Across the Universe: Hindu Dharma and Western Creative Arts

Course Description: 

This course is both a celebration and a deep analysis of artists who opened Western eyes and ears to the treasures of Hindu Dharma. As Phil Goldberg documented in his book American Veda, and his previous HUA courses, the wisdom of the rishis has filtered into the soil of American life through many streams. They include some of the world’s most beautiful and beloved literature, cinema, music, and other works of art. This creative transmission—which has been both explicit and implicit, both obvious and subtle—has transformed millions of lives while producing expressions of genius that will inspire and illuminate for centuries to come. Each week we’ll meet legendary masters and virtuosos, and we’ll immerse ourselves in the rasa of their brilliant creations. The course will elevate our appreciation of India’s timeless spiritual heritage as well as of certain poetry, novels, films, and music.

Course content: 

In this course, we will explore how Celebrated Artists, Writers, and Musicians embraced Hindu Dharma and Transmitted it Through Creative Works. Each week we’ll explore a different set of artists and art forms, bringing the content alive through images, poems, passages of prose, videos, and especially music. We’ll meet legendary Indian artists—most notably Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Maestro Ravi Shankar—whose colossal impact on the West went far beyond the enjoyment of their work; they opened minds and hearts to the spiritual essence of Hindu culture. Most of the course will focus on how Hindu teachings—as disseminated directly by gurus, swamis, and yoga masters, as well as through books and art—transformed the lives and work of leading artists, authors, and musicians in the West. And we’ll see how, in turn, those creative geniuses transmitted Hindu principles to vast numbers of people. Along the way we’ll examine—and thoroughly enjoy—the flowering of genius inspired by dharmic wisdom and liberated by yogic practices. We’ll go back to Britain’s great Romantic poets—William Blake, William Wordsworth, John Keats, et al—the verse of 19th Century icons—Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman (America’s foremost bhakta)—and the explicitly dharmic themes of poets T.S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, Gary Snyder, and Allen Ginsberg. We’ll ponder the Hindu-inspired themes in the luminous prose of novelists such as Herman Hesse, Somerset Maugham, and especially J.D. Salinger. We’ll look at clips from Ray’s immortal Apu Trilogy, and the films of Jean Renoir, Louis Malle, and the Merchant-Ivory company, as well as classics like “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Razor’s Edge” and the “Star Wars” series, even lesser-known films like “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” which was inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. But the art form we’ll spend most of our time with is music. The chief catalyst for the musical transmission was Ravi Shankar. We’ll explore the sitar master’s astonishing impact beginning in the 1950s, when he was introduced to classical music audiences by the violinist Yehudi Menuhin (the pair won a 1967 Grammy for the album “West Meets East”); and on to his discovery by jazz artists, especially John and Alice Coltrane and flutist Paul Horn; and finally, to his watershed friendship with George Harrison. Their mentor-student relationship opened the floodgates to the Beatles’ embrace of meditation, their sojourn in a Rishikesh ashram, their advocacy of Hindu ideas, and of course some of the most memorable—and spiritually transformative—songs of all time. All in all, the course will be a feast for the eyes and ears as well as the mind and heart.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  1. a)     Understand the profound impact of Hindu Dharma on Western literature, cinema, music, and other art forms.
  2. b)     Appreciate the remarkable contributions of leading Indian artists, such as Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Ravi Shankar.
  3. c)     Identify and evaluate the subtle (sometimes hidden) ways that Hindu precepts and practices influenced legendary Western writers, musicians, and other artists.
  4. d)     Discover the many ways Hindu Dharma has been adopted by creative Westerners and skillfully adapted to new forms and expressions.
  5. e)     Learn about Western history and culture from different angles.
  6. g)     Appreciate more deeply works of genius you already admire.
  7. h) Discover artists and works of art you will now cherish.

Class Structure:

The class will meet once a week for 10 weeks, for 90 minutes. The teacher’s presentation, with the help of pictures, written texts, and audio and video recordings, will last approximately 60 minutes. The remaining time will be devoted to questions and open discussion. There will be recommended readings and website links for each class, and one assignment: a written reflection—or the equivalent in an art form of their choosing—on what the student learned from the course and how it might influence their life. 

Area of Study: Text and Traditions

Prerequisites: Admission into program of study

Required / Elective: Elective

Faculty/InstructorDr. Philip Goldberg

Start Date: October 11, 2022

End Date: December 20, 2022

Day: Every Tuesday

Time: 08:00 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered:  Fall 2022

Advaita, Viśiśtādvaita and Dvaita – The three flavors of Vēdānta śāstra

Course content:

This course focuses on the conceptual overview of the three “Schools of Vedantic Thought”: Advaita, Dvaita and Visistadvaita known as “mata-traya”. It covers the whole range of possibilities, with reference to the relationship between the three main entities in question i.e., Jiva (living beings), Jada (matter) and Ishwara (Lord) as being one and the same i.e., non-dual, (abheda), or fundamentally and irreconcilably different (bheda) or something in-between (visista). All the other schools of thought within Hindu thought, end up being some variation or combination of these three fundamental perspectives.

