Steven Rosen(Satyaraja das) Researching Hindu-Star Wars Connections Requests Info

[krsna]

rosen108@mac.com

 

USA, April 20, 2005: Steven Rosen writes:

 

"Greetings! I am an author with 20 published books to my credit, mainly

on Eastern philosophy. I have recently completed a manuscript entitled

'The Jedi in the Lotus: Seeing Star Wars Through a Hindu Lens.' As the

title suggests, the book surveys all of the many parallels and overlaps

between Lucas's epic series and the Hindu tradition. I have explored

the Campbell connection at length and I believe I have mined the depths

of most other correlations between Jedi lore and the ancient religion.

My request is this: I have for many years heard that Lucas himself

admitted that the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other Indian myths

heavily influenced his initial creation of the Star Wars series. I need

to know if there is indeed a statement out there to this effect.

Please, if you do not yourself know, send out feelers for me and have

people reply directly to 'source' above."

[Gauracandra]

What is the point of this? I don't want to be critical for no reason, but it sounds to me like he has his conclusion and is trying to find evidence to support it.

 

I don't know about the first 3 Star Wars, but certainly the last one (technically Episode 2, though the 5th movie) had Indian influences. For instance, the Queens name is Padme (from Padma or Lotus). There were a few other names that had sanskrit connotations (can't remember off hand). I do remember that during Episode 2 during a big fight scene with Obi Wan and the dark sith I think, there is singing in the background that is clearly sanskrit. The only word I could make out was death I think (mritya).

[gHari]

If you've listened to some of his lectures you might swear that at times, most times, he was doing an impression of Yoda. Yet he likely had never heard of Star Wars.

 

Hmmmmmmm, Paramatma you must listen to. Yes.

 

[Guest guest]

"What is the point of this? I don't want to be critical for no reason, but it sounds to me like he has his conclusion and is trying to find evidence to support it.

 

I don't know about the first 3 Star Wars, but certainly the last one (technically Episode 2, though the 5th movie) had Indian influences. For instance, the Queens name is Padme (from Padma or Lotus). There were a few other names that had sanskrit connotations (can't remember off hand). I do remember that during Episode 2 during a big fight scene with Obi Wan and the dark sith I think, there is singing in the background that is clearly sanskrit. The only word I could make out was death I think (mritya). "

 

 

Well, what he has is a hypothesis, which he needs evidence to support. So that's the point!

 

AS for your explanation of Hindu connections, not bad, but it was the 4th film that was made, i.e. the first prequel movie, episode 1: the Phantom Menace which you are speaking of.

 

He'd do a better job of connecting the Matrix trilogy to Hinduism as that is VERY clearly Hindu-oriented, and one of the actors, Bernard White, who plays Rama Kandra in Revolutions confirms that the Wachowskis had based the trilogy on the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavad-gita, etc.

 

Of course, if you listen to Yoda's dialogue, a lot of it is Eastern philosophy. The Jedis encourage detachment from all things, and just to do their duty as well.

[Kulapavana]

who really cares if Star Wars had some Vedic influences? at best they were very remote and subtle... so what? they made great movie(s) out of Lord of the Rings and that is pure fiction. I think Rosen is working on a new book... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Guest guest]

"who really cares if Star Wars had some Vedic influences? at best they were very remote and subtle... so what? they made great movie(s) out of Lord of the Rings and that is pure fiction. I think Rosen is working on a new book... "

 

Lord of the Rings is mostly inspired by Norse mythology, Christian allegory.

 

AS for who cares, people do care. I mean no disrespect, but who are you to ask such a thing anyway?

 

The guy asked a question, he obviously cares, so it would be best to give him an answer. Not wonder why he cares so much as it's not helpful to anyone.

 

In any case, Star Wars has quite a few Hindu allusions. The Force itself could be taken to be the Hindu Brahman, and that's already a major aspect of the Star Wars movies.

 

Balance is another key concept in the Star Wars movies as well, the idea of upsetting the balance bringing about destruction of life.

 

Cremation is shown at the end of Return of the Jedi. There are quite a few Hindu references, to be sure.