Ethics And Epics

A scholar of eminence in the field of Indian philosophy, Bimal K. Matilal was one of the leading exponents of Indian logic and epistemology. Painstakingly compiled from Matilal's huge body of work, this collection of essays includes a set of previously unpublished essays and reveals the extraordinary depth of Matilal's philosophical interests.

Ramayana and Mahabharata are regarded as texts generally referred in ethical matters. They contain insights of social behaviour and show the ways of dissolution of moral crisis. Although almost every Indian household possesses them as treasure, their relevance and significance need to be relooked in the contemporary ever-changing world. This book aims to cater to this need of the academics of various disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, psychology and literature, along with the curiosities of the common reader.

The unifying motif of Bimal Krishna Matilala's work is the study of rational traditions in Indian philosophical thought. The two volumes of his collected works analyse the arguments of the classical Indian philosophers and the role of philosophy in Indian society.

Here the collected papers explore the whole question of the relation between the mythopoetic and the moral in the context of the Mahabharata. Here we have a story of extreme complexity, characters that are unforgettable, and a cosmic context in which gods and men alike grapple with destiny. The obligations of kinship and friendship jostle with each other. The women characters, as in everyday life, seem to bear a very heavy load of the burden of life and to stand in a key position in almost every conflict. We are presented with predicaments at every turn. At times these predicaments seem to be aggravated by social structure. At other times they are cushioned by it. Philosophical tangles tied up with karma and dharma are interwoven with the mythopoetic material. Perhaps philosophical issues are pinpointed rather more than they are in Greek epic literature. The essays in this book treat the Mahabharata from an unusual angle, fastening on the moral dilemmas it presents. How universal are the dilemmas faced by the characters in the story, and are the dilemmas in fact resolved? In dealing with these questions, the discussions range over the meaning of the purusarthas, the institutions of marriage and the family, the concept of action in the Gita and the special predicaments faced by Draupadi, Arjuna and others. These studies invite the scholar to reflect afresh on the text and encourage the general reader to find in epic literature much that is relevant to life today.

Considers the history of the American blockbuster—the large-scale, high-cost film—as it evolved from the 1890s to today.

Stories can be both entertaining and educative. They can also be insightful and illuminating, especially when they have travelled down the generations, through the centuries, taking on new meanings with each retelling. In this genre-bending book, the first of a series, Amish and Bhavna dive into the priceless treasure trove of the ancient Indian epics, as well as the vast and complex universe of Amish's Meluha (through his Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series), to explore some of the key concepts of Indian philosophy. What is the ideal interplay between thought and action, taking and giving, self-love and sacrifice? How can we tell right from wrong? What can we do to bring out the best in ourselves, and to live a life with purpose and meaning, not just one fuelled by the ego and material needs? The answers lie in these simple and wise interpretations of our favourite stories by a lovable cast of fictional characters whom you'll enjoy getting to know.

The unifying motif of Bimal Krishna Matilalas work is the study of rational traditions in Indian philosophical thought. With his ability to span the divide between the Indian and Western intellectual traditions, he brought contemporary techniques of analytical philosophy to bear upon the issues raised in classical Indian philosophy and, conversely, to highlight the relevance of Indian thought in the modern world. From analyses of the arguments of the classical philosophers to an evaluation of the role of philosophy in classical Indian society, from critique of Western perceptions of Indian philosophy to reflection on the thought of Indian intellectuals like Bankimchandra and Radhakrishnan, the two volumes bring together rare and landmark essays. This volume includes sections on dharma, rationality and moral dilemmas; epics and ethics; pluralism, relativism, and interaction between cultures; ideas from the east; and concepts in Indian religions. The companion volume, Mind, Language and World, deals with scepticism and mysticism; Nyaya realism; Indian Buddhism; Sanskrit semantics; and philosophy in India: perceptions and problems.