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The Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world literature and is one of the greatest works of Indian literature, which incorporated philosophical, religious, and social basic ideas of the traditional Indian society. This work is very interesting from different point of view and it is so huge and informative that it seems that the entire life will be not enough to fully research this epic, not surprisingly that “what is found here, may be found elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere” (Mahabharata).

Nonetheless, despite the variety of subjects and themes for analysis, this paper will be basically focused on the women depicted in the Mahabharata. Notably their actions will be analyse3d in the context of their influence on the family unity for to a certain extent they seem to be undermining traditional Indian moral and social norms and family unity. On the other hand, the actions of women are not ‘revolutionary’ for Indian society and may be treated as a transition from old moral and ethical norms to new ones and at the same time they may symbolize the vices of women that in actuality should be avoided that makes the Mahabharata a very important didactic work.

The impact of actions of women in the Mahabharata on family unity and social norms

On reading the epic, a reader cannot fail to feel the power of the female characters depicted and at the same time for a reader having profound knowledge of Indian culture some actions of some women may seem to be shocking and unacceptable in the traditional Indian society. Moreover, to a certain extent some actions of women in the Mahabharata are quite strange and shocking even for a reader who lacks knowledge about Indian society and Indian cultural and social norms because such actions violates universal moral and ethical basics.

In order to better realize it, it is necessary to recall the story of the ancestors of the Pandavas and Kauravas, notably that of Santanu, the king of Hastinapura, and the beautiful Ganga, the river goddess in disguise, whom he marry on the condition that he never questioned her actions. However, her actions are strange enough and Santanu seems to be a really strong and patient person and loving husband for he did not ask his wife about the explanation of her actions for such a long time. The problem was that Ganaga, bearing seven sons, threw each of them into the river. Quite naturally Santanu could not fail to eventually question his wife the reasons of her actions and Ganga had to reveal her divine origin and told that her children had once been celestial beings, and were cursed to become human. This is why she ‘punished’ them by drowning into the river. On explaining everything to her husband, Ganga left him with their last son Devarata.

Obviously this episode is very dramatic and probably one of the most shocking for traditional Indian society, as well as for many other world cultures. At the same time, it should be pointed out that traditionally Indian society respected a lot numerous gods and goddesses and their actions were rarely severely criticized. Nonetheless what Ganga did could not and still can hardly be done by any human being in Indian society without serious consequences. What is meant here is the bunch of actions that are absolutely unacceptable for Indian society. First of all, Ganga killed her own children that was a very serious crime from both moral and legal point of view. Naturally a mother killing her own children cannot contribute to the family unity and traditionally is rejected if not punished by the society in India as well as in other societies throughout the world.

Furthermore, she left her husband and her last son that is also reprimanded in Indian society. In fact, she ruined her family completely, by firstly killing her children and eventually leaving her husband and her last child. The only thing that can somehow justify her actions is the deal made before the marriage when Snatany agreed not to question her. Nonetheless this argument is too weak to make Ganga’s actions less terrible.

Another female character of the Mahabharata, Amba, seems to be also quite tragic. She is a sister of Bhishma who has chosen a suitor despite the fact that her brother fights off all of them. Bhishma allows her to leave but Amba is eventually abandoned by her husband and returns to Bhishma and asks to marry her. In a way this story is similar to the story of Ganga, though this time the woman is abandoned by her husband, but she is abandoned by Bhishma as well because he refuses to marry her. Probably in such a way the social protest against destruction of family is expressed. In fact, the story of Amba didactically indicates that women have to obey to men, otherwise they will be punished and their life will be ruined.

At the same time, it would be a mistake to think that all female characters either ruin or cause the ruin of their families in a way in the Mahabharata. Unlike Ganga and Amba, Gandhari may serve as an example of a woman who is ready to sacrifice herself for the family unity’s sake. In order to be closer to her husband and like her husband, Dhritarashtra who is blind, Gandhari covers her eyes with a blindfold which she will never remove. In such a way she rejoins him in his world of darkness. Such actions of Gandhari seems to be quite strange for their marriage is arranged that implies that probably they did not know and really love one another at the beginning but for the family unity she is ready to make such a sacrifice.

