This dissertation explores ideas about human agency and conduct as these are expressed in the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata (the "Great Bharata"). Two concepts in particular retain our attention: daiva, the power that comes from the gods, and purusakara, the power that comes from human beings (purusas). One current of thought holds that human life and the course of history are governed exclusively by external agencies ("the gods" or chance). On the other hand, the epic also carries the commanding message that the lives of individuals and societies may be changed for the better through human initiative (purusakara) in accordance with the dharma, the moral order sanctioned by religious tradition. The issue is finally reduced to the question: who is the real agent of action? / The analysis concludes that the question can only be resolved in the context of epic ideas about the nature of the human being. But humanity is simply a stage in the spiritual evolution of all life towards the realization of the unity of existence as the manifestation of a Supreme Person (paramapurusa; purusottama) or a Supreme Self (paramatman). Souls (atmans) are embodied as human beings at the stage when consciousness develops into the self-consciousness of an ego (ahamkara), which arrogates to itself the notion of self-determination or "freedom." In reality, however, the soul is not free but trapped in a cycle of rebirth, which can be broken only by the abandonment of all notion of agency, action and control over the fruits of the action. The epic therefore operates at two levels. In terms of the mundane tasks and responsibilities of daily life, particularly the responsibilities of the king, the human being is regarded as enjoying a modicum of freedom and self-determination to chart the course of his or her future evolution. From the higher perspective of the unity of all life, however, this self-concept is inherently flawed. The actions of such a being spring from unconscious motives prompted by the higher purposes that govern the course of the cosmos as a whole.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.41174 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Woods, Julian F. (Julian Forster) |
| Contributors | Young, Katherine K. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Religious Studies.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001335920, proquestno: NN87953, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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