The King who was born Boneless : Scriptural Biology and Social Resistance

Table of Contents

• Preface and Intent
• The Origins of Bhagiratha: Scriptural Variations
  • Regional Bengali Texts and Traditions
• The Biology of the "Boneless Child"
• Social Constructs of Medieval Bengal
  • Resistance and the Status of Widows
  • Concepts of Sexuality and "Svairini"
• Conclusion: Ritual Rite or Social Practice?

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Please note: This is a sensitive topic and not shared here for any controversy. This process of sharing posts is a learning for me. While I share, I learn. If I have shared any information which is not correct or something that may hurt any sentiments, I would like apologize upfront for the same.

Ramayana of Krittivasa - 0012 - The Birth of Ganga and the Birth of Bhagiratha

Table of Contents

• 1. Birth of Ganga and Birth of Bhagiratha
• 2. Analysis
  • 2.1 The Origin of Ganga
  • 2.2 Character Analysis: Dilip and Sagara
  • 2.3 Comparison with Valmiki Ramayana
  • 2.4 Correlations & Parallels in Other Scriptures
    • 2.4.1 The Birth from Two Mothers
    • 2.4.2 The Origin of Ganga

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Birth of Ganga and Birth of Bhagiratha

Recap
After the sixty thousand sons of Sagara were burnt by Kapila, Angshuman set forth to look for them and get the horse. There he followed the route of his uncles and met rishi Kapila. The rishi told Angshuman that Ganga needed to be brought down from heaven to liberate the dead sons of Sagara. Angshuman wanted to know about Ganga.

Mahabharata of Kashidas - 0027 - When Vyasa came to Janamejaya for the second time, along with Vaishampayan

Table of Contents

• Vyasa comes to meet Janamejaya
• Analysis
• Details & Context
  • Meanings of Names
  • Differences from Vyasa’s Original Work
  • Correlations
    • Other Texts

 Vyasa comes to meet Janamejaya

Recap:

Janamejaya wanted to destroy the brahmins. Vyasa came and admonished him. He then wanted to perform the Ashvamedha yagna, which too Vyasa asked him not to. Undeterred, the king went ahead with disastrous results.

The 19 Sub-Parvas of Adi Parva: A Summary

Note:
I refer to a sub parva name of Adi Parva as Kashidas does not separate his work into sub-parvas. I thought of sharing a summary/ brief of which sub-parva contains what.