Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on The Gods of the Iliad and the Bhagavad-Gita. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses the way god(s) are represented in the Hindu epic the Bhagavad-Gita and Homer's classic poem, the Iliad. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVIliBha.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
while the other is a far earthier tale of war, intrigue and politics. Despite their differences, the two works both share a common thread: the presence in human affairs of
immortal beings. This paper briefly discusses the gods in the Bhagavad-Gita and those in the Iliad. Discussion The Bhagavad-Gita is only one chapter of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, which
tells of the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas (Harrison, 1996). It is "the highest expression of philosophical Hinduism" and discusses, among other things, the idea of the cyclical
nature of existence and the continual renewal of the human soul (Harrison, 1996). The Bhagavad-Gita centers on Arjuna, the Pandavas hero, who is about to go into battle against the
Kauravas (Harrison, 1996). Unfortunately, among the enemy are many of his friends and relatives and he believes it is wrong to kill his own kinsmen (Harrison, 1996). Arjuna despairs, drops
his weapons and says he will not fight (Harrison, 1996). At this point the God Vishnu, who appears as the charioteer Krishna, "explains that Arjuna should do his duty and
do battle. The human soul, which is part of the universal soul, is immortal - therefore no-one is actually slain" (Harrison, 1996). If people do their best and perform appropriately
without specifically worrying about success or failure, "they cannot be stained by action" (Harrison, 1996). Hearing this, Arjuna fights. Harrison describes the Gita as "panentheistic rather than pantheistic," meaning that
"God is in all things, and all things are in God. But the visible universe springs from only a fraction of Vishnus glory. There is also a hidden part of
God which extends beyond the universe" (Harrison, 1996). But the Gita is also pantheistic in that God is found in everything, and appears through thousands of avatars (Harrison, 1996). The
...