The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity

The present paper explores the connection between the topos of the four ages of humankind, and kr̥tayuga in particular, and the way in which Rāma’s rule is described in the Rāmāyaṇa. This topos, commonly found in various literatures of the ancient world, is also attested in this epic, featuring in...

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Auteur principal:	Mariola Pigoniowa
Format:	article
Langue:	EN
Publié:	Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing 2021
Sujets:	Rāmāyaṇa four ages of humankind (yugas) Rāma’s divinity Indo-Iranian languages and literature PK1-9601 Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania PL1-8844
Accès en ligne:	https://doaj.org/article/38ccf28a15de45cfab59003aae50c30a
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:38ccf28a15de45cfab59003aae50c30a2021-11-27T12:53:14ZThe Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity10.12797/CIS.15.2013.15.111732-09172449-8696https://doaj.org/article/38ccf28a15de45cfab59003aae50c30a2021-08-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journals.akademicka.pl/cis/article/view/1552https://doaj.org/toc/1732-0917https://doaj.org/toc/2449-8696 The present paper explores the connection between the topos of the four ages of humankind, and kr̥tayuga in particular, and the way in which Rāma’s rule is described in the Rāmāyaṇa. This topos, commonly found in various literatures of the ancient world, is also attested in this epic, featuring in the account of Rāma’s rule in books one and six. The characteristic elements of kr̥tayuga, such as the earth’s spontaneous abundance and the absence of human miseries and suffering, make it clear that the king whose rule is described in such a way should be regarded as a divine human. The first part of this paper discusses the main problems connected with the Indian idea of king as presented especially by Edward W. Hopkins and Sheldon Pollock (king as a divine human or mortal god). The second part is devoted to the comparison of the descriptions of the world’s four periods in Indian, Greek, and Roman literature, with a focus on the similarities between them. In the third part of the paper emphasis is laid on the kr̥tayuga in particular and the way in which Rāma’s rule is described. Mariola PigoniowaKsiegarnia Akademicka PublishingarticleRāmāyaṇafour ages of humankind (yugas)Rāma’s divinityIndo-Iranian languages and literaturePK1-9601Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, OceaniaPL1-8844ENCracow Indological Studies, Vol 15 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Rāmāyaṇa four ages of humankind (yugas) Rāma’s divinity Indo-Iranian languages and literature PK1-9601 Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania PL1-8844
spellingShingle	Rāmāyaṇa four ages of humankind (yugas) Rāma’s divinity Indo-Iranian languages and literature PK1-9601 Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania PL1-8844 Mariola Pigoniowa The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
description	The present paper explores the connection between the topos of the four ages of humankind, and kr̥tayuga in particular, and the way in which Rāma’s rule is described in the Rāmāyaṇa. This topos, commonly found in various literatures of the ancient world, is also attested in this epic, featuring in the account of Rāma’s rule in books one and six. The characteristic elements of kr̥tayuga, such as the earth’s spontaneous abundance and the absence of human miseries and suffering, make it clear that the king whose rule is described in such a way should be regarded as a divine human. The first part of this paper discusses the main problems connected with the Indian idea of king as presented especially by Edward W. Hopkins and Sheldon Pollock (king as a divine human or mortal god). The second part is devoted to the comparison of the descriptions of the world’s four periods in Indian, Greek, and Roman literature, with a focus on the similarities between them. In the third part of the paper emphasis is laid on the kr̥tayuga in particular and the way in which Rāma’s rule is described.
format	article
author	Mariola Pigoniowa
author_facet	Mariola Pigoniowa
author_sort	Mariola Pigoniowa
title	The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
title_short	The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
title_full	The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
title_fullStr	The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
title_full_unstemmed	The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity
title_sort	topos of the four ages of humankind and the question of rāma’s divinity
publisher	Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/38ccf28a15de45cfab59003aae50c30a
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The Topos of the Four Ages of Humankind and the Question of Rāma’s Divinity

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