The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture
Taking a rationalist, skeptical approach, a journalist and humanist advocatecritiques the famous BhagavadGita on many levels. Among other things, he points out the improbability of the historical events recounted, the logical inconsistencies in the work, and, above all, the retrograde moral perspective represented by the characters. He emphasizes that the long dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Lord Krishna (an incarnation of the god Vishnu) ends up by condoning violence, even wholesale slaughter. Furthermore, the work extols the Hindu caste system as noble and reinforces superstitions about reincarnation and karma. All of this was anathema to the author, who spent much of his career working for human rights and critical thinking.For students of Indian literature in both the East and West, this critical appraisal of a classic Hindu epic will prove enlightening.
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The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture
Taking a rationalist, skeptical approach, a journalist and humanist advocatecritiques the famous BhagavadGita on many levels. Among other things, he points out the improbability of the historical events recounted, the logical inconsistencies in the work, and, above all, the retrograde moral perspective represented by the characters. He emphasizes that the long dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Lord Krishna (an incarnation of the god Vishnu) ends up by condoning violence, even wholesale slaughter. Furthermore, the work extols the Hindu caste system as noble and reinforces superstitions about reincarnation and karma. All of this was anathema to the author, who spent much of his career working for human rights and critical thinking.For students of Indian literature in both the East and West, this critical appraisal of a classic Hindu epic will prove enlightening.
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The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture

The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture

The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture

The Truth About the Gita: A Closer Look at Hindu Scripture

Overview

Taking a rationalist, skeptical approach, a journalist and humanist advocatecritiques the famous BhagavadGita on many levels. Among other things, he points out the improbability of the historical events recounted, the logical inconsistencies in the work, and, above all, the retrograde moral perspective represented by the characters. He emphasizes that the long dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Lord Krishna (an incarnation of the god Vishnu) ends up by condoning violence, even wholesale slaughter. Furthermore, the work extols the Hindu caste system as noble and reinforces superstitions about reincarnation and karma. All of this was anathema to the author, who spent much of his career working for human rights and critical thinking.For students of Indian literature in both the East and West, this critical appraisal of a classic Hindu epic will prove enlightening.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781616141837
Publisher: Globe Pequot
Publication date: 07/27/2010
Pages: 231
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

V. R. Narla (1908-1985) was an ardent skeptic and humanist advocate, who edited two Telugu daily newspapers in India—Andhra Prabha and Andhra Jyothi—and lectured in several Indian universities. Among his many publications was a book of his aphoristic sayings, Gods, Goblins, and Men.

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu Bible Innaiah Narisetti 7

Preface 15

Introduction 19

Chapter 1 A Doubtful War 27

Chapter 2 False Signposts 35

Chapter 3 Duel with Dates 41

Chapter 4 Fear of Disillusionment 49

Chapter 5 "A Fraud of Monstrous Size" 57

Chapter 6 Outer Citadel and Inner Fort 65

Chapter 7 Who Is Krishna? 71

Chapter 8 Krishna as Man 81

Chapter 9 Krishna as Statesman 89

Chapter 10 Krishna as God 95

Chapter 11 Who Wrote the Gita? 103

Chapter 12 And When 113

Chapter 13 Gita as Scripture 119

Chapter 14 Has the Gita a Philosophy? 125

Chapter 15 Ethics of the Gita 135

Chapter 16 Sociology of the Gita 147

Chapter 17 The Gita and Science 157

Chapter 18 Why the Gita? 165

Chapter 19 From a Tribal God to a National God 173

Chapter 20 The Two Bhagavans 183

Chapter 21 All Things to All Men 191

Epilogue 201

Notes and References 205

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