Furthermore, another female character that worth attention in the context of the family unity and social norms is Draupadi, who picks her husband from a number of suitors but in actuality she becomes only a ‘prize’ that is occasionally shared by five brothers for when Arjuna announces about his ‘prize’ his mother, not knowing what the prize is, tells him to share with his brothers. Obviously such a situation may seem to be the consequences of strange circumstances but in actuality it is Draupadi who is really responsible for such a situation, for in the former life, she has prayed to the god Shiva for a husband five times, and thus is ‘rewarded’ for her devotion in this life. Obviously, her life with five brother is absolutely unacceptable to moral principles of Indian society and does not contribute to the family unity since it provokes quarrels and conflicts between brothers. On the other hand, Draupadi is also often humiliated.

For instance she has been humiliated during the dice game and she swears that she will be avenged. Frightened by her curses, Dhritarashtra apologizes to her and gives her husbands’ back everything they lost, but Draupadi asks nothing for herself, saying, “Greed devours all beings and is dharma’s ruin. I refuse greed” (Mahabharta). In such a way, Draupadi seems to be the person who is stronger than the brothers and who can keep moral and social norms that makes this character quite controversial since, on the one hand, by her prays for a husband, she provokes conflicts in the family and social prejudice, on the one hand, she remembers about social and moral norms when her husbands, or at least some of them have forgotten about it.

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What are good questions to ask during an interview is a good question in itself, and one that always comes up when a conscientious person is preparing for a big job interview. The fact that a person even wonders that sets them apart from the crowd of applicants and means that he or she is a proactive individual, intent on making a good impression and proper presentation of skills and experience.

The best question to ask, according to many human resource management professionals, is “what can I do to benefit the company?” This question shows a good, positive attitude and will lead the HR manager to think of you as a go getter and team player and the type of individual the company needs.

The worst question to ask would be anything that makes you, as an applicant, appear to be selfish or self centered. A bad interview question would be a question related to vacation, pay or raises too early in the interview. It is best to first establish that there could be a good ongoing professional relationship between you as an employee and the company as an employer before getting into the details. Of course vacation, raises and starting pay are important to you, and the answers will come in good time, but it is best to show the interviewer that you will be a team player who thinks of the good of the company and the team.

When interviewing remember that the HR manager or other decision maker you are interviewing with has been through the process dozens of times, if not hundreds. The decision maker may be a little bored, and is looking for a way to liven up the conversation and get some information on your personality. In that case a good question to ask the decision maker would be anything that relieves their boredom and allows them to talk. It is an accepted fact of making friends and influencing people that people love to talk, love the sound of their own voice, and love to hear their own name. The sweetest sound anyone can ever hear is the sound of his or her own name, so be sure to call the interviewer by name. That is just basic human nature. With that in mind, pay attention to the office surroundings. Does the decision maker have a hobby, like golf or fishing? Does the decision maker have sports trophies on display or a family photograph? If so, ask anything related to what is important to the decision maker.

Disguised as small talk, this is a strategic question that will bond you with the decision maker interviewer. If you allow the interviewer to talk about something he or she cares about, they will have positive feeling about you and about the interview. Give it a try, it could be the best question that you’ve ever asked a potential employer, and may lead to a great job.

Are you guilty of sabotaging your own job search along with the
opportunity to earn more money? Heather Eagar, a former professional resume writer and creator of ResumeLines.com, provides reviews of the top resume writing services that put you in charge of your career so you can get the job you deserve. Sign-up for your free Job Search Tips E-Course.

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Employers have fears, uncertainty and DOUBT (the FUD factor) over your ability to actually do what you claim you can do in your resume and cover letter.

Combine this with the fact that EVERY candidate looks good on paper, no-one leaves their previous job because they were paid too much, the work was too interesting and all the people were fantastic, and you can see the challenge you’re facing. (I’m yet to see a resume or cover letter that says the candidate is just average…)
Specifically, here’s what they fear about YOU:

They fear:

* Your resume is too good to be true and you won’t be able to do the job.
* You won’t stick around.
* You don’t play well with others.

So with all that in mind, over the next week or so we thought we’d share some thoughts, ideas and tips that help remove some of the FUD factor surrounding YOU (and our business too).