This is an advanced level course. however, fundamental concepts of Advaita, Visistadvaita and Dvaita will be covered in reasonable detail. Basic level knowledge of Sanskrit will be useful but not necessary. Any reference to Sanskrit verses will be explained in English. Since it is a
11-week course, it will be difficult to go into detailed analysis of the commentaries of Acharyas on the Upanishads, Brahma sutras and the Bhagavadgita, known as the Prasthana-traya . A detailed explanation of these three views may take more than several hundred hours of lectures. However, relevant portions of these texts will be dealt with at an introductory level.

At the completion of this course, students will gain a greater clarity regarding common misconceptions held by many people, regarding these three perspectives. At the end of the course, one will be able to understand conceptually these three schools of thought at a reasonable level of depth. The focus is not on the scriptural texts such as Brahma Sutras, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. However, the concepts will be explained and references to these scriptures will be given with some explanation as to how these acharyas come up with their school of thought. At the end in 2 or 3 lectures, concepts will be introduced to arrive at some form of reconciliation between these three schools: Advaita, Dvaita and Visistadvaita

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

1. Distinguish the unique views and concepts of these three schools of thought.

2. Understand the implication of the differences between these schools of thought.

3. Relate the concepts to the scriptural texts : Brahma-sutras, Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads

4. Understand the references to the concepts in the major works of Acharyas of these schools of thought.

5. To understand some concepts to arrive at a reconciliation between these three schools of thought Advaita, Dvaita and Visistadvaita

While no prior knowledge of Sanskrit is required, it will definitely be helpful. Prior knowledge of the perspectives of anyone Acharya will also be valuable.

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 1 contact hour with one or more faculty every week. The class is structured in a way that promotes discussion and debate based on self-study and reflection each week. While the content being discussed in each class will be concluded within 60 minutes, the discussion time will be free format and can continue for an additional 30 minutes maximum. During the course, students will be required to submit one short essay of around 1000 to 1500 words. They need not be academic quality papers – but should be based on students’ self-reflection on what they have learned and assimilated so far.

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty / InstructorMr. Krishna Kashyap

Time: 10:00 am EST – 11:30 am EST (7:30 pm IST – 9:00 pm IST)

Day: Every Sunday

Start Date: October 9, 2022

End Date: December 18, 2022

Quarter Offered: Fall 2022

Advanced Sanskrit – Tenses, Moods, & Cases

Advanced Sanskrit – Tenses, Moods, & Cases – Course Content:

  1. Imperative Mood
  2. 2nd vibhakti
  3. 7th vibhakti
  4. Future tense
  5. Past tense
  6. 6th vibhakti
  7. Numbers
  8. Wise sayings

Learning Objectives:

  1. Using different tenses, moods, and cases (2nd, 6th & 7th vibhakti)
  2. Using future and past tense in detail
  3. Using larger numbers
  4. Reading, writing, and comprehending longer stories, essays, verses, etc.

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Beginner phase (SAN0204)

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu , Smt. Parvathi Sriram, Smt. Brindha Venkataraman

Start Date:- April 10, 2023

End Date:- June 19, 2023

Day:- Mondays

Time:- 8:00 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Advanced Sanskrit- Conjugates, Voices & Sanskrit Literature

Course Content

  1. 4 types of sandhis (svara-sandhi, guNa-sandhi, vRuddhi-sandhi, and yaN-sandhi)
  2. Prose order (anvaya-krama)
  3. Atmanepada verbs
  4. karmaNi-prayoga (Passive voice)
  5. bhAve-prayoga (Impersonal voice)
  6. “kta” usage
  7. Introduction to 4 great poets of Sanskrit literature (vAlmeeki, vyAsa, mAgha, and kAlidAsa)

Learning Objectives: In this course, students will be able to: 

  • Distinguish some of the basic types of conjugates.
  • Express sentences in different voices and verb endings.
  • Capture the essence of the biographies of great poets; and
  • Practice their skills at writing simple stories and essays.

