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Print: 2347-5021 ISSN: Online: 2347-503X University Grants Commission, New Delhi Recognized Journal No. 41311 ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X The Protagonist’s Evolution through Ashramas (Life Stages) To Surmount the Entanglements of Maya (Material Goods) In ‘The Vendor of Sweets’: A Critical Analysis Dr. Gurpreet Singh Assistant Professor of English, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, Chandigarh, INDIA Abstract Human life is an important phase in the spiritual journey of a soul. This life is the right time to meet the Creator of the Universe. The blessed souls are very rare who feel the quest for self in their mind and strive to walk upon the spiritual path. Vedanta philosophy assures the humble seeker that it is the grace of the Almighty that whosoever treads one step towards Him, His divine light guides the seeker to discover the real self. R.K. Narayan’s profound and thorough study reveals that his works are the reservoir of Indian philosophy. Every component is handled and illustrated with great skill. The quintessence of Indian values and beliefs is brought into attention. The quest for self, initiated by the individual spirit culminates in the discovery of self. Narayan’s two novels named The Vendor of Sweets and The Guide taken together substantiate this stage of discernment through the actions of its protagonists. Key Words: Quest, Vedanta, evolution, entanglements, deeds and liberation Critical Analysis: mental nourishment from the holy books. In The Vendor of Sweets, Jagan, the Jagan mentions the Gita for corroborating protagonist is a whole India in itself and his perspective. He stimulates all his ambassador of its customs in superior and associates to make use of the time by contemptible facets. He carries on full trust acquiring knowledge from the Gita and not in religious convictions and in Mahatma to dissipate time by talking about wealth Gandhi too. Jagan obtains his insight and only. Jagan reads the relevant section from resolution from the old Indian established the Gita where Lord Krishna himself opts to astuteness whenever he accesses the become the charioteer to Arjuna and confusion of standards and morals enlightens him about the requirement to entrenched in social order and customs. The struggle for a righteous cause. Jagan gives Brahamgyaan of the Gita and the Puranas sermons on the Gita, and these thoughts are so intensely embedded in his perception that offers all the knowledge he wants to unknot the convolution of soul’s existence. The every time he faces any problem he rings a philosophy the Gita applies a remarkable bell to the divine knowledge of Bhagwad effect on the mentality of Jagan. The Gita. worldly affairs are certainly surplus with him, but in his dealings, he obtains force and Volume VII Issue II: February 2019 (59) Author: Dr. Gurpreet Singh University Grants Commission, New Delhi Recognized Journal No. 41311 ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X The life cycle Jagan’s life is corresponding to depart to the forest and prepare oneself to the ancient Indian religious convictions for a genuine life of the spirit. The primary that proclaim, objective of this stage is to escape from the “A man’s life time is to be divided into four bustle of life into the solitude of the forest to 2 strictly differentiated stages (ashramas). The meditate on the higher problems.” first is that of the student, he who is to be In Jagan’s departure towards Vanaprastha taught (sishya), he who attends, waits upon Ashrama is provided with an expressively and serves his guru. The second is that of the reasonable depiction of the unrelated householder (grhastha), which is the powers, which make his ultimate withdrawal significant period of man’s maturity and an expected effect of self-appointed enactment of his due role in the world. The conditions. The Bearded Man does not third is that of retirement to the forest for employ the expression Vanaprastha, but that meditation (Vanaprastha), and the fourth is of the garden, where he has discussions with that of the mendicant, wandering sage Jagan, brings to mind the reminiscences of (Bhikshu). Moksa is for the latter two.” 1 the ancient reclusive ashrams in forests The account of the novel is told from the where the ascetics were living and standpoint of its central character Jagan, meditating for the discovery of self. The who has remained a learner, a householder, garden is evocative of the existence of the and a person of dealings and an austere natural world that the Vanaprastha was sequentially. His duration of student time is expected to subsist. The moment Jagan interrupted by his indifference towards adopts the life Vanaprastha ashram, his studies. In his reminiscent disposition, Jagan perception that was set on ordinary