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A DROP ON SACRED MYTHOLOGY AND CRIME

Author: Akshat Dahate, III year of B.A.,LL.B from ILS Law College, Pune.


ABSTRACT

This blogs points stages of scared mythology and Indian mythology and roots of crime against women.


INTRODUCTION

Crime and mythology go hand in hand and mythology channels its roots by traditional theories and practices. In India many masses follow Hindu mythology, with time the scope has been developed with crime. Our sociological knowledge of crime is fragmented and ineffective in challenging and correcting mistakes of public perception, for example, linking immigration and crime or linking crime with Hindu mythology. Hindu mythology added many teams and theories with respect to crime.


There are various aspects like Hindu mythology and sex crime,rape culture, punishment for sins and killers. Netflix’s Indian original series, SACRED GAMES, connect us with its way of directing and using Hindu mythology and crime. Have you noticed how each episode’s title was derived from an aspect of Hindu mythology. In the first episode the the title is ‘Aswatthama’.


Aswatthama was a warrior in Mahabharata who fought against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war, and he had been cursed with immortality for 3000 years. Gaitonde commits suicide at the end of the episode, and his last words were “I am Ashwatthama - I am not going anywhere until this game is over." The plot continues after his death. New Hindu mythological teams or titles come in the picture like Halahala,Aatapi Vatapi,Brahmahatya and Yayati. The point here is each title or mythology team in the entire series the title has a lot of mythological foreshadowing and narratives which run as parallels in the entire show – but the titles usually are a direct explanation of what is about to be in that particular episode and give a lead to solve this criminal activity or this mystery through mythology.

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY & RAPE CULTURE

Repainting or looking at the patriarchy because it’s directly linked to sexual crimes against women. Rape culture is texted as a crime, rape culture isn’t a myth, it’s real and dangerous. If we look around and see there are women characters, it tells about rape culture and sexual crimes against women. Sita, the wife of God Rama, a pure and righteous woman, was abducted by Ravan, which caused a battle between Ram and Ravan where Ram defeats Ravana. After 14 years Sita and Rama returned to Ayodhya, Sita was pregnant, but people started questioning her and took some test to prove Sita’s purity. Later she asked to quit everything and return to her mother. Many like Madhvai, Draupadhi, Ahalya face this unconditional phase of rape culture and sexual crime connected with mythology.


Krishna is considered to be a supreme god with many roles attached which he played skillfully. He was a king maker, a master strategist, a guide and a philosopher too. He is also renowned for his Raas Leela regarding the Gopis.


It is something that everyone is aware of and the religious scriptures including the epics continue to leave behind a mark in their own right among the Hindus. It has been influencial and the major driving force in all spheres of life, consciously or sub consciously from all traditions and practices.

Indian mythology and the roots of crime

Though mythology and crime are poles apart there is a missing link here. Yet what we fail to notice is the striking resemblance in relation to the crimes committed in today's era. Indian Mythology seemingly forms an underlying base for the crime in India.


The knowledge of our scripture and various other religious works have been imparted to us from generation to generation, but then it is in a way incomplete. This is because we as a society lack the ability to focus or pinpoint the subtle nuances from it and relate it with today's world. It is fragmented and fuelled by our ignorance. We chose to perceive what we wanted to see and hear.


The modern day crimes of rape, eve-teasing, stalking, murder and many others find their roots in the ancient texts along with the punishments for each. Like Krishna's Leela with his Gopis, by breaking pots, stealing away the clothes, teasing them has found a name called eve teasing. It is considered to be punishable under the Indian Penal Code.


Sedition is an old offence of instigating a person out of hatred or contempt to do something which is against the nation as a whole, like the princely kingdoms in medieval times. Sedition has many other forms like waging a war against the state or nation at large, having a treacherous rolling pin within one's kingdom in the form of a spy or 'guptchar' .It has found a place under Section 124 of the the Indian Penal Code. As a result it also led to the development of the highest form of punishment, i.e., hanging till death or mrityudand, which is now given in the rarest of cases.


Moreover those days powerful people used to force common people to commit offences for their own benefits. Therefore giving way to the crime of abetment. This falls under Section 120 of the Indian Penal Code.


The episode of Krishna taking away Rukmini on a chariot and marrying her has the modern crime of abduction and kidnapping also having a very thin line of difference.


The act of forging a signature or seal on behalf of another person without his/her knowledge gave the rise of the crime of Forgery and its varied forms.


The development of the modern crime of counterfeit was in a similar manner in medieval times. It was simply done by either replacing the letters in those days. All it required was a meticulous planning and a great scheming mind as well as a strategy.


Thus the crimes that we see today were already existing from the Vedic ages, and the entire life of Krishna has various excerpts present.


In other words it can be said that the story of Krishna and the cauldron of all emotions, namely Mahabharta, had already laid down the foundation of present-day crimes as well as the Indian Penal Code though we consider it to be an adaptation of the English laws.


FAQs

Q. Myths in literature called “as or meaning?

A. Myths in literature are simply oral traditions written down on paper before they boarder.

Q. In Mahabharat, Devavrata was the other name of ?

A. Other name was ‘Bhishma’


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