Required / Elective: Required 

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Program of Study: Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency (CP SP)

Prerequisites: Successful completion of SAN0401 

Faculty / Instructor:  Sri Chandrasekar Raghu , Dr. Shraddha Modi

Start Date:  October 18, 2022

End Date:  December 20, 2022

Day: Every Tuesday

Time: 08: 00 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Fall 2022

Applied Vedic Science – Basic (Ayurveda)

Applied Vedic Science – Basic (Ayurveda) Course Content:

This course provides a survey of the science and practice of Ayurveda, through an overview of the key texts and contributions in the discipline. The concept of wellbeing, and not merely medication, that is central to Ayurveda is elucidated in the course.

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Understand the major contributors and their writings and commentaries that built up the applied science and knowledge system of Ayurveda.
  2. Assimilate the role and relevance of Ayurveda as a science of wellbeing.
  3. Recognize the different schools of Ayurveda based on their theories.

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites:  Completion of 12 Credit-Hours of Course work in the MA in Sanskrit / Masters Certificate in Sanskrit

Faculty / Instructor: Dr. Gokula Krishna

Start Date:

End Date:

Day:

Time:

Quarter Offered: Fall Quarter

HUA

Applied Vedic Science – Basic (Jyotish)

Applied Vedic Science – Basic (Jyotish) Course Content:

This course provides a survey of the science and practice of Jyotish, through an overview of the key texts and contributions in the discipline. A primer text in Sanskrit which discusses the categories of this science and how they are interpreted to provide insights related to their influences at different levels is studied in this course.

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Understand the scientific/ mathematic relevance of astronomy as essential for the study of astrology.
  2. Understand the major contributors and their contributions to scientific thought in the Indic knowledge system.
  3. Observe how the basic astrological elements have been derived and interpreted in the Jyotish-sastra.

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Completion of 12 Credit-Hours of Course work in the MA in Sanskrit6 limbs / Masters’ Certificate in Sanskrit

Faculty / Instructor: Dr. Dayananda Sharma

Start Date:

End Date:

Day:

Time:

Quarter Offered:  Fall Quarter

HUA

Ayurveda – Essential Nutrition

Course Content:

Ayurveda incorporates Samyaka Aahara (balanced and compatible food intake) as a part of health management. Ayurvedic Aahara Kalpana (Nutritional Theories) is the core topic of this course. The modules are designed to enable students to understand the role of Aahara in wellness in day-to-day life. Students will learn about Poshana (Nutrition and growth) and Sharir-Kriya(metabolism) from Ayurvedic perspective.  The course will offer an overview of understanding of Sthula Pachana (basic digestion) and Sukshma Pachana/Dhatu Poshana (tissue nourishment). It will offer understanding of multiple external components related to Nutrition apart from the food itself. It will give students vision about importance of understanding the correct approach to personalized nutrition. The course will also highlight importance of involvement of the systems like Indriya (sense organs) and Manas(psychological) health. The course will enable students to identify the gaps in modern dietetics. This course will provide diverse assessments of food and cuisine in relation with geography and culture. Many unique theories like Virudhhahara (Incompatible food combinations), Aahara Vidhi Vidhana (8 factors pertaining to food intake), Samskara (Food processing) etc. will be introduced with intension of their practical uses in modern time. The course will include needful discussion on myths and facts of ‘diet and diet trends. Pathya Aahara (restorative diet) and few other specialized diet theories will be taught as an interesting practical assignment. The holistic approach towards eating will be the takeaway learnings from this course. 

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Nurture personal and community wellness through Ayurvedic nutrition. 
  2. Identify the Nutritional gaps in specific community groups. 
  3. Educate the community about current unwholesome food practices and Ayurvedic alternatives. 
  4. Assess the relationship between food habits and health conditions.
  5. Distinguish between Ayurvedic food properties and conventional nutritional profile of food. 
  6. Offer sustainable solutions to improve food choices and habits 
  7. Expand awareness and interest in progressive study of Clinical Ayurvedic nutrition

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 1.5 contact hours with one or more faculty every week for 10 weeks as basic mandatory semester for the course. 

The class is structured in a way that promotes interactive teaching, reference readings, discussion and debate. Each class will be 1 hour teaching and 30minutes for interaction on the topic. During the course, students will complete regular interval assignments. The course will conclude with compulsory examination in MCQ format and submission of an essay. They need not be academic quality papers – but should be based on students’ self-reflection on what they have learnt and assimilated so far, and what has touched and inspired them deeply. 

