Epic DAIVAM

[Alf Hiltebeitel]

OK, but does Brahma really have a will?

Alf Hiltebeitel
Director, Human Sciences Program
Columbian School Professor of Religion and Human Sciences
The George Washington University
Phillips Hall 412
202/ 994-4297
Fax: 202/ 994-7034

Department of Religion
202/ 994-6325 or 202/ 994-1674
Fax: 202/ 994-9379



On Thu, 3 Dec 1998, Vielle Christophe wrote:

>         Since that daivam results in fine from the supreme will of BrahmA
> (as DhAtR or VidhAtR) in the epic, especially in the Mbh, the concept is
> very close with the Greek Dios boul�, the supreme will of Zeus in the
> Iliad. The "divine will" could be a translation (the two ideas are compared
> in the recent book by myself: Le mytho-cycle h�ro�que dans l'aire
> indo-europ�enne: correspondances et transformations hell�no-aryennes,
> Louvain-la-Neuve: Peeters Press, 1996, Publications de l'Institut
> orientaliste de Louvain 46, p. 119-121).
> Christophe Vielle
> 
> >
> >On Tue, 1 Dec 1998, Kevin McGrath wrote:
> >
> >> Dear List Members,
> >>
> >> Does anyone have a good translation for epic 'daivam'?
> >>
> >> 'Fate' or 'destiny' seem to be terms which have very little relation to
> >> pre-classical kshatriya culture.
> >>
> >> I am aware of Shulman's article in the Heesterman Festschrift, but that is
> >> not conclusive.
> >>
> >> Devaat Aagatam does not really help us too much in explaining what is
> >> action for an epic kshatriya.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >>
> >>                                 Kevin McGrath.
> >>
> >>
> >> Sanskrit Dept.
> >> Harvard College.
> >>
>