Author(s): Dr. Krishna Gajendra Panda
Abstract:
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Ozymandias is a powerful poem about pride, political authority, destruction, and the passage of time. It describes the broken statue of a once-powerful king lying in an empty desert. The ruler proudly calls himself “Ozymandias, King of Kings” and challenges other powerful people to look upon his achievements. Ironically, none of those achievements remains. Only the ruined statue and endless sand survive. This paper studies the poem’s literary devices, form, structure, themes, tone, historical background, audience, and purpose. It also compares the poem with teachings from the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, Mahābhārata, Vachanāmṛta, and other Indian scriptures. These texts similarly warn against pride, misuse of political power, attachment to wealth, and the false belief that worldly greatness will last forever. From the perspective of Akṣara–Puruṣottama Darśana, the poem demonstrates the temporary nature of power under māyā and kāla, while Vedānta directs human beings toward humility, dharma, ātma-jñāna, and devotion to Puruṣottama.
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