Comparison of The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bhagavad-Gita - Book Report/Review Example

Comparison of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and "The Bhagavad-Gita” All philosophical writings are characterized by two fundamentals. The first one is that they contain the thoughts and sensibilities of the era to which they belong and the second is that they are timeless and in the succeeding ages are able to provide an entirely new meaning relative to the time they are read. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Bhagavad-Gita belong to this genre. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one the most important pieces of epic poetry, preserved on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia and dates back to the third millennium B.C. It was written prior to Homer's Iliad, about 1500 years before it. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known written story and is the first narrative that gives an account of the search for immortality and perpetual youth. It is the mythical legend of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk who after experiencing the loss of a friend, vows to achieve immortality for himself. The epic is about the various adventures of the hero-king, Gilgamesh, his quest for immortality, and an account of the great flood. Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third man, a hero, beautiful, courageous, terrifying and at the same time mortal like the rest. The story in the epic revolves around the relationship between Gilgamesh, and his half-wild friend, Enkidu. Gilgamesh disillusioned and unhappy with his rule embarks on dangerous quests with Enkidu and in one of the journeys Enkidu meets with death. The epic for the most part focuses on Gilgamesh's thoughts and sense of of loss asfter the death of Enkidu and his search for immortality. Gilgamesh does not rest after Enkidu’s death but continues his journey to meet Utnapishtim, the only mortal who has been given everlasting life by the gods. When Gilgamesh asks Utnapishtim "How shall I find the life for which I am searching?" (The Epic of Gilgamesh), he says, "There is no permanence". He reveals the mystery of his everlasting life and tells Gilgamesh the story of the flood. He and his wife were granted eternal life by the gods after they survive the flood. He also tells the story of the gods who, unable to sleep because of the uproar created by mankind, wanted to destroy mankind, but for Ea, who instructed Utnapishtim to build a boat and "take up into [it] the seed of all living creatures" (The Epic of Gilgamesh). Utnapishtim also reveals a second mystery of the gods. He tells Gilgamesh that there is a plant growing under water which can restore youth. Gilgamesh finds the plant and decides to take it to Uruk to give it to the old men. But when Gilgamesh is bathing in a well, a serpent comes up and snatches away the plant, throws its skin off and returns to the well. This snake is symbolic. In the Sumerian world, Ningizzida, the god of the serpent, is "the lord of the Tree of Life". The snake throwing of its skin is symbolic of nature’s way of regeneration. Gilgamesh goes back to the city of Uruk, and tells the ferryman, who had accompanied him on his journey home, "Urshanabi, climb up on to the wall of Uruk, inspect its foundation terrace, and examine well the brickwork; see if it is not of burnt bricks; and did not the seven wise men lay these foundations?" Gilgamesh tired after the journey "engraved on a stone the whole story" (The Epic of Gilgamesh).The epic ends with the death of Gilgamesh. Even though it was written several thousand years ago and written on tablets of clay, the Epic of Gilgamesh, like the Bhagavad-Gita continues to interest contemporary readers. Just as the Gita is a window to the philosophy of Hinduism, Gilgamesh is a window to the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian cultures. Gilgamesh's struggle against the gods, his battles with the forces of nature, and finally his own mortality in a way mirrors the contemporary man’s struggle to find his place in society as well as in the in the cosmos. The Bhagavad-Gita is a part of the epic, Mahabharata. Like the Epic of Gilgamesh the Bhagavad-Gita is timeless and relevant to all eras. It is in the form of a dialogue between the God Krishna and the hero Arjuna, The setting is a battlefield. It consists of eighteen chapters and is a spiritual discourse in the Sanskrit language set in verse. It was composed between fifth century B.C and third century B.C. It summarizes the essence of the philosophies of Hinduism in a simple form The text discusses the following Hindu concepts, among others: dharma, which says that class and caste to which a person is born determine what a person has to do, reincarnation, meaning that life and death are illusionary and that the soul lives on; and karma, according to which all people have a record of their many lives, which determines when the cycle of birth and rebirth will end. Unlike the Epic of Gilgamesh it it does not hve a story line. It is a poem is in the form of a conversation between Lord Krishna and his relative and warrior Arjuna during the epic war of Mahabharata. Arjuna on realizing that he has to fight against all his relatives and loved ones is shocked and confused. He does not want to fight. Lord Krishna, who is his charioteer, understands his predicament and convinces him why he should fight and shows him the right path. The arguments and advice form the basis of Bhagavad-Gita. Here Arjuna’s fear before the battle is quite similar to Gilgamesh’s fear about death. The Bhagavad-Gita is the most widely-read scripture of ancient India. It provides us with the knowledge of five basic truths, namely God, here Krishna, the individual soul, time, this material world we live in and our actions in this world. The Gita explains the nature of the universe, consciousness and the the self, and the universe. It answers many questions that have been asked by philosophers for centuries. The gods play a central role n both The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bhagavad-Gita. However there is a difference in the perception of gods in both these epics. The difference is that the gods in Gilgamesh are very much like the humans, with faults and whims, whereas the Hindus consider gods to have come from heaven and all-powerful without any faults. This difference is also seen in the portrayal of power these gods are supposed to have. The gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh behave like human beings, and hence their power is limited. For instance Ishtar, the goddess of love, on seeing Gilgamesh falls passionately in love with his beauty. This passion is a human characteristic. Later, Ishtar, wants to take revenge on Gilgamesh because “The king of Uruk has insulted me” (Epic of Gilgamesh, Sanders). This again is a human characteristic. Again in Mesopotamian mythology, no one god is all-powerful. Ishtar has to take her father’s permission. Here she tells her father ‘Give me the Bull of Heaven that I may punish Gilgamesh the king”. The father replies, ‘If I should give the Bull of Heaven to you, then there would follow seven years of husks. Have you prepared for this?’ (The Epic of Gilgamesh). This dialogue is almost like the dialogue between a mortal father and daughter. One more instance is the dilemma of the gods after Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven and Huwawa. The gods meet and debate on whether to kill both Enkidu and Gilgamesh or just one of them. This indecisiveness is again a human trait. It reflects on the gods’ weaknesses as well. That no one god is all-powerful is proved in the episode where the gods decide to flood the world and leave no survivors. Ea, the wise god of waters, goes against this decision and tells Utnapishtim, “abandon your house, abandon what you possess, abandon your house and build a boat instead. Seek life instead of riches, save yourself.” (Epic of Gilgamesh). Also the gods do not command respect all the time. When Ishtar wants Gilgamesh as a lover he refuses her and shows disrespect by saying, “You are the door through which the cold gets in. You are the fire that goes out. You are the pitch the sticks to the hands of the one who carries the bucket. You are the house that falls down. You are the shoe the pinches the foot of the wearer” (Epic of Gilgamesh). . In The Bhagavad-Gita, the gods are considered to be supreme and above human beings. The Gita says “He who knows the Day of Brahman, which lasts a thousand of yugas, and His Night, which comes to an end after a thousand of yugas — he knows Day and Night.” (Bhagavad-Gita). This shows that Brahma is above the human limitations of night and day and is supernatural. The gods are much powerful than described in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Brahma, the all powerful is always there and will be there always. This is not n true with the Mesopotamians. As new cultures move in or conquer the area, new gods and goddesses are added. In the Bhagavad-Gita a Deity is one who is in communication with humans, cares for their well-being, and considers them as a part of Himself. He is present in all persons, objects and events. The concept of death in these two epics is similar is some ways and dissimilar in some ways. Death is inevitable, both the epics agree. “Verily, death is predestinated for the born one, and birth is unavoidable for the one who has died. Do not grieve over what is inevitable!” says the Bhagavad-Gita. Also according to the Gita life is eternal. It says “For, verily, never there was a time when I or you or these kings did not exist; and, verily, we will not cease to exist in the future” (Bhagavad-Gita). Here it is about the soul one is talking about. The body is only a physical state in which this eternal soul resides. Again it says “Only the bodies of the embodied are perishable, but he himself is eternal and indestructible. Fight, therefore, OBharata!” Hinduism believes that life after death will bring happiness. According to the Gita just as death is certain, life, too, is certain after death. After death there is rebirth and this rebirth depends on your actions on earth. Hence one has to lead a good life. After repeated cycles of death and rebirth, man eventually becomes one with the gods or the infinite spirit. This state is known as Moksha. Therefore the Gita urges us not to grieve death but follow one’s duty. Here it says “ By performing his duty and worshipping through this the One by Whose Will all beings come into existence and Who pervades everything, man attains Perfection!” (Bhagavad-Gita). This concept of joining the infinite spirit after death is different from the view held by the Mesopotamians. They did not believe in the cycle of birth and death. According to The Epic of Gilgamesh, life on Earth is a journey through the darkness that will finally lead us to the light of eternal life. “When he had gone one league the darkness became thick around him, for there was no light…After eleven leagues the dawn light appeared. At the end of twelve leagues the sun streamed out” (The Epic of Gilgamesh). It also says that death is inevitable and man cannot be immortal. The idea of an afterlife in the Epic of Gilgamesh is illustrated through the death of Enkidu, Enkidu describes the afterlife as time being spent underground and doing what is neither enjoyable nor exciting. Hence a man should find joy in life itself. To the Mesopotamians afterlife was a place of darkness from where no one returned. It was portrayed as a place where no one wanted to go. This is also one of the reasons why Gilgamesh went on a search for immortality. The purpose of life according to the Gita was to remain in the world of humans, participate in all the struggles and at the same time continually strive to seek a comprehensive understanding of God and the concept of unity with God. Also one should not seek rewards for personal actions but do one’s duty without thinking of the fruits. The purpose of life as seen in the Epic of Gilgamesh is not so profound and much simpler. According to it one should enjoy life and make merry in the present life as afterlife can be terrible. Both the epics talk about authority and strength but in the "Bhagavad-Gita” the strength is the strength of the soul; while in “Gilgamesh” it is the exterior strength. References 1. The Bhagavad-Gita, All quotes retrieved from http://www.swami-center.org/en/text/bhagavad_gita.html on 7/12/08 2. The Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Sandars, N. K London: Penguin, 1972. Read More