Storytellers, saints and scoundrels: folk narrative in Hindu religious teachingMotilal Banarsidass Publ., 1992 - 298 pages At home, amid rituals, and in the company of Gurus, Hindu teachings are largely conveyed through stories. Storytellers, Saints, and Scoundrels focuses on the folk narratives related with zest and humor by one old Swamiji to the varie groups that gather during the darshan hours. Kirin Narayan brings the tools of anthropology, folklore and literary criticism to bear on these tales and asks: them such a compelling vehicle for religious teachings? The stories reproduced here reveal the varied faces of the ascetic in the Hindu imagination: potentially a wise saint, he may well be a scoundrel intent on duping disciples. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Theres Always a Reason 15 5 mm 888 | 15 |
Lives and Stories | 37 |
Sādhus | 63 |
The Listeners | 88 |
Loincloths and Celibacy | 113 |
False Gurus and Gullible Disciples | 132 |
Death and Laughter | 160 |
Heaven and Hell | 189 |
The Divine Storyteller | 208 |
The World of the Stories | 231 |
Storytelling as Religious Teaching | 242 |
Epilogue | 248 |
Bibliography | 267 |
Other editions - View all
Storytellers, Saints, and Scoundrels: Folk Narrative in Hindu Religious Teaching Kirin Narayan No preview available - 1989 |
Common terms and phrases
ascetic asceticism ashram asked Babaji Bapu become Berkeley Bhagavan Bombay Brahmachari Brahman caste cultural darshan Dashanami Dattatreya death deity Delhi dharma disciples divine father Folklore folktale Gayatri give goat Goddess Govindbhai grin Gulelal Guru Guru's hand heard Heaven Hell Hindi Hindu Hinduism holy householders India karma Karnad kathā King Kirin Lakshmi laughed listeners live loincloth looked Madan Mahābhārata Maharashtra means Minister mother Narad Narayan narrative Nasik Nathu Maharaj nose Nose-Cutters oral person Rāmāyaṇa religion religious retelling role rupees sacred sādhu sadhus samādhi sannyās sannyasi Sanskrit Saptashring Saraswati sect Seth Siddh Purush sitting smile social Society spiritual spoke storytelling Swami Swamiji Swamiji tells Swamiji's stories tape teaching tell stories temple themes There's thing tion told tradition translated Ujjain University Press village Vishnu visitors Western wife woman women words worship York