Description
Course Content:
The YOGA course presents the basis of the Atma and the four paths of self-realization as prescribed in Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita. Union with one’s own self is Yoga and the four paths of Yoga in Bhagavad-Gita are Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga, Dhyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Karma yoga describes the path of action, Gnana yoga describes the path of knowledge, Dhyana yoga describes the path of meditation and Bhakti yoga describes the path of devotion. In this course the participants shall learn the following. The doctrine of rebirth and reincarnation. The law of Karma and its five factors. The principle of Gnana and its components. The process of Dhyana and its essentials. The practice of Bhakti and its methods. This course helps students to understand, explore and apply the divine wisdom of the Bhagavad-Gita in their own lives. The course simplifies the learning process for the beginner using specially designed illustration workbooks, transliteration textbooks and guided audios for practice and recitation. The transliteration textbooks are available in 12 Indian languages and 12 world languages. The interactive sessions are conducted online in English. The course is divided into 3 modules Sadhana, Sodhana and Vaadana.
Sadhana: In this module students understand the verses in three steps.
Step 1: Shloka Rachana (Copy writing the shloka): In this step each verse is written in a language of choice by copying from the transliteration textbook.
Step 2: Shloka Shravana (Listening to the verse): In this step the students will get to know the accurate pronunciation of each verse.
Step 3: Shloka Anucharana (Guided recitation): In this step students will learn the accurate pronunciation of each verse through guided practice.
Sodhana: In this module students understand the meaning of the shlokas in 2 steps.
Step 4: Bhava Darshana (Graphic illustration): In this step the meaning of the shlokas is explained through graphic illustration.
Step 5: Pratipada Artha (Word meaning): In this step the word by word meaning of the shlokas is translated from Sanskrit to English.
Vaadana: In this module the interpretations of different acharyas to the shlokas of each lesson are explored to gain deeper meaning and summarized by the students in about 500 words. A debate on contemporary issues and situations is held towards end of the course. During the debate the students shall apply their learnings from the course and present their remarks and recommendations by referring to the specific shlokas of YOGA course.
Class Structure:
There will be a minimum of 1.5 contact hours with faculty every week. The class is structured in a way that promotes discussion and debate based on self-study and reflection each week. After the weekly class the students will be required to submit audio recordings of verses and complete online assignments with drag and drop type questions.
Course Learning Objectives:
In this course students will be able to:
Practice accurate pronunciation of the shlokas through guided chanting.
Discover the interpretations from different commentaries on Bhagavad-Gita.
Gain a deeper understanding of the Bhagavad Gita by comparing and analysing the similarities and differences between the interpretations of various acharyas.
Comprehend the simultaneous co-existence of diverse understandings of the divine wisdom of Hindu Dharma, enshrined in its varied Sampradayas.
Discover the foundations of Hindu Dharma from the Bhagavad-Gita
Gain an overview of the Hindu Wisdom, and Hindu Pathways for spiritual growth.
Required / Elective: Elective
Prerequisites: – Admission into program of study
Faculty / Instructor: Mr. Gopi V. Prasad
Time: 11:00 am EST – 12:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm IST – 10:00 pm IST
Day: Sunday
Start Date: October 9, 2022
End Date: December 18, 2022
Quarter Offered: Fall 2022
