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Quarters: Spring 2021

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

Course content:

Advaita, Viśiśtādvaita and Dvaita – the three flavors of Vēdānta śāstra also called the three “Schools of Vedantic Thought” cover 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 course will examine the conceptual overview of the Bhagavad Gita, through selected verses, according to the perspectives of these three Acharyas (S, R, M), by exploring the original commentaries of the main Acharyas of these three schools in Sanskrit, instead of derived works. It will cover the fundamental concepts of Advaita, Viśiśtādvaita and Dvaita in reasonable detail, highlighting the areas where these Acharyas concur and where they differ. The Course will include the following:

  • Introduction and Background of Gita as per the three Acharyas (S, R, M)
  • Summary of Gita according to Shankarāchārya
  • Summary of Gita according to Sri Rāmānujācharya
  • Summary of Gita according to Sri Madhvāchārya
  • A “Samanvaya” or establishment of the close relationship between these three schools (mata traya samanvaya)

At the completion of this course, students will gain a greater clarity regarding common misconceptions held by many people, regarding these three perspectives.  Students will clearly understand how these three schools of philosophy approach the Bhagavadgita, which is one of the three main textual sources of Arsha Vidya or the “philosophy of the Rishis”, known as “PrasThana traya”, the other two being the Brahmasutras and the Upanishads.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Appreciate the Bhagavad-Gita from three perspectives of Advaita, Viśiśtādvaita and Dvaita.
  2. Distinguish the unique views and concepts of these three schools of thought.
  3. Access the essence of the Upanishads i.e., Vedanta through the Bhagavad-Gita.
  4. Deepen the understanding of the main Yogas of the Gita i.e., Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Dhyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga
  5. Recognize how all these Yoga’s lead to “Sharanagati” or “Jnana”, no matter where they begin.

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 two short essays of between 1000 and 1500 words each. 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 / Instructor:  Mr. Krishna Kashyap

Time: TBD

Day: TBD

Start Date: TBD

End Date: TBD

Quarter Offered: TBD

Antaranga Yoga

Learning Outcome:-

  1. Awaken the archetypal characters from the Mahabharata in one’s own life through dialogue and reflective activities
  2. Develop greater insights into one’s own psyche and patterns of the mind through an experiential engagement with the Mahabharata
  3. Experience yoga as an integral science beyond postures (asanas) or breathing techniques (pranayama).
  4. To develop the sakhi bhava (friendliness) and sakshi bhava (meditative listening) to be able to listen to our own self and the others from a deeper space
  5. To evoke healing processes within oneself

In this course, we explore our psyche using stories of characters from the Mahabharata, with an aim to bring clarity and meaning in our life. This 11-week course requires a pre-work of reading select stories from the Mahabharata and writing reflections before attending each session.

This course is not a didactic course on Mahabharata but enables one to delve into one’s psyche using the Mahabharata as a mirror into one’s mental processes. The course is dialogic and calls for a willingness to be self-reflective, share of oneself, and listen to others sensitively. This course is not recommended for anyone who is going through treatment for any psychological illness.

Required/Elective: Required

Prerequisites: Admission to the program of study

Faculty/Instructor: Sri Raghu Ananthanarayanan

Area of Study:- Yoga Studies

Start Date:-  14 April 2021

End Date:- 23 June 2021

Day:- Wednesday

Time:- 09:30 pm EST – 11:00 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Applied Vedic Science – Advanced (Yoga)

Course Content:

This course introduces the portion of the Yogasūtras that defines and discusses the systematic means – sādhanā – of attaining the most exalted spiritual state and substantiates the process with reasons where necessary.

