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What is Sen’s interpretation of the positions taken by Krishna and Arjuna in the debate between them? [Note Sen’s comment: ‘Arjuna’s contrary arguments are not really vanquished... - English Elective - NCERT

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Question

What is Sen’s interpretation of the positions taken by Krishna and Arjuna in the debate between them?

[Note Sen’s comment: ‘Arjuna’s contrary arguments are not really vanquished... There remains a powerful case for ‘faring well’ and not just ‘faring forward’.]

Short Note

Solution

Sen feels that Arjuna’s position of ‘faring well’ should not completely be overlooked, irrespective of the message that Bhagavad Gita coveys. He feels that Krishna’s position of ‘faring forward’ irrespective of the consequences cannot be justified in the contemporary world of wars and violence. He also supports this argument by stating J.R. Oppenheimer (the physicist who led the American team that developed the nuclear weapon) as an example.

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The Argumentative Indian
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Chapter 3.5: The Argumentative Indian - Understanding the Text [Page 187]

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NCERT English - Kaleidoscope Class 12
Chapter 3.5 The Argumentative Indian
Understanding the Text | Q 1. | Page 187

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Sen quotes Eliot’s lines: ‘Not farewell/But fare forward voyagers’. Distinguish between ‘faring forward’ (Krishna’s position in the Gita) and ‘faring well’ (the position that Sen advocates).


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