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Course Details

Mahabharata III: The War Books

$1,500.00

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Course Code:

TAT7203

Credit Hours:

3

Course Level:

700

Area of Study:

Texts and Traditions

Course Description

TAT7203 – (DHS/PhD – None) This is the third installment of a comprehensive four course series on the Mahābhārata. In this course, our focus is on the "war books" of this epic and the various methods for interpreting its profound teachings. Through an in-depth study of the Kurukṣetra battle, we will explore the complexities of its characters, plot, themes, and philosophical issues. These war books display complex literary-narrative skills, striking and symbolic imagery, heroism, morality, and the inevitable reality of mortality. The philosophical tracts, such as the Bhagavadgītā, add significance to the action scenes. Finally, we will examine the ritualistic dimension of this war which itself is described as a sacrifice (raṇa-yajña). Join us on this enlightening journey through the Mahābhārata and uncover its timeless wisdom.
Ancient stone temple wall carving depicting the Chakravyuha spiral battle formation from Mahabharata
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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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Course Content:

In this course we will read Bhīṣmaparvan, Droṇaparvan, Karṇaparvan, Śalyaparvan, Sauptikaparvan and Strīparvan. These texts form a unit: from the beginning of the eighteen day battle to its conclusion. 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 investigates the role of the epic in Indian philosophy, theology and religion. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. We will read the war books in Ganguli’s translation. You can download the volumes here: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/.
    • For the Sauptikaparvan, I recommend: Johnson, W. J. The Sauptikaparvan of the Mahābhārata: The Massacre at Night. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
    • If you have bought the Fitzgerald edition—Fitzgerald, James L., trans. The Mahābhārata: 11, the Book of the Women; 12, the Book of Peace, Part One. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004—for the Dharma and Darshana course, you may use his edition for the Strīparvan.

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 III: The War Books 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 III: The War Books

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