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Comprehend the means of attaining an exalted state of spirituality along with the systematic technical definitions of such means
  2. Logically understand the process presented in the Yogasūtras

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Completion of the Applied Vedic Science – Basic (Yoga)

Faculty / Instructor:  TBD

Quarter Offered:  Spring 2021

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: Elective

Area of Study: Text & Traditions

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty / Instructor: Ms. Luvena Krishnamurthy

Time: 09:00 pm EST – 10:00 pm EST

Day: Friday

Start Time: 16th April 2021

End Date: 25th June 2021

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Basic Sanskrit Vocabulary and Structure

Course Content: 

  1. Tenses: Present, past, and future; in both Parasmaipada and Atmanepada forms
  2. The Imperative mood, in both Parasmaipada and Atmanepada forms
  3. The third declension / Instrumental case
  4. Comparing things
  5. Cardinal and ordinal forms of numbers
  6. Synonyms and antonyms
  7. Past participles, gerunds, infinitives
  8. Prefixes, Interrogative words
  9. Simple sentences, stories, and conversations
  10. Pairing words to combine simple sentences
  11. Expanding the vocabulary through categories of words

Learning Objectives: 

In this course, students will be able to: 

  • Expand vocabulary and sentence structure;
  • Develop the ability to use moderately complex expressions;
  • Engage in simple reading and conversation; and
  • Combine words and phrases for short narratives.

Required / Elective: Required 

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

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

Prerequisites: Successful completion of SAN-1001 

Faculty / Instructor:  Sri ChandraShekhar Raghu

Start Date: TBD

End Date: TBD

Time: TBD

Day: TBD

Quarter Offered: TBD

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, “SUVAANEE”, 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.

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Beginner Level Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: None

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrashekhar Raghu 

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Start Date: 13th, April 2021

End Date:  22nd, June 2021

Day: Tuesday

Time: 08:00 pm EST – 09:30 pm EST

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, “AYANAM” & “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: In this course, 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.
  • Reading and writing simple prose passages in Devanagari and build basic vocabulary.
  • Completing simple exercises and gaining the right skills required for further studies in Sanskrit.

The course fee includes the cost of tuition, 2 textbooks, and the shipping & handling cost of the textbooks.

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Beginner Level Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: None

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrashekhar Raghu 

Start Date: 12 April 2021

End Date: 21 June 2021

Day: Monday

Time:  08:00 pm EST to 09:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Beginning Sanskrit – Sentences & Comprehension

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,“SUSHAMAA” & “SUBHAASHAA” 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.

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Beginner Level Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: None

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Srinath S. Chakravarty

Quarter Offered: TBD

Start Date: TBD

End Date: TBD

Day: TBD

Time: TBD

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, “PRAPADYAA” & “SUPADAA”, 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.

Required / Elective: Required 

Program of Study: Beginner Level Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency

Area of Study: Sanskrit Studies

Prerequisites: CPSP – Beginners Course 1

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrashekhar Raghu

Start Date: 8 April 2021

End Date: 17 June 2021

Day: Every Thursday

Time: 08:00 pm EST – 09:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Decolonizing the Hindu Condition

Course Content:

Narratives influence the perception of reality and truth. A distorted narrative or a false narrative produces a distorted perception of reality or truth or “false consciousness.” One of the chief aims of the Postcolonial Hindu Studies concentration is to explore thoroughly how the British studies on India during the colonial era generated a false narrative which distorts the manner in which the Hindu reality is described in the texts of the Hindus. This false narrative, however, has had and continues to have cultural, social, and psychological consequences. Whereas the course Anticolonialism and Postcolonialism gives a theoretical framework to understand the psychological and sociological consequences of colonization and examines these issues from a universal perspective, this course gets into specifics regarding Hinduism and India. This course has a reciprocal relationship with the course Anticolonialism and Postcolonialism and each course dialectically enhances the understanding of the other. It is not necessary to take one before the other, and both may be taken in either sequence.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to

  1. learn about the consequences of colonization on Hindu psyche and being
  2. explore how language, self-image, culture, and politics of the Hindus have been impacted by colonization
  3. examine the myths and generalizations about the Hindus crafted and perpetuated during the colonial rule that continue to persist in the current day mainstream discourse
  4. investigate how Hindus themselves perpetuate colonial myths today, without critically examining them or investigating their veracity.