Readings: 

  1. Food Guru: Your Guide to Eating Right!  By Dr. Rupali Panse Orlando 2022

  2. Ayurvedic Science of Food and Nutrition. Ed. Sanjeev Rastogi, Springer. New York, NY: 2014.

Required / Elective: Elective

Area of Study: Text & Traditions

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty / Instructor: Dr. Rupali Panse

Start Date:- April 13, 2023

End Date:- June 22, 2023

Day:- Thursdays

Time:- 9:00 pm EST – 10:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Ayurveda – The Wisdom of Wellbeing

Course Content:

In the course, the role of food and nutrition in Ayurveda alongside methods of food preparation and consumption will also be discussed. We will also study the protocols to keep the body in good health through daily and seasonal routines (Dinacarya & Rtucarya). Students will develop an understanding of the stages of manifestation of illness in the body and how Pancakarma treatments and Ayurveda’s therapeutic formulations address them to maintain homeostatic balance in the body.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Understand and apply the principles of Ayurveda to enhance their lifestyle.
  2. Learn how to identify imbalances in their body and utilize the power of Ayurveda to address mild imbalances.
  3. Use consciousness-based principles of Ayurveda to improve interpersonal relationships
  4. Integrate Ayurveda and Ayurvedic protocols to make lifestyle adjustments for the whole family

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 1 contact hour with the faculty every week. The curriculum will include reading, reflection, observation, and interactive practices. The class time will include an additional 30 minutes that will provide an opportunity for Q&A and group discussion.

Required / Elective: Required

Area of Study: Text & Traditions

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty / Instructor: Ms. Luvena Krishnamurthy

Time: 09:00 pm EST – 10:30 pm EST

Day: Tuesday

Start Time: October 11, 2022

End Date: December 20, 2022

Quarter Offered: Fall 2022

Beginning Sanskrit – Proverbs & Stories

Beginning Sanskrit – Proverbs & Stories Course Structure 

This course is structured in the form of one Quarter (10 weeks, 1.5 hours per week). Students will take an exam at the end of the course during the 11th week. Structured innovatively using the curriculum and textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati USA (SBusa.org), the course will be based upon material contained in the SB – USA – published book, “SUPADA”, augmented with other appropriate course content.

This course is structured to allow a beginner-level student to start listening, writing, and reading the DevanAgari Script through a streamlined set of exercises.

Learning Objectives:

  1. More exposure to combined letters (samyukta-akSharANi) 
  2. In-depth study of purusha, vacana, and linga
  3. Engage in simple reading and conversation 
  4. Combine words and phrases for short narratives 

Course Contents:

  1. Simple sentences, stories, and conversations
  2. More subhAShitAni (wise-sayings)
  3. The three different puruSha (persons) & linga (genders)
  4. Simple songs
  5. The three numbers (singular, dual, and plural)

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Beginner Level Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: Completion of SAN0103

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu ,   Smt.Deepa Rajaram

Start Date: April 9, 2023

End Date: June 25, 2023

Day: Sundays

Time: 08:00 PM EST – 09:30 PM EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Beginning Sanskrit – Script & Sounds

Beginning Sanskrit – Script & Sounds Course Structure 

This course is structured in the form of one Quarter (10 weeks, 1.5 hours per week). Students will take an exam at the end of the course during the 11th week. Structured innovatively using the curriculum and textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati USA (SBusa.org), the course will be based upon material contained in the SB – USA – published books, ” ARUNA” “UDAYA”& “AYANAM” augmented with other appropriate course content.

This course is structured to allow a beginner level student to start listening, writing, and reading the DevanAgari Script through a streamlined set of exercises.

Learning Objectives:

In this course the students will be able to:

  • Understand the origin of various sounds in Sanskrit.
  • Pronouncing and writing the Sanskrit alphabets that are single letters, both vowels, and consonants.
  • Pronouncing and writing the Sanskrit combination letters and using them in forming words.
  • Reciting simple Sanskrit verses with the correct pronunciation.
  • Listen to and recite simple songs.
  • Engage in simple conversations. 

Faculty: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu , Sri. Chandrasekhar Vellore, Smt. Suja Chandrasekhar 

Required/Elective: Required

Prerequisites: Admission to Program of Study

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Program of Study: Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency (CP SP)

Start Date: April 9, 2023

End Date: June 25, 2023

Day: Sundays

Time: 08:00 PM EST – 09:30 PM EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

 

Beginning Sanskrit – Words & Vocabulary

Beginning Sanskrit – Words & Vocabulary Course Structure 

This course is structured in the form of one Quarter (10 weeks, 1.5 hours per week). Students will take an exam at the end of the course during the 11th week. Structured innovatively using the curriculum and textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati USA (SBusa.org), the course will be based upon material contained in the SB – USA – published books, “SAARINEE”, augmented with other appropriate course content.

This course is structured to allow a beginner level student to start listening, writing, and reading the DevanAgari Script through a streamlined set of exercises.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Refresh the origin of various sounds in Sanskrit. Pronouncing and writing the Sanskrit alphabets that are single letters, both vowels, and consonants.
  2. Pronouncing and writing the Sanskrit combination letters and using them in forming words.
  3. Reciting simple Sanskrit verses with the correct pronunciation. Reading and writing simple prose passages in Devanagari and building basic vocabulary.

