The Nirvitarka Concentration as Represented In Narayan's Mr Sampath

2523 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Indian classical literary tradition essay

The novels of R.K. Narayan reflect that Indian sensibility which has been acquired through the ages from the wisdom of Indian philosophical thought that has been continually enriched since the ancient times but which had receded since colonization. Narayan adopts this 'theoretical base of the Indian philosophical tradition to retrieve and reconstitute a sense of Indianness. Perhaps, this is why he has proved to be "the most lasting, highly rated and widely accessible, while his writing is the most consciously rooted in local circumstances, traditions and values" as claimed by Dennis Walde(694). Meenakshi Mukherjee had earlier recognized Gandhi as having reached the state of Jeevan Mukta as depicted in Waiting for the Mahatma (Mukherjee 99-100). Even V.P. Rao observed that "Krishnan practices some sort of yoga. He goes through the... The last three stages of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi."(Rao 32)Taking this a priory. I attempt to evaluate Srinivas of Mr Sampath on the scale of Patanjali's Nirvitarka concentration as mentioned in his Yogasutra.
Before embarking on the venture of interpreting Srinivas's experience of undergoing Nirvitarka concentration during an exorcist's ritual, it is imperative to have an overview of Patanjali's Yoga philosophy, of course, in a nutshell. Throughout this paper I have referred to P.N.Mukerji's translation of Patanjali's Yoga-sutra as well as of the commentary on Yoga philosophy by Swami Hariharananda Aranya. In his Yoga-sutra Patanjali expounds the theory of controlling the mind in order to know the Self. As he says,
;ksxfpÙko`fÙkfujks/k% (Aranya 7)
Yoga is the discipline of restraining the fluctuation or modification caused due to the occupation of the mind. The occupation of the mind is to create t...

... middle of paper ...

...his family, at the crucial moments of their life by acquiescing to take care of his father in the absence of Ravi and his mother when she takes Ravi to the tantric's village

Works Cited

Aranya,Swami Hariharananda.Yoqa Philosophy of Patanjali Trans.P,
N.Mukerji.Calcutta: University Press, 1963.
Bowling,L.E. "What is the Stream of Conscious Technique." Critical Approaches
To Fiction. Ed.Shiv K.Kumar and Keith Mckean. New Delhi: Atlantic, 2003.331-345.
Mukherjee,Meenakshi. The Twice Born Fiction. New Delhi: Heinemann, 1974.
Narayan,R.K. "Mr. Sampath." The World of Malqudi. Ed.S.Krishnan. New
Delhi: Viking, 2000.
Rao,V.P. "The Art of R.K.Narayan." The Journal of Commonwealth Literature.
5(1968) 32-35
Warder, Dennis. Post-Colonial Literatures in English: History, Language,
Theory. Oxford: Blackwell, 1998.Ind.Rpt.2002.

Show More
Related

  • Siddhartha

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.

    Read More

  • The Four Noble Truths in Siddhartha's Journey to Self-Enlightenment

    1782 Words  | 4 Pages

    SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Siddhartha.” SparkNotes.com. Sparknotes LLC. 2004.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha Plot Analysis

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    Analysis: At this point Siddhartha realizes what he must do. This is a big turning point in this book and shows his true character.

    Read More

  • Nietzsche versus Gandhi

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    Friedrich Nietzsche and Mahatma Gandhi, two mammoth political figures of their time, attack the current trend of society. Their individual philosophies and concepts suggest a fundamental problem: if civilization is so diseased, can we overcome this state of society and the sickness that plagues the minds of the masses in order to advance? Gandhi and Nietzsche attain to answer the same proposition of sickness within civilization, and although the topic of unrest among both may be dissimilar, they have parallel means of finding a cure to such an illness as the one that plagues society. Nietzsche’s vision of spiritual health correlates directly with Gandhi’s image of industrialism and the self-sufficiency. This correlation prevails by highlighting the apparent sickness that is ubiquitous in both of the novels.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha Essays: Form, Style, and Content

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...t the novel imparts a systematic, methodical tone to Siddhartha, and together with the consciously created form unifies the experiences of Siddhartha, permitting a feeling of closure and meditation on the thoughts and ideas presented therein. There is certainly a unique rhythm to Siddhartha which is skillfully communicated both consciously and subconsciously. One can appreciate the conscious craftmanship" of the novel's structure and style, while at the same time allowing the rhythm, feelings, and experiences to sift into one's mind on a deeper, more subconscious level.

    Read More

  • Meditation

    4152 Words  | 9 Pages

    Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.

