Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions

Hinduism and the Case of Valmiki

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions by Julia Leslie, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Julia Leslie ISBN: 9781351772983
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: November 22, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Julia Leslie
ISBN: 9781351772983
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: November 22, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This title was first published in 2003. Can a text be used either to validate or to invalidate contemporary understandings? Texts may be deemed 'sacred', but sacred to whom? Do conflicting understandings matter? Is it appropriate to try to offer a resolution? For Hindus and non-Hindus, in India and beyond, Valmiki is the poet-saint who composed the epic Ràmàyaõa. Yet for a vocal community of dalits (once called 'untouchables'), within and outside India, Valmiki is God. How then does one explain the popular story that he started out as an ignorant and violent bandit, attacking and killing travellers for material gain? And what happens when these two accounts, Valmiki as God and Valmiki as villain, are held simultaneously by two different religious groups, both contemporary, and both vocal? This situation came to a head with controversial demonstrations by the Valmiki community in Britain in 2000, giving rise to some searching questions which Julia Leslie now seeks to address.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This title was first published in 2003. Can a text be used either to validate or to invalidate contemporary understandings? Texts may be deemed 'sacred', but sacred to whom? Do conflicting understandings matter? Is it appropriate to try to offer a resolution? For Hindus and non-Hindus, in India and beyond, Valmiki is the poet-saint who composed the epic Ràmàyaõa. Yet for a vocal community of dalits (once called 'untouchables'), within and outside India, Valmiki is God. How then does one explain the popular story that he started out as an ignorant and violent bandit, attacking and killing travellers for material gain? And what happens when these two accounts, Valmiki as God and Valmiki as villain, are held simultaneously by two different religious groups, both contemporary, and both vocal? This situation came to a head with controversial demonstrations by the Valmiki community in Britain in 2000, giving rise to some searching questions which Julia Leslie now seeks to address.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Business Cycles in Economic Thought by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Rethinking the American Prison Movement by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Descartes-Arg Philosophers by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Leadership in Organizations by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Thou Shalt Not Kill Unless Otherwise Instructed: Poems and Stories by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Color - Class - Identity by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Refugee Women, Representation and Education by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Public Administration in Africa by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Beyond Archigram by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Philosophy And Philosophers by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book The Scope of Understanding in Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book The Emergent Self by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Social Learning by Julia Leslie
Cover of the book Miseducating Americans by Julia Leslie
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy