Epics in Imprints-1.pdf - Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan

1) 1) Introduction
Introduction
Vivekananda Kendra Patrika
Vol. 32 No. 1 February - July 2003
Epic Imprints
Impact of the characters of the Epics and the
Puranas on theLife of India
Editorial
17
EDITORIAL
Four different kinds of approaches mark our understanding of the Mythological
literature of India, our Epics and Puranas.
The first is the enlightened, spiritualists’ approach. Swami Vivekananda, Sri
Aurobindo, Kanchi Paramacharya, Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji saw our mythological
literature, as the quintessence of Sanatana Dharma. The Epics and Puranas expatiate on
the Upanishadic moral and spiritual truths and in turn pave the way for morally inspired
spiritual action, the rituals. In fact, some of our Epic names and places are as old as the
Vedas. The writings of Sri John Woodroff and a portion of the writings of Max Mueller also
fall in this category.
The second approach is that of the Western scholars, who, though not spiritual, do
not consider Indians as barbarians or our myths as cock-and-bull stories. They feel that
the Epics and the Puranas are documents of a great past and help the student in
understanding Bharat and its social life. Scholars like Ninian Smart take this view.
The third is the critic, the Catherene Mayo brand, who with a colonial mind-set says
that India can contribute nothing except dust and communicable diseases to the world.
Columbus, Vascodagama and people of their ilk imagined that Rome was the centre of the
world, and as one proceeded away from Rome, one would meet people of increasing
barbarity; they deserve to be tamed and corrected. They have nothing to contribute to the
total heritage of humanity. These emissaries of the all-knowing West would treat the
barbarians on merits.
The fourth type of people are the Western scholars and their Indian counterparts of
analytical intelligence. They not only presented to the world our mythology as wrong
lessons in history and geography. They read evidence of Aryan-non-Aryan conflicts in
them. In all other respects the Epics and Puranas were worthless products of dreamy,
barbarous, native, fearful minds. The only acceptable portion of the Epics and the Puranas