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 3 contact hours with the faculty every week. The class is structured in a way that promotes discussion, dialogue, and debate based on the study of and reflection on study materials each week. The content discussed in each class and the discussions that follow will continue for about 180 minutes. The Faculty will distribute a detailed syllabus and give a bird’s eye view of the course at its very beginning.

Required/Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty/Instructor:  Dr. Kundan Singh

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Day: Saturday

Time: 02:00 pm EST – 05:00 pm EST

Start Date: April 10, 2021

End Date: June 19, 2021

Distortions in Indian Historiography

Course content:

The central argument of the course will be made by a close study of key texts produced by denialist historians and their critics. We will examine modern historiography before Indira Gandhi by stalwarts like Jadunath Sarkar and R.C. Majumdar. Though generally honest and consistent with the then prevailing international standards, it was the object of the “secularist” historians’ ire, mainly for taking the communal dimension of Indian history seriously and for promoting the idea of India’s historical unity. This Hindu-centered idea of India had been taken in his stride even by Jawaharlal Nehru but would subsequently become a battleground both in India and around the world. From the 1970s onwards, historiography became ideologically streamlined in a “secularist” sense. We look into the dramatis personae (S Nurul Hasan, P.N. Haksar, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, et al.), their motivation and methods, and the resulting distortions of the historical record. This approach has remained dominant till today, unchallenged even by the present Indian government. It can often be characterized as having the typical elements of a grand but little-questioned conspiracy theory. Finally, we highlight the handful of critical publications that have nonetheless been devoted to this trend.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  1. Evaluate Facts, Distortions, Narratives, and Motives.
  2. Recognize ‘Negationism’ as a phenomenon and its consequences
  3. Explore Case Studies such as the Ram Janmabhoomi issue.
  4. Assess if the Hindu experience can be characterized as a Holocaust or Genocide.
  5. Reflect on the prospects for reconstructing Hindu history without biases at either end

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 90 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 or two short essays. They need not be academic quality papers – but should be based on students’ self-reflection on what they have learned and assimilated so far.  Selected essays may qualify for being published on the University’s website.

Area of Study: History and Method

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study

Faculty / Instructor:  Dr. Koenraad Elst

Day: TBD

Start Date: TBD

End Date: TBD

Time: TBD

Quarter Offered: TBD

Freedom and Reality: An Introduction to Advaita Vedanta

Learning Outcome:

  1. Effectively analyze the nature of the human problem and the scope of knowledge and action as means (sadhana) for solving it.
  2. Understand Advaita Vedanta’s epistemology and its relevance to the human problem.
  3. Gain clarity on the Advaita view of reality and non-duality.
  4. Learn the prerequisites for the knowledge of Advaita and the means to gain them.
  5. Recognize and analyze the differences between some modern and ancient interpretations of Advaita. and the traditional view of Sankara.

The vision of Advaita Vedanta is that one, non-dual consciousness is the content of you, the world, and the cause of the world. It is both immanent and transcendent and can be known by a human being who has equipped himself/herself with the necessary prerequisites.  This knowledge, contained in the Upanisads, releases the individual from the problem of human suffering. In this course we will explore the nature and substance of this liberating knowledge through key dialogues in some of the major Upanisads, using as a guide the commentary of Sankara, Advaita’s seminal exponent. We will also explore the qualifications required for this knowledge and the prescribed means for acquiring them. In conclusion, we will examine some competing views on Vedanta, including modern interpretations. The course is designed to introduce in a comprehensive but accessible way, the vision of Advaita Vedanta.

