ABSTRACT
While putting all that is contained in my dissE!rtation in the form of an Abstract I would like to say first
that my work. because of its nature, is not and can not be
exhaustive.
John Mil ton and 'l'Ulasi oas # growing old and
fresh eniQmatically. have both become. through ages. canplex
personalities.
Everyt.J.me one re-reads them one finds some
fresh aspects to examine.
Both the poets aJ:e elusive, subtle,
liberal and orthodox at the same time.
humanist and radical also.
They are puritan.
My purpose is to investigate
and outline the resemblances and dif ferenc:es in the following
spheres of the works of John Milton and TUlasi
oas t
1. !ioly sources and handling of those sources.
2. Transformation of ancient and contempOrary
classics and the indebtedness of these am
poets to them.
3. The poet • s attitude to women.
4. The treatment of two mighty antagonists. one
each from Paradise Lost and Ramcaritmanas.
My efforts have largely remained confined to the
metboc:ls of approach of the poets to the materials at hand.
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or acquired througb study and contact. I have pointed out
their additions and alterations also with a view to shm..,ing
their skill in doing so.
The most striking feature of their
vor'ks is that Milton and Tulas1 have not descri:bed the undescribed but the indescribable in their epics.
I have
selected only a few aspects of the indescribable here and
tried to examine the various issues relating to them.
my attempt has always been
to
But
show tbat the two poets :resem-
ble more than they differ in their attitudes and styles.
Their profound concern for humanity and pexvasive love for
righteous conduct act as the binding factor in their works.
They believe in the principles of co-existence of the holy
with the human.
Neither the holy can exist 1n disregard
to t.he human nor the human can exist in disregard to the
holy.
This is a unique proposition; and tlle subject offers
abundant scope for fresh research.
In accordance with the
various aspects, which I bave dealt with in my work, I propose to divide this Abstract into four sections in
I
~h3ch
may be able to describe in brief the contents of this
thesis.
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Having outlined the biographical events in the first
chapter. I have proceeded, in the second chapter, to ex ami,
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the c'omr>arable aspects of Jobn Mllton and Tulasi
oas. 1 have
traced out the links and the indebtedness of these poets
to the holy sources which were deemed to be partly out of
human interpretation.
the Vedas
This means the Bible for Nilton. and
ana Puranas for TUlasi. It becomes necessary here
to remove the possibi.lity of any misconception about the
treatment of this aspect.
I have not made any attempt to
establist• any identificaUon
bet~en
Christianity and Hinduism
or the Holy Sible and the Vedas for that reason.
That would
be a vain endeavour and perhaps irre-levant from theological
point of view.
My sole purpose has been the cCt'Oparative
study of the two poets: and I have tried in this chapter to
examine how the two poets make use of their holy sourees
in their respective cultural backgrounds.
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Th~
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third chapter of the dissertation traces out
the indebtedness of John Milton and Tulasi nas to the ancient
classics. The anc:i.ent classics have been of imtnenee value
t.o both of them. There is no possibility of misunderstanding
about the nature of the borrowings froro these classics.
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They are primarily literary works and are acknowledged as
epics.
l.n this c:onnection I have taken Kcmer and virgil
rnaJ.nly for the study of
the study of Tulas!
oas.
~11 t.cm.
and v al.m.tki
and vyasa for
The diUerence between th&
two
sides has been in 1'6lation to the borrowings. Milt.on having
borrowed tbe style only. while 1'\llasi ou baving borrowed
both the
Me as
ana Tulasi
and the story.
Das have
1 have argued h<)W Jobn Mil tCJJ'l
suc~ssfully
screened tbese materials
\!lhlle relying on the ol<i modelst and how they have added
new ideas and made alterati<ms.
It is 1n the process of
these screenings. anissions. additJ.cms and alterations that
a t.ransfomatJ.on of the anc.tent classics takes place in
the Paradise Lost and Ramcaritmanas..
t I t
Nothing in the l.ives of the two poets has played so
important a role as woman; and 1 bave made wanan the subjectmatter of my o3.sc:uss1on in the fourth chapter of th1.s thesis.
Thls topic is of unique importance. partJ.cularly for the
conu-oversies that are frequently raised.
Paradise Lost.
was planned to become a work doct.rinal to a nQt.1on in the
same way as Ramcarit.manes J.n the respective regions of the
poets.
wnatever ba:) fauna way in these t.wo ep.tes 1s Of
areat. &ionificance to the humanity.
poets toward.s
~n
The attit.Ude of the
is. therefc)J:e, an important topic.
Milton had received a gzoeat shock from a W()lrlan he loved
as Tulas.i Das bad received.
was this fac.tor contributory
to the fonnatJ.c:m of t.heir attitude towaxas wcnen?
This
question bas been answered we 11 in the fourth chapter.
1 bave flhown bow rigid vas tile notion of John !-111 ton t.owaxds
wosnen. ana also whether er not, it has unaeroone ch.anaes
in due course.
1 have Shown that T\lla&i oas ana
women in various ways.
~1ltcm
treated
sar..etJ.mes t.bey rise above our
expectations; and s.ometJ.mes tlley fall d<Nn to an unimag.inable depth.
They are both texrible and adm.lrable: cruel
and. kind; and someUmoa human ana aontet.ittes divine.
The
most. creative feature of female character-s in the Ufe of
male counterparts io that they motivate t.bEml with J.aetas
to work, may be sometimes wrongly, for ,.mJ.ch they deserve
no blame.
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tn tbe fifth cbapter X have discussed the two prominentI
These cbaract.ers represent and lead the hostile elements
in the epics and are named as Antagonists in my thesis.
sa tan J.s the enemy of
enemy.
Goo.
or rather he treats God as his
Thi$ position corresponds to the situation in
Ramcaritmanas in which Ravan treats Rama as his enemy.
satan has his origin in the Heaven.
nent angel before his fall.
Indeed, he was an eroi-
He revolted and was punished:
and was consequently degenerated.
A portion of this chapter
deals with the origin and concept o£ the antagonists. This
bas required me t.o have occasional allusions to myths and
legends and sometimes to art and sculpture.
while examining them, in the context of Paradise Lost
and Ramcaritmanas. I have dealt with their actions in rela-
tion to the Gcxls whose opponents they ara.
gooa
They have both
and bad aspects, but the instinct and inclination for
the latter overpowers them. They possess tremendous physical
and mental abUity: but it is diverted to selfish and sinful purposes.
Both of them are conscious rebels against
the Almighty.
They assess their success half-heartedly and
anticipate only the defeat. at the very
outset~
Th.ts is a
ridiculous position: and both Satan and Ravan are ridiculed.
This has been elaborately discussed by me. FUrther the two
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Antagonists have been examined in relaticn t:.o their Kiths
end Klns al.so who are already divided 1n groups.
In Ram-
earitmanas t.he majorit:y of the faction is eloquent in
reminding Ravan of the awful results that In9Y follow 1n the
event o£ war with Rama.
The group that supports Ravan con-
sists of flatterers and unwise people only.
The wise in
the camp of Revan advise him to change his mind and to
surren<ier to Rama for a valid and righteous cause.
situations are notJ.ced in Paradise Lost also.
Such
Anotl'ler comt1lOJ
characteristic of the two Antagonists J.s their J.ncorrl.gibi-
lity.
Ravan and satan behave like spoiled chUdren on a
number of occasions. obstinate to uphold their own views
only.
1 have in my thesJ.s made an
at.t~t
to provoke the
scholars in the direction of comparative literature by
raising
acme
.important issues and examining them vJ.t.h refe-
rence to Paradise Lost and Ramcaritmanasr and I hope to
Succeedo
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