The monograph embodies the doctoral thesis submitted by Dr. Sengupta in support of his candidature for admission to the PhD. (Arts) degree of the Jadavpur University. The present work rechristened 'Legends in the Rigvedic Brahmans and their subsequent development in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata' throws new light on the core content of the Brahmanical legends and at the same time traces the gradual development of the stories in the-two great epics. Divided into three chapters, the treatise makes an attempt in dealing with the salient traits of some well- known narratives in the Brahmans, comparing and contrasting them with those of the same furnished in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Chapter-I in the form of an introduction makes an effort in discussing the position of the Brahmans, especially the Rigvedic Brahmans in the field of Vedic religion and philosophy. In the chapter-Il, the corpus of certain important stories like Mahidas Aitareya, Nabhanedistha, Kavasa, Dighajihvi and Vaivasvata Manu has been laid down and an excellent analytical treatment of the above stories in their social, moral, cultural, religious and ritualistic backgrounds has indeed added a new feather to the author's cap. Over and above, author's excellence lies in the deft handling with the concept of Sri Aurobindo's esoteric views in deciphering the exact nature of the myths and legends presented in the Brahmans.
I congratulate the author for his remarkable contribution towards the interpretation of umpteen legends as expounded and developed in the Brahmans as well as the two great epics. I am confident the book will be well received by critical readers, both in the East and the West.
In the legends, especially in the Brahmanical ones the multiple records of experiences in Arks or Mantras have been developed in meaningful tales. They touch upon the life of man at several points of their convergence. According to these legends the universe is a cosmos governed by a Law of Truth.
The Brahmanical legends depict human life as a constant flow to the divinities. Man has all along been engaged in a prolong struggle for the outbreak of the Divine Light. He has to open himself to the reign of Truth, out of the Night of Ignorance. Such a Light does not appear all on a sudden. Man has to create favorable conditions by rejecting falsehood which not only opposes the Truth but also resists its advance. He has also to wage a prolong war against the hostile Asuric forces or the agents of darkness that combat the hosts of Light. As the inner forces like ego-ridden sense-bound desires, passions and inclinations also move man away from Truth, the only way out is to invoke Agni, the flame of aspiration and the force of Divine Will to consume the roots of falsehood with his flames. Agni is the Divine Flame that constantly urges man forward and carries his offerings to his destination to receive the pregnant as well as generating touch of Higher Consciousness. With the opening of the successive layers of man's consciousness to the Light of Knowledge many of his latent faculties are awakened and formed and set into activity by the appropriate presiding Powers or gods. Gods act as the executives and take charge of the various functioning of the universal energies of the Supreme One. They appear before us as divine functionaries. Gods of the legends are not deified Nature-elements. They are essentially divine Powers that lead the seeker to the key of unlocking the Light of knowledge.
These gods again grow towards perfection in the ultimate Godhead by receiving their respecting shares in the offering of the sacrifice. In fact, gods are themselves born of Truth, grow in Truth and live in Truth. Even gods have to observe the Transcendental Law of the Truth. In the Brahmanical legends all these things have been spectacularly illustrated.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
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Vedas (1361)
Upanishads (663)
Puranas (829)
Ramayana (894)
Mahabharata (328)
Dharmasastras (165)
Goddess (468)
Bhakti (242)
Saints (1252)
Gods (1290)
Shiva (330)
Journal (132)
Fiction (43)
Vedanta (318)
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