——————————–

How to make an employer WANT to read your application

——————————–

Employers don’t really care about YOU, they only care about what you can do for THEM.

I’ve lost count of the cases I’ve seen where applicants with the best education, training or experience lose the job to someone with less education, skills and experience. The reason for this is that the applicant with the better skills or experience simply didn’t sell themselves to the employer as well as the less skilled applicant. This leads us to a really important question: how do you know if your application is selling you as well as it could be?

Well for starters, cover letters are valuable in helping sell you to an employer because they’re like mini-ads for your resume. Interest them with a brief summary, and you’ll get your resume read and not thrown into the trash.

Secondly, you need to make sure that your cover letter doesn’t say the same things as everyone else’s! The problem is that we all learned to write our job applications the same way. Following the rules you were taught is the best way to ensure that not only will you not get noticed, but you’ll stay unemployed for a long time.

Almost every application uses phrases like: “here is my resume for your position“, “I have been seeking an opportunity such as this”, “I can contribute to your company.”

It’s the same as a business saying they have good quality and after-sales service. Every business says it, and these days it’s just not a good enough reason to want to do business with them. Apply this logic to your application letter. If it only talks about YOU, how good YOU are and how many years experience YOU’VE had, then you’re missing the point!

The real purpose of your application should be to show the employer how your skills and experiences will benefit THEM. If your application doesn’t do this, you’re making it too hard for them to give you the job.

Here’s an actual before and after example from my files:

“Senior NT and UNIX Systems Administrator position utilizing web development, network support and multimedia experience.”

Notice how it says nothing of the company being applied to or what the applicant is intending to do for THEM. Off the top of my head, I suggested to the applicant that they could turn it around quite easily like this:

“To break all records for network stability in your company, thereby creating a productive and skilled workforce that can generate even MORE customers, support them better and make more money for you.”

It’s just a very quick example of turning your skills into results that an employer would be interested in. This may look relatively simple, but it can be tricky to get right. But I assure you, once you master the trick of powerfully restating your skills and experience in a way that will mean something to an employer, then you’ll never be out of work again!
The one simple mistake you may be making which immediately kills your chances

Here’s the one thing that immediately stops most people from getting the jobs they’re applying for: they keep sending the SAME application letter (that doesn’t produce results) to every job they apply for.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that if you keep doing something that doesn’t work while expecting a different result you really must be a masochist! The problem with sending the same “loser” application to employers is that it raises doubts about your employability. This example below will show you what I mean.

Let me introduce David the Masochist… David has been applying for positions with us for over a year. He was also applying to other companies using the same cover letter. How do we know this?

1. He never used our name in his application letter, and
2. We asked him.

Also - because he keeps applying to us we can assume he hasn’t been offered a job from anyone else. This also raises serious doubts in our mind as to David’s employability. If he was any good he should have a job by now.

Can you relate to David’s situation? If so, then let me show you the simple strategy that turned David’s life around. I rang him and asked him why he kept sending the same unsuccessful application to us and everyone else when it obviously wasn’t doing the job. He was dumbfounded. It never occurred to him that his APPLICATION was a failure. He was taking it personally - he thought HE was a failure.

He had been on unemployment for a whole year simply because his application letter and resume wasn’t performing. I suggested he try a new application to see whether I was right. He invested in a new resume and cover letter from us, and the result: he had three interviews within the first week of trying the new approach.

In summary: If you are sending the same sort of application letter to each job and you’re not getting interviewed then CHANGE YOUR APPLICATION!!!

It’s not YOU that an employer rejects, it’s simply your application that’s being rejected. You know you can do the job, you wouldn’t be applying if you couldn’t do it. So don’t take this rejection personally.

We see hundreds of applications and resumes each week and I can tell you now, more than 90% of them are letting the applicant down. Most of those that make it to interview will make the same simple yet easily avoidable mistakes and miss out on a job that should be theirs.

Hi - I’m a marketing junkie who gets off on helping job seekers find their talent at my site http://www.job-secrets-revealed.com. I’m also a paraglider pilot to which people suggest I have a death wish but to me it’s more of a life wish.

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