Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth
Myths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey,...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/695 |
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| author | Vikas Baniwal Anshu Chaudhary |
| author_facet | Vikas Baniwal Anshu Chaudhary |
| author_sort | Vikas Baniwal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Myths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey, he met a tragic end at the hands of Prince Daśrath. Due to his devotion to his parents, he is revered as an ideal youth in the Indian Hindu context. One wonders what values are conveyed about a society that has, for centuries now, idealised the tragic mythical figure of Śravaṇ Kumār? What could be the underlying fascination with the tragic story of Śravaṇ Kumār, his parents, and the guilt-ridden prince responsible for their tragic deaths and the subsequent ordeal the prince’s son Rām had to endure in accordance with a curse? This paper reinterprets this myth and examines its relevance in contemporary times. The reinterpretation of the myth is further discussed in connection with the relevant psychoanalytic identity development theories, keeping in view the adolescents in the urban metropolitan context in India. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of having relevant mythical and cultural ideals for the identity development of youth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:59:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b435ec59ef34d4692dbc0e6a403b677 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:59:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b435ec59ef34d4692dbc0e6a403b6772023-11-18T12:22:33ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-05-0114669510.3390/rel14060695Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian YouthVikas Baniwal0Anshu Chaudhary1Department of Education, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi 110054, IndiaMyths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey, he met a tragic end at the hands of Prince Daśrath. Due to his devotion to his parents, he is revered as an ideal youth in the Indian Hindu context. One wonders what values are conveyed about a society that has, for centuries now, idealised the tragic mythical figure of Śravaṇ Kumār? What could be the underlying fascination with the tragic story of Śravaṇ Kumār, his parents, and the guilt-ridden prince responsible for their tragic deaths and the subsequent ordeal the prince’s son Rām had to endure in accordance with a curse? This paper reinterprets this myth and examines its relevance in contemporary times. The reinterpretation of the myth is further discussed in connection with the relevant psychoanalytic identity development theories, keeping in view the adolescents in the urban metropolitan context in India. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of having relevant mythical and cultural ideals for the identity development of youth.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/695identityadolescenceIndian mythologyRāmāyanacultural symbolism |
| spellingShingle | Vikas Baniwal Anshu Chaudhary Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth Religions identity adolescence Indian mythology Rāmāyana cultural symbolism |
| title | Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth |
| title_full | Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth |
| title_fullStr | Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth |
| title_short | Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth |
| title_sort | sravan kumar rethinking a cultural ideal for indian youth |
| topic | identity adolescence Indian mythology Rāmāyana cultural symbolism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/695 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vikasbaniwal sravankumarrethinkingaculturalidealforindianyouth AT anshuchaudhary sravankumarrethinkingaculturalidealforindianyouth |