Course Contents:

  1. Vowels & Consonants
  2. Songs
  3. Numbers
  4. Use of two and three letter combinations
  5. Expanding the vocabulary through nouns, pronouns, and verbs
  6. Reading exercises
  7. Daily routine shlokas (dinacharyA)

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Program of Study: Certificate Program in Beginner Sanskrit

Prerequisites: Successful completion of SAN0101

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu ,  Smt. Parvathi Sriram

Start Date: April 9, 2023

End Date: June 25, 2023

Day: Sundays

Time: 08:00 PM EST – 09:30 PM EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Beginning Shuddh Hindi – Script & Sounds

Beginning Shuddh Hindi – Script & Sounds Learning Objectives:

  1. Master the “devanAgarii” / Hindi script
  2. Pronounce the Hindi letters correctly, by understanding the origin of each sound
  3. Build a vocabulary of at least 200 words in Hindi (nouns, pronouns, and verbs)
  4. Make simple sentences in all three persons

Course Contents:

  1. Vowels (“svar”) & Consonants (“vyanjan”)
  2. Conjoint letters (“bArah khaDii”)
  3. Compound consonants (“saMyuktAkShar”)
  4. Simple words in Hindi
  5. Simple sentences with 2 or 3 words
  6. Question words

Required / Elective: Required 

Prerequisites: Admission into CPSH 

Faculty / Instructor:  Chandrasekar Raghu, Dr. Shraddha Modi

Program of Study: Certificate Program in Shuddh Hindi (CPSH)

Start Date:- April 13, 2023

End Date:- June 22, 2023

Day:- Thursdays

Time:- 8:00 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Bhaja Govindam – A Topical Approach

Bhaja Govindam – A Topical Approach Course content:

Bhaja Govindam, an important work of Sri Adi Sankara, can serve both as an entry point into Vedanta as well as a reminder of many teachings of the scriptures. It is a distillation in a highly simplified form of the teachings of the fundamental texts of Vedanta and, in particular, of Bhagavad Gita.

In this course, students will learn Bhaja Govindam with its verses re-organized around some key topics: saguna and nirguna Brahman and the appropriate age to meditate on them; the ways wealth (artha) and desires (kama), though important, are binding; renunciation – what it is and its rewards; moksha or liberation; daily practices conducive to a spiritual life.

The examination of the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the verses will be accompanied by a standard exercise in padaccheda, anvaya, and some vyakarana in a way to familiarity with Sanskrit. Though focused on the verses of Bhaja Govindam, many forays into fundamentals of Vedanta as needed will be made to explain the underlying concepts.

Course Learning Objectives:
In this course students will be able to:

1. Learn about Sri Adi Sankara and his pivotal role.
2. Understand the importance of starting a spiritual journey early on.
3. Understand some basic concepts of Sanatana Dharma like: saguna and nirguna Brahman; the misleading characterization of the religion as idol worship or pantheistic; the theory and types of karma; what constitutes true renunciation.
4. Be cleared of any misunderstanding of Vedanta as necessarily relevant only to ascetics or as averse to the Purusharthas of artha and kama
5. Examine the level of appropriate importance to be given to worldly pleasures and the spiritual consequences of overindulgence in them.
6. Obtain an understanding of samsara (bondage) and moksha (liberation).
7. Learn many daily practices within the reach of everyone that are conducive to a spiritual life eliminating many stresses of daily life and conducive to moksha.

Class Structure:

There will be a minimum of 1 contact hour every week. Typical classes may involve a lecture of approximately 60 minutes followed by discussion and Q&A. Quizzes will be given at the end of each of the four major modules. A final class project involving a write up by the student of a summary of what was learned wil also be required.

Area of Study: Texts and Traditions

Program:  Certificate Program in Hindu Studies

Required/ Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Admission into program of study.

Faculty: Dr. Vaidyanathan Ramaswami

Time: 09:00 pm EST – 10:30 pm EST

Start Date: January 19, 2023

End Date: March 30, 2023

Day: Every Thursday

Quarter Offered: Winter 2023

Certificate in Hindu Civilizational Studies

Certificate program in Hindu Civilizational Studies

 (C.H.C.S) is an in-depth exploration of the Hindu Civilization from a Hindu perspective. It provides the student with a grounded understanding of Hindu Dharma as one of the oldest, continuous, and still thriving cultures of the world. It unfolds the paradigm of Dharma, i.e., sustainability or natural order, through an exploration of its culture and knowledge traditions. This program enables the student to discover, reconnect and become profoundly established in the paradigm of Sanatana Dharma through a systematic study of the Hindu Civilization.