    Read More

  • yoga

    906 Words  | 2 Pages

    This qualitative case study is an approach to research how yoga can affect the human mind in a positive way and lead to a healthy lifestyle using 2 sources one being a book called The Science Of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad 2012. And the other being a private interview with a 22 year old male Yogi. This ensures that the issue is not getting explored through one side, but rather a variety of sides which allows for different inputs to be reveled and understood. There are two key approaches that help determine if yoga helps affect the human mind in a positive way. One flourished by William J. Broad (2012) which explores different factors on how yoga contributes to a healthy lifestyle and interviews fellow yogis who give there insight on the matter. And the second being a personal webcam interview conducted by the researcher ...

    Read More

  • Yoga: A Comprehensive System for Well-being

    1516 Words  | 4 Pages

    In a world full of skepticism towards the alternative, Yoga has created a place of growing belief for itself. As Timothy McCall, M.D. states in his book Yoga As Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health & Healing: A Yoga Journal Book:

    Read More

  • Yoga and its Positive Effects on the Mind and Body

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Yoga. Mar. 2014: 24-25. pp. 78-78. Print.

    Read More

  • Clinical Psychology Reflection Paper

    1505 Words  | 4 Pages

    Meditation is not a time devoted to thinking or reflecting about oneself, but a time to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions away from the outside world and onto something simple, such as the wind or one’s own breathe. By learning how to meditate, an individual can learn how to react appropriately to “the circumstances one finds oneself in, i...

    Read More

  • Liberation Thought and Bhakti-yoga

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    For Hinduism, the ultimate liberation is returning to Braham. According to Bhagavad Gita, there are three ways of practice that lead to liberation.¬¬¬¬. These are janna-yoga (the way of knowledge), bhakti- yoga (the practice of devotion) and karma-yoga (the course of action). In other words, one can practice any of these methods to achieve union with God. This paper I will analyze some important aspects of bhakti-yoga and how it can lead one to attain ultimate liberation—return to Atman. In doing this investigation, I hope to help the reader broaden their knowledge on liberation in Hinduism. As Radhakrishnan says we may climb the mountain from different paths, but the view from the summit is identical for all.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Health And Wellness

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    The goal of this study was to identify the ways in which engaging in yoga practices would alter psychological well being, and allow people to engage more fully in their lives and flourish in health and happiness. The pre and post test set up of this study allowed the researchers to see the ways in which students had been affected by their participation in the yoga teacher training. Yoga training students were engaged in a four week program. They were administered tests and the beginning of the study, prior to engaging in the program, at the end of the program, after completion, and then again at a 3 month follow up. Multiple factors were assessed, however the significant and important ones which relate directly to our understanding of healthy, happiness and wellness and the course content are extremely

    Read More

  • The Guide by RK Narayan

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the story goes on, Raju reveals that he has undergone transformations not only in his role but also in his character. Raju’s role may take six forms; as a young son, as a shopkeeper, as a tourist guide, as Rosie’s lover, as Rosie’s stage manager and finally, as a swami. All these roles, in one way or another alter Raju’s characters and attitudes toward himself and people around him. He adjusts himself positively as well as negatively, to suit the quality of each role.

    Read More

  • Yoga Reflection Paper

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    This week’s analysis is associated with the yoga class provided online to help with stress reduction. The first term that I came across was psychophysiology and how this principle is based on the mind and body being one and how our thinking affects all physiology. This principle was the perfect definition of yoga because yoga focuses on how the mind and body connects with each other. It gives you a sense of relaxation throughout your mind and body together. Furthermore, the yoga that was in the video was a yoga style called hatha. Which practices asana (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). According to the book, this practices helps bring peace to the mind and body and prepare our body to do deeper exercises. The art of breathing was mentioned during the exercise and in the book. Breathing is very important when trying to unite the mind, body, and spirit. So, having slow, deep breathes was a main focused during the exercise. Another term that was used in the video was the art of stretching, which allows us to become aware of our flexibility of our muscle while moving. Lastly, the art of balance is significant because it allows us to move into the next form of position on both sides of our body. Some of the workouts pose that was mention in the textbook that I did was two knees to the chest, cobra, and head of cow. Overall, hatha

    Read More

  • Power Of Meditation Essay

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The brain is a complex machine capable of performing a multitude of tasks. More than that, it is also able to grow and develop. Amongst the many activities that aid in the enhancement of the abilities of the brain, many do not recognize that the effortless act of solemnly focusing on one’s own mind and sensations can actually enhance cognitive function; moreover, it can also boost physical and mental health. Accordingly, meditation has been confirmed to provide a wide range of benefits. By calming your thoughts now and then, you may notice improvements in the way you carry out particular tasks. With regular practice, this act of attaining a certain state of awareness through deep concentration

    Read More

More about The Nirvitarka Concentration as Represented In Narayan's Mr Sampath

Open Document