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Abstract
The Gināns have long remained central and relevant in the lives of the Ismaili and other Indian “Satpanth” communities. Their teachings and worldviews have shaped the beliefs, practices and identity of those who have turned to these compositions for guidance and inspiration on matters like moral conduct and spiritual quest. But the Gināns have also been a source of division at various junctures in history, being at the heart of numerous subdivisions that arose among these communities. One source of such discords relates to the Ginānic themes covering a spectrum of ideas drawn from multiple socio-religious and intellectual streams prevalent in South Asia and beyond often categorised under the labels of “Islamic” and “Hindu”. This paper will examine one such set of ideas revolving around salvific and soteriological visions articulated in the Gināns. These visions take different discursive and narrative forms, ranging from a promise of deliverance in this world and rewards in the hereafter to a hope of rescue from the corrupting power of the evil and monsters. The paper will discuss how such ideas, sitting at the intersection of disparate cosmologies, interact and the kind of prescriptive and introspective perspectives they generate. It will also examine the ramifications of such ideas for the history and modern lives of the adherents of the Ismaili tradition.
Discipline
Religious Studies/Theology
Geographic Area
India
Indian Ocean Region
Pakistan
Sub Area
None