Dharma Disorder And The Political In Ancient India

This book is a close study of the Āpaddharmaparvan which situates it within its context in the great Sanskrit epic the Mahābhārata and within Indian political and social thought, and explores the relationship of its didacticism to the broader literary context of the Mahābhārata.

This book is a close study of the ?paddharmaparvan which situates it within its context in the great Sanskrit epic the Mah?bh?rata and within Indian political and social thought, and explores the relationship of its didacticism to the broader literary context of the Mah?bh?rata.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Note on the Translations and Transliterations -- Timeline: Relevant Events and Historical Developments -- ONE. The Three Human Aims -- TWO. The Influence of the Arthashastra on the Kamasutra -- THREE. Dharma and Adharma in the Arthashastra -- FOUR. Adharma and Dharma in the Kamasutra -- FIVE. Glossing Adharma with Dharma -- SIX. Skepticism and Materialism in Ancient India -- SEVEN. Epilogue: Dhairma and the Subversion of Science -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y

Gandhi and Nehru helped create a myth of nonviolence in ancient India that obscures a troubled, complex heritage: a long struggle to reconcile the ethics of nonviolence with the need to use violence to rule. Upinder Singh documents the tension between violence and nonviolence in ancient Indian political thought and practice, 600 BCE to 600 CE.

Contemporary dilemmas, whether in business or politics, bear an uncanny resemblance to the predicaments witnessed in the ever-timely epic, the Mahabharata. Who else but Bhishma Pitamah then to the rescue of the modern-day manager, politician or bureaucrat! In the epic, Bhishma is the upholder of truth and dharma, his life shaped by the difficult choices he makes. He isn’t always infallible, but even where his decisions are questionable, he serves as a role model. Prof. N. Balasubramanian uses this powerful figure and his selfless values as a guide to make the right choices in The Bhishma Way. He discusses the importance of values, dharma, truth, justice and governance in businesses and governments. Analyses of real-life cases—among them, Union Carbide and the Bhopal gas tragedy, James Hardie and asbestos in Australia, and Ok Tedi in Papua New Guinea—complement the mythological stories and insightful anecdotes in this illuminating and thought-provoking book. This serves as an instructive read for anyone striving for a higher moral code in day-to-day decision-making and leadership.

Indian Political Thought: Themes and Thinkers covers all major Indian political thinkers from the ancient, through medieval to the modern times. Thus, this book provides an overview of the evolution of the Indian political thought through different historical periods, giving an insight into the sociological and political conditions of the times that shaped the Indian political thinking. It does not only talk about the lives and times of the thinkers, but also explores the important themes that formed the basis of their political ideologies. The chapters discuss the contributions of the thinkers and at the same time examine some important themes including the theory of state, civil rights, ideal polity, governance, nationalism, democracy, social issues like gender and caste, swaraj, satyagraha, liberalism, constitutionalism, Marxism, socialism and Gandhism. With a comprehensive coverage of both the thinkers and the themes of the Indian political thought, this book caters to needs of the undergraduate as well as the post graduate courses of all Indian universities. It is valuable also for UGC-NET and civil service examinations.