Karma: Action & Consequence in the Bhagavad-Gita - Essay Sample

Introduction

To the Bhagavad-Gita, Karma means action. It refers to the things that individuals do through their minds, words, and the body. The Bhagavad-Gita refers to the source of Hindu ethics, where the followers perform their duties without getting attached to the fruits of their actions. The idea about Karma is that for all actions, exists consequences. The universe gets to respond to action at the time it is performed or later as it depends on the quality. Actions lead to impressions that give rise to desire. The importance of Karma to the Bhagavad-Gita is that it helps to discover what it means to act without getting attached to the fruits of the action.

Who is Krishna?

Krishna is a Hindu god, who is considered the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. In the present day, Krishna is worshipped as the supreme Hindu god by the majority of the believers. There are festivals held to commemorate successful attempts of Krishna alongside the believers fasting and lighting wicks (Walters, 2016). Krishna is portrayed in Hindu art as having dark skin. He wears a robe, yellow in color, has a peacock feather in the long black hair, and also plays the flute. Referencing the occupation, Krishna is accompanied by cows. The God is represented in the architectural sculpture at the famous sites as per the believers.

Characterize Oedipus. Be sure to include at least three specific qualities of his personality/character.

Oedipus is known to be a great ruler but still has significant flaws that he is unable to overcome. He is full of pride such that as a young man, he got a prophecy from the local oracle that revealed that he would kill his parents one day. He decided that he would run away, but it was a sin for him even to think that he could outrun a divine prophecy (Lucas, 2018). Even though he was aware of that, he let his pride make him believe that he could getaway. Oedipus is also temperamental from the case of the older man in a carriage.

Define irony. Discuss Sophocles' use of irony.

Irony refers to the literary device that authors use on the audience such that their understanding of the events in a pay surpasses those of the characters. Authors allow the audience to know essential facts ahead of the leading characters. Sophocles uses the dramatic irony that underlines how a partial human perspective can be when most reasonable (Lucas, 2018). He uses irony to make the audience feel that they are taking part in the play. Sophocles also uses verbal irony to make the audience wait in suspense, wanting to know the reaction of Oedipus to his fate.

Characterize Aeneas. How is he different/alike the Greek heroes we studied?

Aeneas is a hero of Troy, which is a city in Asia that was destroyed during the Trojan Warf by the Greeks. Aeneas survived the war and was responsible for leading a group of the Trojans on a journey to the Latium kingdom in central Italy, where Rome arose. The heroism of Aeneas reveals his ideal figure to serve as the legendary founder of Rome. Aeneas is different compared to the Greek heroes because he provided the Romans with a distinct identity but was not Greek, but it was ancient and honorable. Aeneas is given a new set of armor and weapons bearing the images of Rome's future glory.

Discuss the history of the Greek civilization

The civilization of ancient Greek took place in the 8th century BC. It was when Greece fell to the Romans. The Greek cities had started to plant colonies on the coasts of the Mediterranean. King Phillip later defeated the Greek city-states and imposed his dominion on them. The civilization led to the evolvement of significant features for Greece that led to modernization. It became the founding culture of western civilization because of the powerful influence of the Roman Empire. The city-states defended their independence fiercely, and they regarded political unity not to be an option unless it was imposed from the outside.

Characterize the "Romans" of the Roman Empire.

The Romans were characterized as either rich or poor. The wealthy Romans live a good life like being in beautiful houses that are on the hills outside Rome. These were the areas away from the noise and foul sell. They enjoyed extravagant lifestyles from the luxurious furnishings that were surrounded by servants and slaves (Jashemski et al., 2017). The poor Romans lived in shabby and squalid houses that could collapse or burn at any time. In case times were hard, they would abandon their babies on the streets with the hope that someone else would take them in. They were poor in wealth but were strong members.

Contrast the Hebrew attitude/image of God with the Christian interpretation

Hebrew considers the many roles and responsibilities of God, such as being a judge, creator, father, king, and liberator. On the other side, the Christian interpretation of the image of God is that He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The Christian interpretation is also that God is perfect, all-knowing, and all-powerful. Hebrew Bible contains the fundamental teaching of monotheism. God is said to have a real personality being depicted in human terms. He delivered the Israelites slaves from the hands of the Egyptians, and he is accessible to humankind.

References

Jashemski, W. F., Gleason, K. L., Hartswick, K. J., & Malek, A. A. (Eds.). (2017). Gardens of the Roman Empire. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/55974944/2018-02-RomanTombGardens-JashemskiEtAlEd-GardensOfThe_RomanEmpire.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DRoman_tomb_gardens_-_2018.pdf

Lucas, D. A. (2018). Case Study One: Sophocles' Oedipus. In Affect Theory, Genre, and the Example of Tragedy (pp. 151-190). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Walters, H. (2016). Playing God: Participant Frameworks in the Ras Lilas of Krishna. The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 28(2-3), 135-144.