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Notion of Time: Some observations based on Mahabharata
A talk by Dr. Binda Paranjape, Dept. of History, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), India Venue: MIT 4-253 (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=4) 182 Memorial Drive (Rear) Cambridge, MA 02139 Time/Date: 7:30pm, Thu Jun 10 2010 Mahabharat is a layered text. It can be called a literary enigma. The more you explore it the more it involves you in its complex weave of mythology and real life experience. Here is an attempt of understanding how the text reflects different notions of time which may appear quite different from each other but are a part of the same story. Three such notions have been taken for discussion. One that relates to the human time related to birth and death, second is the human desire of conquering death there by the ‘Time’ and third the gigantic model of Yugas (four epochs of juvination and destruction of each one by the divine force). The characters taken for discussion are Bhishma, Vyasa, and Krishna; first related to normal human span but with total detachment to it, second the eternal desire of acquiring deathlessness and the third equating Time with the divine force. Besides there will be discussion on the very process by which the text has got the form which is still fluid and maintains its potential of becoming contemporaneous to any age. Certain myths will also be quoted to show how the same myth gets layered and gains a new form so as to get its sanction in whichever age it is retold. In this relation the characters of Kunti and Ganga will be discussed. Dr. Binda D. Paranjape is a reader in History, Banaras Hindu University. Though her core discipline is Archeology, she also works in the fields of Culture Studies, Art History, Literature, and Performing Arts. She has three books and many papers to her credit. She is visiting Boston from June 8th - 14th in part to share her expertise and consult with the curators at the Museum of Fine Arts on the antiquities collected by the famous art historian Anand Coomarswamy.
Date: 06/10/2010
Location: Venue: MIT 4-253 (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=4) 182 Memorial Drive (Rear) Cambridge, MA 02139
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: FREE
Contact: Umang Kumar umkumar@gmail.com
Email: umkumar@gmail.com
Directions: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=4
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