Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage

Arti Dhand

Description

The Hindu tradition has held conflicting views on womanhood from its earliest texts—holding women aloft as goddesses to be worshipped on the one hand and remaining deeply suspicious about women's sexuality on the other. In Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage, Arti Dhand examines the religious premises upon which Hindu ideas of sexuality and women are constructed. The work focuses on the great Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata, a text that not only reflects the cogitations of a momentous period in Hindu history, but also was critical in shaping the future of Hinduism. Dhand proposes that the epic's understanding of womanhood cannot be isolated from the broader religious questions that were debated at the time, and that the formation of a sexual ideology is one element in crafting a coherent religious framework for Hinduism.
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. Religion in the Mahābhārata

2. Nivrttii Dharma: The Search for the Highest

3. Wedding and Bedding in Pravrtti Dharma

4. The Unruly Desire of Women

5. Disciplining Desire

6. Āpaddharma

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• East Asian religions
• Hinduism
• India

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• EAN13: 9780791479889
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage Sexual Ideology in the Mahbhr ata

Arti Dhand

Woman asFire,Woman asSage

SUNY series in Religious Studies Harold Coward, editor

Woman asFire,Woman asSage

Sexual Ideology in theMahbhrata

Arti Dhand



State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2008 State University of New York Press

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, c ontact State University of New York Press, Albany, New York www.sunypress.edu

Production by Judith Block Marketing by Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Dhand, Arti 1966– Woman as fire, woman as sage : sexual ideology in the Mahabharata / Arti Dhand. p. cm. — (SUNY series in religious studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7914-7139-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Mahabharata—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Women in Hinduism. 3. Sex—Religious aspects—Hinduism. I. Title.

BL1138.27.D425 2007 294.5'923048—dc22

2006101104

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For my two little princes Rahul and Kai

This page intentionally left blank.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Contents

1. Religion in theMahbhrata



2.Nivrtti Dharma: The Search for the Highest

3. Wedding and Bedding inavPrmrarttDiah

4. The Unruly Desire of Women

5. Disciplining Desire

6.paddharma

Conclusion

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

vii

ix

1

21

55

95

127

151

181

199

205

237

253

This page intentionally left blank.

Acknowledgments



This work has benefited from the assistance of numerous people. In particu- lar, I owe my thanks to Katherine Young at McGill University, and to my excellent research assistants, John McGee, Patrick McGee, and Maithili Thayanithy.

ix