It comprises of 2 parts:

1. Exploring Hinduism – a set of courses to gain an understanding of Sanatana Dharma and Hindu thought – the bedrock of the Hindu Civilization, by exploring the history, facets, and practices of this culture, which is based on the principles of Dharma at its core. What is Sanatana Dharma? What is Hinduism? When did Hinduism start? Who is a Hindu? What makes Hindus different? Does Hindu thought have relevance in today’s world? Answers to such questions can be found in this “Exploring Hinduism” set of courses.

2. Hindu Contributions To The World – a set of courses to learn how the Hindu civilization and its knowledge systems had influenced world progress with contributions in the realm of both Matter and Mind. This series of courses looks beyond the myths set in motion by a few hundred years of colonial encounter and examines the evidence for the sciences, technologies, inventions, industry, prosperity, wealth and thought leadership that had made India a sought-after civilization across times. It is now accepted knowledge that India was at the top in world trade for around 2000 years with 1/3 rd of world trade coming from India. But there is very little mention of how India accomplished this position.

What did it create? What did it trade in? This set of courses goes into the details of the individual components that made up this 33% of world trade and its impact on the world and in India. This subject matter stays unacknowledged and is rarely available for discussion. It also addresses the crucial question, “How could this civilization give all this and more – both to the East and the West?”.

It is a cyclic program of 8 quarters / courses, where participants can join during any quarter and get their Certification once they complete the 8 courses in any order and at their own pace, depending on their ability to join any quarter. This program is open to all – those with or without Indian or Hindu roots, wherever they may be in the world. It will help see the world from a Hindu, Bharatiya, Indic perspective and experience how different it is, from what we think we know.

Program Learning Outcomes: At the end of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Explain the Hindu Paradigm of Dharma
  2. Describe salient aspects of the Hindu Civilization
  3. Critique various misrepresentations of Hinduism
  4. Synthesize an expansive account of world history
  5. Establish an expanded sense of purpose and relevance

Required / Elective: Required

Prerequisites: Admission into a Certificate in Hindu Civilizational Studies

Faculty / InstructorDr. D. K. Hari,   Dr. D. K. Hema Hari,

Quarter Offered: Fall 2022

Certificate program in Bhagavad Geeta through Sanskrit – Beginner Phase

Certificate Program in Bhagavad Geeta Through Sanskrit (BGTS) – Beginner Phase

 The foundation set of 4 courses for students of all ages, from 9th Grade onward. It is the first of three successive phases – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, which together comprise the BGTS. The only prerequisite is that students know the devanAgari script.  It assumes no prior knowledge of the Sanskrit language. The medium of instruction is English, and the course is easily accessible for a global audience. It is a 4 – Quarter, 44 – week detailed study that prepares beginner level students, i.e., those without any prior knowledge of Sanskrit, to achieve a level of comfort with the Sanskrit language that will enable them to study the Bhagavad Geeta with ease. The Beginner Phase of BGTS is aimed at high school students and adults with a passion to learn the Bhagavad Geeta through a new language, those who are keen to engage with the texts and literature of Hinduism and its numerous derivative knowledge systems. It is taught by dedicated HUA Faculty members, via a user-friendly Online Platform, featuring a learning model that uses live virtual classrooms.

Learning Objectives:   In this phase, students will be able to relate to words and expressions from the Bhagavad Geeta in the following areas, through the study of Chapters 1 and 2 of the Geeta

  1. Use of pronouns, persons, and numbers.
  2. Recognize common Sanskrit words, prepositions, and phrases. 
  3. Discover building blocks of the language through simple everyday conversation.
  4. Understand the use of the 2nd and 6th case-endings and words ending with a vowel. 
  5. Identify and use verbal roots (dhatu) and their different forms according to the tenses 
  6. Use of prefixes, suffixes, and indeclinables.
  7. Recognize additional Sanskrit words, prepositions, and phrases
  8. Further imbibe building blocks of the language through everyday conversation.
  9. Understand the use of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and vocative case-endings. 
  10. Continue practicing more with verbal roots (dhatu) and their different forms, tenses
  11. Use appropriate case endings for prepositions.
  12. Distinguish between close sounding letters in conjuncts.
  13. Practice different forms of adjectives and substantives.
  14. Learn gender as applied to cardinal and ordinal numbers. 
  15. Understand declensions for consonant ending nouns.
  16. Research grammatical aspects of Bhagavad Geeta chapters 1 and 2.     

