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Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata. / Black, B.
In: Religions, Vol. 13, No. 10, 898, 25.09.2022.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Black, B 2022, 'Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata', Religions, vol. 13, no. 10, 898. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13100898

APA

Black, B. (2022). Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata. Religions, 13(10), Article 898. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13100898

Vancouver

Black B. Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata. Religions. 2022 Sept 25;13(10):898. doi: 10.3390/rel13100898

Author

Black, B. / Politics without Fear : King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata. In: Religions. 2022 ; Vol. 13, No. 10.

Bibtex

@article{88afd9161c9443d4b34fe0914a933ffe,
title = "Politics without Fear: King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata",
abstract = "This paper will analyse a series of dialogues that features kings named Janaka, which appear in the {\'S}ānti Parvan of the Mahābhārata. Although there is some variation among these episodes, kings named Janaka tend to be characterised as exemplary rulers who engage in dialogue with learned philosophers and who are strongly associated with the ideals of self-cultivation, renunciation, and liberation. I will argue that the name Janaka functions as a conceptual repertoire for ideas and practices associated with a particular understanding of royal authority. As I will show, the dialogues featuring kings named Janaka characterise sovereignty as both dynamic and fragile because the king is always in the process of displaying his knowledge and self-control. In this way, the different dialogical episodes featuring different Janakas conceptualise political authority differently, thus contributing to an ongoing, inter-textual and inter-religious discussion about sovereignty in ancient India. {\textcopyright} 2022 by the author.",
keywords = "A{\'s}oka, Janaka, Mahābhārata, sovereignty, yoga, Yudhiṣṭhira, ātman",
author = "B. Black",
note = "Export Date: 2 November 2022",
year = "2022",
month = sep,
day = "25",
doi = "10.3390/rel13100898",
language = "English",
volume = "13",
journal = "Religions",
issn = "2077-1444",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute",
number = "10",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Politics without Fear

T2 - King Janaka and Sovereignty in the Mahābhārata

AU - Black, B.

N1 - Export Date: 2 November 2022

PY - 2022/9/25

Y1 - 2022/9/25

N2 - This paper will analyse a series of dialogues that features kings named Janaka, which appear in the Śānti Parvan of the Mahābhārata. Although there is some variation among these episodes, kings named Janaka tend to be characterised as exemplary rulers who engage in dialogue with learned philosophers and who are strongly associated with the ideals of self-cultivation, renunciation, and liberation. I will argue that the name Janaka functions as a conceptual repertoire for ideas and practices associated with a particular understanding of royal authority. As I will show, the dialogues featuring kings named Janaka characterise sovereignty as both dynamic and fragile because the king is always in the process of displaying his knowledge and self-control. In this way, the different dialogical episodes featuring different Janakas conceptualise political authority differently, thus contributing to an ongoing, inter-textual and inter-religious discussion about sovereignty in ancient India. © 2022 by the author.

AB - This paper will analyse a series of dialogues that features kings named Janaka, which appear in the Śānti Parvan of the Mahābhārata. Although there is some variation among these episodes, kings named Janaka tend to be characterised as exemplary rulers who engage in dialogue with learned philosophers and who are strongly associated with the ideals of self-cultivation, renunciation, and liberation. I will argue that the name Janaka functions as a conceptual repertoire for ideas and practices associated with a particular understanding of royal authority. As I will show, the dialogues featuring kings named Janaka characterise sovereignty as both dynamic and fragile because the king is always in the process of displaying his knowledge and self-control. In this way, the different dialogical episodes featuring different Janakas conceptualise political authority differently, thus contributing to an ongoing, inter-textual and inter-religious discussion about sovereignty in ancient India. © 2022 by the author.

KW - Aśoka

KW - Janaka

KW - Mahābhārata

KW - sovereignty

KW - yoga

KW - Yudhiṣṭhira

KW - ātman

U2 - 10.3390/rel13100898

DO - 10.3390/rel13100898

M3 - Journal article

VL - 13

JO - Religions

JF - Religions

SN - 2077-1444

IS - 10

M1 - 898

ER -