affairs in discloses his course through the phase of the past, now comprehends the genuineness about him and the temperament of householder ship. The memories of his marital time are flashing in his psyche, and subsistence. The idea of regeneration is he fulfils all the stipulations of that stage. surprisingly apparent when he discards the Through his stream of consciousness, one worldly life, disturbed and dishonoured by comes to know how he was wedded to a girl his son Mali. selected by his parents named Ambika and In the Vedanta philosophy, the depiction of how the deity on Badri Hill was revered and the Sthita Prajna becomes remarkably worshipped following that, he was blessed similar to Jagan’s resolution to relinquish with a son Mali. Jagan experiences an the life of the family circle as he feels that at internal renovation while transporting his the age of sixty, the human being is reborn concentration the Grihastha Ashrama to the and goes through a new nativity. Jagan Vanaprastha Ashrama. According to Manu, attempts to attain this perfect state, and his “One must enter the third stage when one mentality gets an astonishing transparency. becomes a grandfather, or one’s skin begins He has an understanding of his recently to show wrinkles or one’s hair turn grey. succeeded sovereignty and believes that he When one’s bodily powers wane, it is time has not at all senses more indomitable in his years. The Sthita Prajna of the Vedanta Volume VII Issue II: February 2019 (60) Author: Dr. Gurpreet Singh University Grants Commission, New Delhi Recognized Journal No. 41311 ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X resembles the position of a Jivan Mukta that importation to the monetary facet of living has been delineated in Yoga-Vasistha where and are open to the elements of the divine state is portrayed as, contemporary dreams, but sometime in their “The Jivan Mukta is that state in which the years, they are helpless to defy the saint has ceased to have any desires… He is magnetism of mythical elements and wise and pleasant and living to all with Vedanta philosophy of old Indian culture. whom he comes in contact though They recognise the significance of pursuing unaffected within himself and he can take a righteous living. part in the enjoyment of others, he can play The novelist has portrayed Indian traditions, like a child and can sympathise with the rites and mythical elements in the living of sorrows of sufferers.” 3 natives. The sacred journey to a holy shrine Jagan forsakes his son and his withdrawal’s to make supplication for an heir and even reason of becoming a realised self is to, the wedding of Jagan and various observances disclose the mythical and “live one’s life in this world with some legendary elements in the novel. He depicts measure of tranquility by shaking off the distinctive uniqueness of ideas based on emotion when an emotion has become false Vedanta philosophy and signifies the higher 4 in substance and fettering in effect.” traits of customs and folklore that proclaims R.K. Narayan at this moment reveals that it that to comprehend correct awareness an is merely by incorporating the ancient individual has to create him credible by knowledge and following the olden Indian pursuing the virtuous and spiritual life. way of life that one can attain the These noble ideals are based on holy Vedas, enlightenment and discovery of self. Upanishads and Puranas. R.K. Narayan's works are correlated with The Vendor of Sweets first appeared in the the exploration for the gist of existence by literary world in 1967. The protagonist of the central character and the reasons that the novel Jagan is a widower and a forced him to forsake the worldly affairs to successful sweet-vendor, who plans to develop into a blessed human being. mingle attractive earnings along with Narayan’s novels, The Vendor of Sweets and Gandhian ideology. He has a strong belief in The Guide, scrutinise the issues that make an the Bhagwad Gita. For him, the holy book is individual abandon the material obsessions a foundation of philosophy, ideals. and the intensity of this abandonment. In Whenever he finds spare time, he utilises his The Vendor of Sweets, Jagan's repudiation moments either revolving the wheel or is indeed the winning and discovery of the comprehending scriptures. He delivers the true self. Despite this, Narayan's works discourse to his employees as well. He has a reveal the individuals who are seeking to son, Mali born after an extended period of combine the mystical Oriental values with the wedding and simply after a particular the drastic practical thoughts of the western pilgrimage to Badri Hills to seek blessings civilisations. His protagonists grant of the deities. Jagan's wife had expired of a brain tumour when Mali was still a child.
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