Radha Balasubramanian

Parallels between Tolstoy’s life, writing and Hindu philosophical thought

Tolstoy was always interested in other religions and was attracted to the ancient religions of the East. He wished to relinquish worldly pleasures and seek seclusion like a true Brahman, who in his old age gives up family and material benefits to devote himself completely to go in search of inner peace and achieve salvation. Tolstoy himself sees a correspondence between his life and Hindu way of life. In my article, I show that this quest was not isolated or applied only to his life, but existed through out Tolstoy’s writing career, as many of his heroes in his novels and short stories also resolved issues concerning morality, duty, life, and death as prescribed in Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhaghawat Gita.