Joutes dharmiques. Note sur la volonté de donner, le refus de recevoir et la force contraignante de la vérité

Dharmic jousting. A note on the desire to give, the refusal to receive and the constraining power of the truth. Chapters 199 and 200 of the Santiparvan are part of the Mokshadharma. They recount a controversy (vivâda) between a jâpaka Brahmana and the king Ikshvaku. The interest of this passage, which does not appear to have attracted much attention from Indianists, lies in its description of an intellectual discussion triggering events and turning into a sort of drama: other characters arrive in the Jâpaka hermitage, intervening with their own debates; the exchange of arguments has an impact on the fate of the protagonists; there is a genuine intrigue, with surprises, new developments, recognitions and an outcome. It is this dramatic art that I propose to study. But I also seek to highlight the contents and stakes of this Dharmic jousting, which revolves around the gift. Who is fit to give? Who is fit to receive? What can one give? Is there such a thing as free gifts? And also: Is there anything in Brahmanic India comparable to the “point of honour” of Western societies and that doubles, in a way, the desire to follow one’s dharma