A Didactic Aspect of Avarice In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Bhagavad-Gita

Shahnameh and Mahabharata may be assumed as the greatest masterpieces of the Epic genre. The sixth part of Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita (hymn of gods), according to some scholars, is the most philosophical part of Mahabharata, that presents some profound aspects of Hindi mysticism and wisdom. The fearful hesitation of Arjuna, a great hero in the battlefield, to entering the realm of avarice and indecency is the departing moment of Bhagavad-Gita, and then his long conversation with Krishna, an Avatar, is presented in which Krishna puts forward three ways to salvation in order to make Arjuna overcome his hesitation. On the other hand, Avarice is a repeated theme in Shahnameh, and whenever it has been used, the very counter-argument of wisdom has been presented, that like a shield protects man against the avarice. This article aims at surveying these two approaches against Avarice in Iranian and Indian Myths.