gita 9:20 p.58) and be following and doing your duties, "Look to your own duty do not tremble before it" (Gita 2:31 p.57). These two ways of fixing the problem are explained by Krishna to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita. Arjuna is set to fight in a battle but in the last minute he twirls around the idea of retreating because of the fear of dying and killing. He believes that the act of killing will be bad in karma. Krishna is outraged with this non-sense and makes it his duty to open Arjuna's eyes to see and realize that he has a duty and that it is to be a warrior and fight. Krishna argues that by not fulfilling his duty in reality will be what brings him the bad karma that he so truly fears. In the end, Arjuna can not back down into his fears because that would be like turning your back on the God. A Hindu must follow their duties, beliefs, and many rituals in order to reach their inner peace, to receive good karma and possibly a better ranking in the caste system and stages of life.

Dharma is a powerful word, but some may see it differently then others depending on their

One of the most important divergences between Buddhism and the Gita is how dharma is interpreted. In the Bhagavad Gītā Krishna is able to shed some light on the significance of dharma. On the subject of dharma Krishna says: “It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma. But competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity” (BG 3:35). Here Krishna is talking to Arjuna. Krishna is trying to get the point across that Arjuna is always better off following his svadharma rather than adhering to what others want him to do. It is important for Arjuna to follow his own path in order to reach moksha. Krishna is stressing that Arjuna must follow the path that has been carved out

The elder brother is able to save himself from being devoured by the animals, which Mishosha sacrifices him to, by telling the animals that the Great Spirit has provided the animals as food for humans but not the other way around. This shows that he respects the order of nature as designed by the Great Spirit.

The dharma applies the law, religion, and the ultimate reality in which we leave. In Hinduism, the concept of dharma or duty applies to everyone, no matter what social status, age, or caste. By following one 's specific dharma, one could break samsara, the cycle of endless rebirth, and achieve moksha, the liberation from samsara. “You cannot count on the physical proximity of someone you love, all the time. A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parent tree remains stunted until it is transplanted...Every human being, when the time comes, has to depart and seek his fulfillment in his own way” (Page 9). In Hinduism, the emphasis is placed on an individual 's duty to find their own way, their own purpose. By doing so, own can find purpose in their life, or find “fulfillment”. While both the Bible and the Ramayana focus on duty, their versions of duty are different. In the Bible, duty is a much more unifying concept than an individualistic concept. In the Old Testament, the concept of the Ten Commandments applies to the duty of Christians. Specifically found in Exodus 20, Moses goes to the top of Mount Sinai to have a conversation with God. Here, God lies out the Ten Commandments as a guideline for the “lost” people who have turned to worshipping false ideals. The concept of the Ten Commandments applies to all Christians, as it is their duty to obey the Lord out of the love that the Lord has given them.

Another key concept of Hinduism is that every individual is responsible for his or her own solution. This idea is mainly connected with the terms Karma and Dharma. Karma is this principle where actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Karma is what feeds samsara, or your rebirth. If you have karma, good or bad, that is unresolved when you die you will be reborn again. As said before, the main purpose of life on earth for Hindu’s is to break this cycle of time and receive moksha, so every individual is responsible for taking care of his or her own karma. Dharma works oppositely, as it only brings you closer moksha faster. Dharma is one’s duty or course of conduct. Following your dharma without any personal agenda will bring you closer to your purpose in life.

Moreover, the most obvious dharma that has appeared in the story is the king that has an obligation to protect his kingdom and all living things in it. This fact contributes to the conflict of the story because the hawk is also forced to defend his kingdom, being his family by supplying it with food. Because of the king’s brave actions, the king and the hawk both fulfill their destiny.

India gave birth to Hinduism which expanded quickly. This spiritual tradition focused on finding peace and eternal tranquility rather than temporary satisfaction from the worldly pleasures. In order to transmit the idea to other people and guide them through it, they came up with different writings to illustrate this. The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads are popular writings that exemplify the beliefs and thoughts of Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita addresses the question about how a person can be one with Brahman, the universal soul or god, while living in this world. This document is set as a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Krishna. Arjuna is being encouraged by Krishna to fulfill his duty as a warrior and part of the Kshatriyas, one of the higher divisions in the caste system. Arjuna has to enter this battle and fight in order to live up to his duty and consequently live free from attachments and walk in the path of finding himself as one with Brahman. On the other hand, the Upanishads guided all kinds of people regardless of

Without the concept of dharma there is no Hinduism. Following ones dharma is to maintain the well being of oneself and others, and to depart from it leads to misdirection and ruin. Dharma in Hinduism is thought of as being an individual’s duty to themselves and their society in both a faith and societal obligation context. Three of Ninian Smart’s dimensions where dharma is most relevant are the ethical, social and mythological dimensions. Dharma details how a follower of Hinduism should go about their life and so relates to the ethical dimension, it describes the interconnection of Hindu society which pertains to the social dimension, and lastly is a central theme to nearly all epics present in Hindu thus representing the mythological dimension. Where dharma is expressed within these dimensions individually it also serves as a pillar to which the three facets are connected.

Dharma is the duty that people must fulfill in order to achieve their life’s purpose. In the Hindu religion, it is what guides the followers’ life choices and actions. Only the utmost just decisions and choices will lead down the path of obtaining dharma. At first glance, the Indian epic, The Ramayana, is a love story about a prince who is banished to the forest and an evil creature subsequently kidnaps his wife. However, it serves a much greater purpose in the Hindu culture. The Ramayana serves as a guide to living a life of moral righteousness. Rama and Sita are role models of how men and women should interact with each other and with society. There is multiple times throughout the epic that Rama faces morally difficult decisions that he flawlessly surpasses, a feat that his human peers surely would not have had the mental strength to accomplish. Rama is the supreme example of how to live a moral life. Rama’s dharma is to destroy evil, and throughout the book the difficult choices he makes and the heroic actions her performs are what guide him in his quest to fulfill his duty. Other characters in the epic, such as Ravana, are faced with the same moral dilemmas and chose incorrectly, which ultimately lead to their demise. Rama’s profound greatness is a result of his ability to place dharma above all other humanly desires and personal interests.

Religion is probably the most definitive factor in the way that an Indian will lead his life, particularly if they practice Hinduism. In Hinduism this person must follow a strict set of rules called Dharma. These rules state how this person shall lead his life. They state that each person must follow their Dharma at all costs. For example if their Dharma tells them to