Death, Disease, and the Dharma Dilemma: Reinterpreting Samskara in a Pandemic Framework

Abstract: This paper critically examines U.R. Ananthamurthy’s Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man as a significant contribution to pandemic literature and epidemic narratives, highlighting how pandemics bring about profound transformations in the everyday lives of individuals and communities. Literature, especially during times of crisis, has long served as a powerful medium to reflect, critique, and cope with socio-cultural anxieties. In the context of Samskara, the outbreak of a mysterious disease in a Brahmin community becomes a narrative catalyst to interrogate the rigidity of caste-based hierarchies and religious orthodoxy. Indian vernacular and world literatures are replete with pandemic narratives, and this novel stands out for its nuanced portrayal of the moral and spiritual dilemmas faced by a deeply stratified society. Through the crisis surrounding Naranappa’s death and the indecision regarding his cremation, Ananthamurthy critiques the blind adherence to ritual, the misinterpretation of Dharma, and the stagnation caused by orthodoxy. The novel posits that the origins of casteism and untouchability stem more from the misreading of sacred texts than their true essence. This study further argues that pandemic literature like Samskara not only documents societal collapse but also provides a source of solace, introspection, and moral guidance during times of existential upheaval.