INL - Module Overview
Introduction
Historically, the fight for freedom and the influence of Western culture has driven India's struggle for identity in a changing political and social world. Keeping the peace in a changing society was important and this ideal is reflected in the tales of the Buddha, which teach virtue and how to keep perfect karma in a world where belief in reincarnation influences daily life and actions. Although much of the literature is political and spiritual, there is also love literature that reveals the yearning for a beloved. Themes of searching for identity while keeping cornerstones of cuture appear in the poetry and prose of the region.
Essential Questions
- How do karma and samsara appear in Indian literature?
- What are the various kinds of poetry in Indian literature?
- How does Indian literature reveal the social and political issues occurring in the area?
- What is the importance of Buddha in Indian society?
- What various literary devices appear in Indian literature?
Key Terms
Jataka Tales
: These are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form and exhibit some kind of virtue
Karma: Hindu and Buddhist thought that a person's actions in this life determine his or her fate in his or her future existence
Samsara: endless cycle of death and rebirth
Vedas: The Vedas are essentially archetypal poetry of high literary value. They are mythical in nature and their language is symbolic
Puranas: ancient Hindu texts eulogizing various deities
Kavya: epic poetry that is a type of Sanskrit literature containing elaborate figures of speech, such as simile, metaphor, and hyperbole.
Nataka: Indian dramas, or plays, that often appear as heroic comedies
Bhakti Poetry: Poetry describing passionate love for the Divine often written by women
Vaishnava Poetry: Poetry in which the speaker expresses longing for union with his or her beloved
Kissa and Var: Love ballads and heroic poetry in Punjabi
Dalit: Means the downtrodden. The literature which is concerned with the socially underprivileged, and which asserts the socio-political stature of the underdogs, is known by this name
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