Program Structure:   BGTS – Beginner Phase is structured in the form of 4 quarters (1 year) sequence, 1.5 Credit hours each. This will add up to 60 hours of instruction and 120 hours of self-study in total. Structured innovatively using the curriculum and textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati USA (SBusa.org), the Program will be based upon material contained in the SBusa published books, “GeetA-sopAnam” (Part 1) and “GeetA-praveshaH” (Part 1, Volume 1), augmented with other appropriate course content.

At the end of the 4th quarter, students may enter the intermediate phase, which has 4 quarters i.e., 44 weeks.

Required / Elective: Required

Prerequisites: Admission into a Certificate Program in Bhagavad Geeta through Sanskrit – Beginner Phase

Faculty / InstructorShri. Chandrasekar Raghu,    Shri Satish SrinivasanDr. Shraddha Modi

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023

Certificate Program in Hindu Studies

Certificate Program in Hindu Studies Program Learning Outcomes: 

At the end of this Certificate Program, Students will:

  1. Clarify the Hindu Paradigm, having acquired an overview of Hindu principles, practices, values, history, philosophy, society, culture, traditions, and civilization.
  2. Articulate the contemporary relevance of Hindu thought and contribute its value to the Hindu community as well as to humanity in general.
  3. Apply their learning to think from a Hindu context and develop strategies for the preservation and transmission of Hindu thought across the generations.
  4. Create new pathways for service, leadership, and global engagement from a Hindu context, and new realms of self-expression for themselves.
  5. Contribute with confidence and clarity, in unique and innovative ways towards fostering the culture and traditions of Hindu Dharma.

Structure of the Program:
The certificate program consists of a total of 24 credit hours of coursework. It can be completed at the earliest in 8 quarters, if the students can take 3 Credit hours per quarter, or more slowly over time, in any case, under five years. Students must take at least 15 Credit hours from the Core Courses in the Certificate program. They may complete the remaining 9 credit hours by taking any set of elective courses from the community education program.
Pre-requisites:
The students must have completed the Orientation to Hindu Studies course minimally and must demonstrate a deep interest in service, contribution and making an impact from within a Hindu context, in order to be admitted into the Certificate Program in Hindu Studies.

