Epic DAIVAM

[Vielle Christophe]

        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 boulè, 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 héroïque dans l'aire
indo-européenne: correspondances et transformations helléno-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.
>>