Comparing Judaism And The Vedas And Epic Tales Of Hinduism

For many, religion is less a source of moral and ethical principles than a pursuit of the truth. The modern world touts a plethora of religions which all claim to have the answers to our questions of existential validation or of natural phenomena occurring throughout the universe. Out of this plethora of conflicting truths, the conundrum of religion surfaces: faced with so many theories and teachings that demarcate the boundaries of one religion from the next, how are we to discern the genuine from the false in order to pick the best brand of religion? After all, no single religion could possibly have a perfect interpretation of god and the universe. Indeed, although the vast majority of those seeking such truths will settle for one religion, doing so doesn’t necessarily claim that the purported truths of all other religions are false. …show more content…
Religious texts are obvious yet interesting mediums through which such comparisons can be made. In particular, the Torah in Judaism and the many Vedas and Epic tales of Hinduism characterize and preserve the history of their respective religions. A particularly compelling Hindu text is the Ramayana, which is unquestionably one of the greatest triumphs of Hindu literature and the source of much spiritual devotion and cultural inspiration in much of South and Southeast Asia. Though incomparable to the broad and far-reaching effects that the Ramayana has had on Hindu culture, the Torah’s account through the nevi’im of the Rape of Tamar closely parallels the Rape (or abduction) of Sita, whose events are chronicled from the Aranya Kanda through the Yuddha Kanda. Ultimately, contrasting the two stories emphasizes underlying theological differences between the two