Below is the list of courses-

Sr. No Course Codes Course Names Core/ Elective Faculty Credits
1 HSF5000 Orientation to Hindu Studies Core Shri. Kalyan Viswanathan 1.5
2 HSF1001 Exploring Hinduism – Part A – Geography and History Core Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
3 HSF1002 Exploring Hinduism – Part B – Divinities and Dharma Core Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
4 HSF1003 Exploring Hinduism – Part C – Cosmology and Calendar Core Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
5 HSF1004 Exploring Hinduism – Part D – Society and Culture Core Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
6 HSF2101 Dhyaanam – Meditation and the Meditator Core Swamini Brahmaprajnananda 1
7 HAM4201 Reconstructing Hindu History – The Commissions Core Dr. Raj Vedam 1.5
8 HAM4202 Reconstructing Hindu History – The Ommissions Core Dr. Raj Vedam 1.5
9 YOG2001 The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita Core Dr. Shriram Sarvottham 1.5
10 YOG2002 The Yoga of the Yoga Sutras Core Dr. Shriram Sarvottham 1.5
11 TAT3104 Hindu Temples and Traditions Core Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran 1
12 TAT4001 Advaita, Visistadvaita, Dvaita, – The three flavors of Vedanta Sastra Core Mr. Krishna Kashyap 1.5
13 HAM2100 How Hindu Dharma -Transformed America Core Dr. Philip Goldberg 1
14 TAT1101 Ayurveda – The Wisdom of Wellbeing Core Ms. Luvena Krishnamurthy 1
15 HSF1005 Lessons from the Valmiki Ramayana Core Mr. Shantanu Gupta 1
16 HSF2001 Introduction to Hindu Philosophy: Shad Darshanas. Core Dr. Kalika Uttarkar 1
17 HSF2002 Introduction to Upanishads – Part 1 Core Dr. Kalika Uttarkar 1.5
18 HSF2003 Introduction to Upanishads – Part 2 Core Dr. Kalika Uttarkar 1.5
19 HSF1101 Svadharma – Discovering and Living our life purpose Core Swamini Brahmaprajnananda 1
20 HSF1401 Introduction to the Vedic Ritual Core Shri. Sree Aswath 1
21 HSF2201 Understanding Hinduphobia Core Dr.Indu Viswanathan 1.5
22 HSF1203 Hindu Contributions in the Realm of Mind – Part A – Arts and Sciences Elective Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
23 HSF1204 Hindu Contributions in the Realm of Mind Part B – Life and Lifestyle Elective Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
24 HSF1006 Lessons from the Valmiki Ramayana For Teens and Parents Elective Mr. Shantanu Gupta 1
25 HSF1201 Hindu Contributions in the Realm of Matter Part A – Big 5 Elective Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
26 HSF1202 Hindu Contributions in the Realm of Matter Part B – Game Changer Elective Dr.Hema and Dr. Hari Kandadai 1.5
27 TAT3102 Hindu Musical Traditions – A Historical Prespective Elective Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran 1
28 TAT3101 Ragas in Shastriya Sangeet and Modern Music Elective Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran 1
29 TAT1102 Disease through the Lens of Ayurveda Elective Ms. Luvena Krishnamurthy 1
30 TAT1103 Ayurveda – Essential Nutrition Elective Dr. Rupali Panse 1.5
31 TAT1201 Sri Ramcharitmanas – Continuity in Change Elective Dr. Pandita Indrani Rampersad, Sadhvi Anandamaiyee Giri, Geeta Vahini 1
32 TAT1301 Vishnu Sahasranama Sotram Elective Acharya Mrityunjay Mani Trivedi 1
33 TAT1302 Bhaja Govindam – A Topical Approach Elective Dr. Vaidyanathan Ramaswami 1
34 TAT4002 The Three Vedantic perspectives on the Bhagavad Gita Elective Mr. Krishna Kashyap 1.5
35 TAT3001 Dakṣiṇāmūrtistōtram by Ādi Śaṅkara Elective Dr. Swaminathan 1
36 TAT1001 Introduction to the daśaśāntimantras Elective Dr. Swaminathan 1
37 TAT2100 Across the Universe : Hindu Dharma and Western Creative Arts Elective Dr. Philip Goldberg 1
38 YOG2100 An Immersive exploration of the iconic “Autobiography of a Yogi” Elective Dr. Philip Goldberg 1
39 HSF1300 Bhagavad-Gita for Teens and Parents Elective Mr. Gopi Prasad 1.5
40 HSF1301 DEHA – The principles of sound body in Bhagavad-Gita Elective Mr. Gopi Prasad 1.5
41 HSF1302 Bhagvad-Gita for the beginner – Gnana Elective Mr. Gopi Prasad 1.5
42 HSF1303 Bhagvad-Gita for the beginner – Yoga Elective Mr. Gopi Prasad 1.5
43 CPS2001 The Dharma Of Global Sustainability Elective Dr. Sailesh Rao 1
44 CPS2002 The Yoga Of Global Transformation Elective Dr. Sailesh Rao 1
45 CPS2003 Sustainability is Sanatana Dharma Elective Dr. Sailesh Rao 1
46 HSF1007 Discover the contemporary relevance of Hindu Dharma Elective Mr. Jeffrey Armstrong 1
47 YOG3100 Self-Discovery through the Mahabharata Elective Sri Raghu Anantnarayan 1
48 YOG3101 Antaranga Mandapam Elective Sri Raghu Anantnarayan 1
49 YOG3300 The Yoga of Motherhood Elective Ms. Shilpa Agarwal 1
50 HSF3101 The Renaissance of Sanatana Dharma In the Light of Sri Aurobindo – Part 1 Elective Dr.Sampadananda Mishra 1
51 HSF3102 The Renaissance of Sanatana Dharma In the Light of Sri Aurobindo – Part 2 Elective Dr.Sampadananda Mishra 1
52 HSF3103 The Renaissance of Sanatana Dharma In the Light of Sri Aurobindo – Part 3 Elective Dr.Sampadananda Mishra 1
53 HSF3201 Sankhya Darshana through the Sankhya Karika – Part 1 Elective Dr. Kuldip Dhiman 1
54 HSF3202 Sankhya Darshana through the Sankhya Karika – Part 2 Elective Dr. Kuldip Dhiman 1
55 TAT3203 Vedantasara of Sadananda – Part 1 Elective Dr. Kuldip Dhiman 1
56 TAT3204 Vedantasara of Sadananda – Part 2 Elective Dr. Kuldip Dhiman 1
57 HSF3301 Ramayana for Excellence in Management and Leadership Elective Dr. Balkrishnan Muniapan 1
58 HSF3001 Upanishadic Dialogues – I: The Chandogya Upanishad Elective Dr. Narasimhan Anantharangachar 1
59 HSF3401 Chanakya’s Leadership Principles for the 21st Century Elective Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai, Pranav Patel 1.5
60 TAT1302 Bhaja Govindam – A Topical Approach Elective Dr. Vaidyanathan Ramaswamy 1
61 YOG1000 Holistic Yoga – Philosophy and Practice Elective Ms.Ashwini Surpur, Mr.Anil Surpur, 3