LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 24:11 November 2024
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Proverbs and Parables: Unveiling Wisdom in Candles in the Dark

Dr. Dipak P. Ganmote

Abstract

In this article, I have tried to reveal the wisdom stated in the book Candles in the Dark: A Treasury of the World’s Most Inspiring Parables. Parables have been an inevitable genre used for preaching wisdom. I have purposefully chosen this book for analysis as it deals with the parables from different world religions. One of the aims of literary writing is to reflect upon life in general. Parables are the stories that reflect upon life and provide us with a path to live accordingly. Similarly, proverbs in the parables add to the wisdom extended by the stories. Hence, I have tried to uncover the wisdom in the parables. To do so, I have followed specific steps. I have identified the proverbs in the parables and then described the context. It is necessary to indicate the context of the proverbs to interpret them appropriately. I have divided the proverbs into different chunks to understand them. Then, I correlated them with various aspects like mythological, cultural, traditional, environmental, or religious. Finally, what these proverbs imply through the parables is interpreted to arrive at a universally applicable wisdom.

Keywords: Candles in the Dark, Folklore, Parables, Proverbs Stories, Wisdom

Introduction

The world is full of different cultures and traditions. With differences in cultures and traditions, the way of preaching and advising changes. In the old times, when the written script was not used for communication, people used to express their opinions, and thoughts orally. Therefore, the most prominent proverb scholars acknowledge that the proverbs have been orally transmitted from generation to generation (Mieder 24). People often consulted the preachers or persons with religious duties for advice. These preachers advised the people through the stories. Different preachers used different styles of storytelling for this purpose. A parable is one of the most used forms of story that contains a moral message to be understood by the listeners. The preachers merely narrate an anecdotal story and leave the listeners to get to the ethical message.

The present paper unveils the wisdom stated in the parables of the different religions in the book Candles in the Dark: A Treasury of the World’s Most Inspiring Parables. I have explained the specific parable after stating the proverb used in it so that the background of the story is correlated with the proverb. This helps us understand the proverb in the context and point out the moral message. The parables cover wisdom along with the proverbs. It has to be uncovered to make a difference in the society.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Dipak P. Ganmote
Assistant Professor
SKN, Sinhgad College of Engineering
Pandharpur, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
dganmote09@gmail.com
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