Rethinking the Body in South Asian Traditions (Routledge Series on South Asian Culture)

"This book analyses cultural questions related to representations of the body in South Asian traditions, human perceptions and attitudes toward the body in religious and cultural contexts, as well as the processes of interpreting notions of the body in religious and literary texts. Utilising an interdisciplinary perspective by means of textual study and ideological analysis, anthropological analysis, and phenomenological analysis, the book explores both insider- and outsider perspectives and issues related to the body from the 2nd century CE up to the present-day. Chapters assess various aspects of the body including processes of embodiment and questions of mythologizing the divine body and othering the human body, as revealed in the literatures and cultures of South Asia. The book analyses notions of mythologizing and "othering" of the body as a powerful ideological discourse, which empowers or marginalizes at all levels of the human condition. Offering a deep insight into the study of religion and issues of the body in South Asian literature, religion and culture, this book will be of interest to academics in the fields of South Asian studies, South Asian religions, South Asian literatures, cultural studies, philosophy and comparative literature"-- Provided by publisher This book analyses cultural questions related to representations of the body in South Asian traditions, human perceptions and attitudes toward the body in religious and cultural contexts. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 The Editor 10 The Contributors 11 On transliteration 15 Rethinking the body in South Asian traditions 16 References 22 Chapter 1 The corporeal vaṃśa: Seizure and restriction of the body in the Harivaṃśa 24 Introduction 24 The vaṃśa as body in Brahminical tradition 25 Śunaḥśepa: Debt and the seizure of male bodies 27 The body of Hari’s vaṃśa 29 Kṛṣṇa rescues other people’s sons 31 Seizures within the Vṛṣṇi vaṃśa 33 Conclusion 36 Notes 37 References 39 Chapter 2 Tinged with pain and promise: Images of bodies in the poetry of Appar 42 The human body as a problem 43 The human body as a gift from god 47 The problem with the body 49 Finding new bodily habits, seeing the world anew 54 Concluding thoughts 57 Notes 58 References 59 Chapter 3 Allegorical representations of the body in the Vijñānagīta by Keśavdās 62 The allegorical body in South Asian traditions 63 Allegory, personification, and the function of the body 65 The body of the heretics: iconological interpretation 66 The body in a poetical perspective 74 The body as a means to get liberation in life 76 Conclusion: The body in new political agendas 79 Notes 79 References 81 Chapter 4 Devotional bodies and embodied devotion: Yoga, bhakti, and pilgrimage in the Radhasoami tradition 84 Guru and guru-bhakti1 84 The body in South Asian traditions 87 The body in Radhasomi: The interplay of the devotional, tantric, and social bodies 89 Bhakti, yoga, and the Satsaṅg 90 Pilgrimage: Bhakti, yoga, and service 91 Conclusion 93 Notes 94 References 95 Chapter 5 Bodies in Cracking India 99 Notes 105 References 105 Chapter 6 Cultivating a female body: Appropriation of female rituality (saṃskāra) within the hijra community 107 Saṃskāra 108 The rīt 109 The dūdhpīlānā ceremony 113 The nirvāṇ 115 Pilgrimage 121 Notes 128 References 129 Chapter 7 When humans pose as Hindu gods 131 Śiva as the Lord of Dance 133 Case study 1: Kohler’s Śiva ad 134 Case study 2: Newsweek’s Śiva cover 134 Viṣṇu as the blue-skinned god 135 Case study 3: Business Today’s Viṣṇu cover 136 Case study 4: Fortune’s Viṣṇu cover 136 When humans appear as Hindu gods 137 Conclusion 144 Notes 144 References 147 Index 152 vaṃśa;,Harivaṃśa;,Appar;,Devotional,bodies;,Radhasoami;,Cracking,India;,hijra;,humans,pose,as,Hindu,gods;,saṃskāra;,Vijñānagīta;,Keśavdās;,South,Asian,traditions;,Yoga;,bhakti;,pilgrimage vaṃśa,Harivaṃśa,Appar,Devotional bodies,Radhasoami,Cracking India,hijra,humans pose as Hindu gods,saṃskāra,Vijñānagīta,Keśavdās,South Asian traditions,Yoga,bhakti,pilgrimage "This book analyses cultural questions related to representations of the body in South Asian traditions, human perceptions and attitudes toward the body in religious and cultural contexts, as well as the processes of interpreting notions of the body in religious and literary texts. Utilising an interdisciplinary perspective by means of textual study and ideological analysis, anthropological analysis, and phenomenological analysis, the book explores both insider- and outsider perspectives and issues related to the body from the 2nd century CE up to the present-day. Chapters assess various aspects of the body including processes of embodiment and questions of mythologizing the divine body and othering the human body, as revealed in the literatures and cultures of South Asia. The book analyses notions of mythologizing and "othering" of the body as a powerful ideological discourse, which empowers or marginalizes at all levels of the human condition. Offering a deep insight into the study of religion and issues of the body in South Asian literature, religion and culture, this book will be of interest to academics in the fields of South Asian studies, South Asian religions, South Asian literatures, cultural studies, philosophy and comparative literature"-- Fourni par l'éditeur "This book analyses cultural questions related to representations of the body in South Asian traditions, human perceptions and attitudes toward the body in religious and cultural contexts, as well as the processes of interpreting notions of the body in religious and literary texts.Utilising an interdisciplinary perspective by means of textual study and ideological analysis, anthropological analysis, and phenomenological analysis, the book explores both insider- and outsider perspectives and issues related to the body from the 2nd century CE up to the present-day. Chapters assess various aspects of the body including processes of embodiment and questions of mythologizing the divine body and othering the human body, as revealed in the literatures and cultures of South Asia. The book analyses notions of mythologizing and "othering" of the body as a powerful ideological discourse, which empowers or marginalizes at all levels of the human condition.Offering a deep insight into the study of religion and issues of the body in South Asian literature, religion and culture, this book will be of interest to academics in the fields of South Asian studies, South Asian religions, South Asian literatures, cultural studies, philosophy and comparative literature."-- Site de l'éditeur