Re: [INDOLOGY] saśarīra

Dominik Haas dominik.haas at univie.ac.at
Wed Dec 18 09:53:24 UTC 2019


What could also be noted is that when _saśarīra_ is used, it does not
always mean that one simply keeps the mortal body and "physically" goes
to heaven, the _brahmaloka_ or any other place. As result of performing
the Agnicayana (or one of its subforms, the Nāciketacayana), a new body
is obtained after death. Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa III 11.7.3 reads: _sáśarīra
evá svargáṃ lokám eti_, '_embodied_, he goes to the heavenly world.' But
this obviously has to be a new body (so _saśarīra_ might be opposed to
_svaśarīra_?) .  

Personally I'm convinced that there were quite a few overlaps between
"Epic-yogic" and "Vedic-ritualistic" (broadly speaking) ways of
imagining the goal of salvation (argued here:
doi.org/10.1007/s10781-019-09408-y [4]). My point is that there were
different views about the way of embodiment in the afterlife (the
polysemy of the word _ātman_ was helpful in this case), and people
constantly "remixed" and blended ideas from various sources. This might
also be relevant in some way for the Epic stories and for Triśaṅku and
his sacrifice.  

Best, 
Dominik 

---

__________________ 
Dominik A. Haas, BA MA 
PhD student, University of Vienna

 dominik.haas at univie.ac.at
ORCID: 0000-0002-8505-6112 [5] 
academia.edu/DominikHaas [6] [7] 

Am 2019-12-17 03:23, schrieb Aaron Sherraden via INDOLOGY:

> Thank you very much for all these helpful responses -- I have a few great new paths to explore and look forward to hearing about any more that this list may conjure up.   
> 
> My mistake with regards to the role of _tapas _in the Triśaṅku story -- it was, of course, Viśvāmitra whose _tapas _caused a bit of a stir, not Triśaṅku's.  Many thanks to Dr. Goldman for steering the list in the right direction. 
> 
> All the best, 
> Aaron 
> 
> On Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 3:56 PM Robert Goldman <rpg at berkeley.edu> wrote: 
> Of course, technically, Triśaṅku does not seek to enter the heavenly world(s) through _tapas_, but rather by having a sacrifice performed on his behalf for this purpose. Thus he first approaches Vasiṣṭha, then Vasiṣṭha's sons and finally, in his cursed form, Viśvāmitra. Then there are also various accounts of mortals who are able to travel to heaven in their earthly  bodies on a temporary basis, such as Arjuna at Mbh. 3.43 ff.  and Dilīpa at _Raghuvaṃśa_ 1. 75 ff. etc.  
> 
> Dr. R. P.  Goldman
> Catherine and William L. Magistretti Distinguished Professor in South and Southeast Asian Studies
> Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies MC # 2540
> The University of California at Berkeley
> Berkeley, CA 94720-2540
> Tel: 510-642-4089
> Fax: 510-642-2409 
> 
> On Dec 16, 2019, at 12:18 PM, Uskokov, Aleksandar via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote: 
> 
> Hi Aaron,
> 
> Perhaps not relevant directly, but you could look at Sabara's commentary on Mimamsa-sutra 1.1.5, where a statement from the Brahmanas that the ritualist attains heaven in his own body along with the ritual implements is discussed.
> 
> Best 
> Aleksandar
> 
> Get Outlook for Android [1] 
> -------------------------
> 
> From: INDOLOGY <indology-bounces at list.indology.info> on behalf of Tieken, H.J.H. via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info>
> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2019 3:14:20 PM
> To: Aaron Sherraden <aaron.sherraden at gmail.com>; indology at list.indology.info <indology at list.indology.info>
> Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] saśarīra 
> 
> Dear Aaron, 
> 
> In my article "The Mahābhārata after the Great Battle", WZKS XLVIII (2004, app. 2005) I deal with Yudhiṣṭhira, who is the only one of the Pāṇḍavas to arrive in heaven with his body because he is without sin (see p. 36). 
> I think (but am not certain) you may find a pdf of this article on my website. 
> Herman
> 
> Herman Tieken 
> Stationsweg 58 
> 2515 BP Den Haag 
> The Netherlands 
> 00 31 (0)70 2208127
> 
> website: hermantieken.com [2] 
> 
> -------------------------
> 
> Van: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces at list.indology.info] namens Aaron Sherraden via INDOLOGY [indology at list.indology.info]
> Verzonden: maandag 16 december 2019 21:02
> Aan: indology at list.indology.info
> Onderwerp: [INDOLOGY] saśarīra
> 
> Dear list members, 
> 
> I am wondering about appearances of the word "saśarīra" and/or "svaśarīra" in various contexts.  I have encountered saśarīra/svaśarīra in the episodes of Triśaṅku and Śambūka from the _Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa_, but would be curious to know of other places where these or similar concepts show up.  In both of these episodes, the goal of Triśaṅku and Śambūka is to enter some sort of heavenly realm or divine form (variously referred to as divam, gatim, svargam, devatvam etc.) with their body.  Also in these episodes, Triśaṅku and Śambūka have gone rogue to engage in _tapas _as a way of achieving this goal.   
> 
> An example from each of the _Rāmāyaṇa_ episodes: 
> 
> guruśāpakṛtaṃ rūpaṃ yad idaṃ tvayi vartate | 
> anena saha rūpeṇa saśarīro gamiṣyasi || VR 1.58.4 (Triśaṅku episode) 
> 
> śūdrayonyāṃ prasūto 'smi tapa ugraṃ samāsthitaḥ | 
> devatvaṃ prārthaye rāma saśarīro mahāyaśaḥ || VR 7.67.2 (Śambūka episode) 
> 
> I am especially curious about the use of "saśarīra" in similar ways, but I am open to any use of the term from the literature at large. 
> 
> With thanks in advance, 
> Aaron _______________________________________________
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