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Course Details

Mahabharata I: The Beginning and End

$1,500.00

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Course Code:

TAT7201

Credit Hours:

3

Course Level:

700

Area of Study:

Texts and Traditions

Course Description

TAT7201 – (DHS/PhD – None) This is the first part of a comprehensive four semester-course series on the entire Mahābhārata. This course focuses on an overview of the text and evaluates the various approaches to its interpretation. The Ādiparvan introduces us to the primary characters, the plot-lines, themes, and the philosophical issues of the epic. Consequently, reading this book carefully develops the necessary skills to read the rest of the epic. This course also clarifies the epic's literary program in terms of its composition (circular), its structure (division into parvans and chapters), authorship, transmission, and other aspects. Furthermore, this course establishes the theological fundamentals of the epic, such as the nature of Brahman, avatāra, creation, pralaya, and more, giving the students a conspectus into this itihāsa. Join this enlightening expedition through the Mahābhārata and uncover its profound wisdom.
Mahabharata I: The Beginning and End
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Program of Study

This course is part of the following programs:

All four Mahabharata courses are housed in the DHS program, but MA students may register for them with the instructor’s permission.

Division

Graduate Division

Required / Core / Elective:

Prerequisites:

Semester / Quarter System:

Semester

Number of Weeks:

Semester / Quarter Offered:

January 2023

Days of the Week:

Time:

Start Date:

End Date:

Faculty

Vishwa P. Adluri

Dr. Vishwa P. Adluri is a Professor in the Philosophy Department at Hunter College, New York. He holds Ph.D.s in Philosophy (New School for Social Research, New York), Indology (Philipps University, Marburg), and Sanskrit (Deccan College, Pune). Prof. Adluri’s work focuses on the reception of ancient Greek and Indian thought in modernity. He is the author of three monographs (Bloomsbury, OUP, and Anthem); four edited volumes (Brill, Bhandarkar Oriental Institute, and de Gruyter); and numerous articles and essays.
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vishwa.adluri@hua.edu

Course Learning Objectives:

As a result of taking this course, students will be able to:

  • Critically engage with the text from a variety of interdisciplinary approaches such as theology, philosophy, literary theory etc.
  • Analyze various interpretations of the text: Western and traditional, and negotiate interpretations that clarify the relationship of the text to classical and contemporary Hinduism.
  • Reconcile texts, traditions and practices.
  • Organize textual passages to synthesize creative interpretations that defend Classical Hinduism, while adapting these interpretations to contemporary concerns and critical issues.

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Mahabharata I – The Beginning and End

Course Content:

In this course, we will read the first and last of the eighteen books of the epic: the Ādiparvan (The Book of the Beginning) and the Svargārohaṇaparvan (The Book of the Ascent to Heaven). We will study both traditional approaches which focus on dharma and mokṣa as well as modern approaches which focus on historical aspects of the text; and investigate whether we can envision an appropriately contemporary approach. We will also read a selection of pertinent secondary literature on the Mahābhārata.

The course provides an overview of the origins of Indian philosophy, its development into various schools, and main philosophical themes contained in the most basic texts. In addition, the course will teach basic analytic and critical skills, especially how to read texts carefully paying attention to literary form, structure, context, and nuance. Students will learn how to interpret texts rigorously, to research secondary sources, and to reconstruct an argument in their own language.

Class Structure

  • The class will meet for three hours each week. Attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than one session, your grade will suffer. If you miss two sessions, you will have to retake the course for a grade.
  • An online session is exactly like a classroom session, so proper etiquette is expected. Please make sure you secure a quiet place with access to the online session. Please switch off your phones. Do not eat during the class (drinking water, tea, or coffee is permitted). Make sure you have access to a camera: if you switch off your camera, you will be marked absent. We will take a 10-minute break halfway through each session.
  • Please keep up with the required reading. This will facilitate participation in discussions. It will also help you get the most out of the course.
  • Each student is required to present a portion of the text in class for discussion. Within two weeks, this presentation should be turned into a paper and submitted. The paper should be minimum 12 pages in length and should be written according to academic standards. If you require assistance in learning how to write a paper, please contact the Academic Writing Center at Hindu University of America.
  • The following textbook is required. Please purchase it. I recommend a physical copy so you can mark it up for future use: Van Buitenen, J. A. B., trans. The Book of the Beginning. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973.

Prerequisites:

  • Admission into a qualifying Program of Study
  • Any prerequisite courses: NONE
  • Any prerequisite knowledge or skills (i.e., Sanskrit, reading research): All students are required to have read Sukthankar’s “On the Meaning of the Mahābhārata” before the first class.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Hindu Studies, Mahābhārata Certificate Program, Master of Arts in Hindu Studies
Please click on the link below to enroll into the Mahabharata I: The Beginning and End Program or the appropriate phase.

On the program page, there are multiple payment plan options to choose from.

Doctor of Philosophy in Hindu Studies

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Mahābhārata Certificate Program

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Master of Arts in Hindu Studies

Mahabharata I: The Beginning and End

Courses in the Program