Required/Elective: Required

Prerequisites:  Must have completed or been concurrently enrolled in Orientation in Hindu Studies 

Faculty/Instructor: Swamini Agamananda Saraswati

Area of Study: Hindu Studies Foundation 

Start Date: 10th April 2021

End Date: 20th June 2021

Day: Saturday & Sunday

Time: 03:00 pm EST – 04:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Gita Vidya Sadhana

Course content:

Gita Vidya Sadhana course deals with the study of the meanings and interpretations of selected versus of Bhagavad-Gita grouped under 17 thematic topics. The Course focuses on 140 shlokas (verses) selected out of the 700 from the Bhagavad-Gita thematically structured under the topics of Hindu Wisdom, and Hindu Pathways towards spiritual growth. It focuses on the Material and Psychic aspects of the universe and presents an overview of the six dimensions of divine wisdom namely, Physical, Social, Occupational, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual.

The Sadhana course is carried out using Active, Interactive and Collaborative ways of online learning. The course material for active learning will be made available in multiple languages, while the interactive sessions will be conducted in English. The guided practice of shloka chanting is supported by videos. The 140 shlokas are illustrated with specially created descriptive diagrams. These diagrams help students with average and low proficiency in Sanskrit language to grasp the meaning of the shloka.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will be able to:

  • Discover the foundations of Hindu Dharma from the Bhagavad-Gita
  • Gain an overview of the Hindu Identity, Wisdom, and Pathways for spiritual growth.
  • Practice accurate pronunciation of the shlokas through guided chanting.
  • Explore the origin and basis of various beliefs, customs, and rituals in Hindu Dharma.
  • Distinguish between the paths of Karma, Gyana, Dhyana, and Bhakti.

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 1.5 contact hour with 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 video recordings of chanting for each module. At the end of each module, an online test shall be conducted with multiple-choice and match the following type of questions.

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: None

Program of Study: Community Education Program, Certificate Program in Hindu Studies

Faculty / Instructor:  Mr. Gopi V. Prasad

Day: Saturday

Start Date: April 17th, 2021

End Date: June 26th, 2021

Time: 11:00 am EST – 12:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Gita Vidya Sodhana

Course content:

The ‘Gita Vidya Bhasya Sindhu’ is a collection of commentaries by various Acharyas on the Bhagavad-Gita, which will be made available to the Class participants. Students will compare the meanings, interpretations, and emphasis provided by any three different Bhashyas i.e. commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita, and summarise their observations as part of active learning. Participants will share their observations and discuss the varied interpretations under the guidance of faculty during the interactive sessions. Students will be required to submit their compilation of various interpretations and their own findings in summary form for each module and present a final report at the end of the course.

The Sodhana course is carried out using Active, Interactive, and Collaborative ways of online learning. The course material for active learning is available in multiple languages. The interactive sessions are conducted online in English. These courses enable the students to memorize, understand, and apply the essential aspects of the divine wisdom imparted by Shri Krishna to Arjuna.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course participants will be able to:

  • 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.

Class Structure

There will be a minimum of 3 contact hours with faculty every week. The classes are 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 their reflections on each lesson. At the end of the Sodhana course, each participant shall submit a final report for the entire course.

Required / Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: Must have completed the HSF 1004 – Gita Vidya Sadhana Course 

Faculty / Instructor:  Mr. Gopi V. Prasad

Time: 11:00 am EST – 12:30 pm EST

Day: Sunday

Start Date: 18th April 2021

End Date: 27th June 2021

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Hindu Contributions to the World in the Realm of Mind

Course Description:

In contemporary times, following the European Colonization of India, it has become ‘received knowledge’ that the Hindus were and continue to be ritualistic, superstitious, poverty-ridden, timid, bare, and barely noticeable as a ‘static’ people, whose history is nothing more than the history of successive waves of invaders and colonizers who made India their home for a time.

This course looks beyond this myth set in motion by a 200-year long colonial encounter, and examines the evidence for the development of thought, philosophy, spirituality, yoga, meditation, mathematics, lifestyles, consciousness and mind, that made India such a desirable civilization across times.

It addresses the question, why did everyone, seemingly the world over, seek out the Hindu civilization, and for what?

This course can be taken as a continuing course in the series titled “Exploring Hinduism”, or as a stand-alone course. Both the Hindu Contributions To The World courses can be taken sequentially in any order or as a stand-alone course too. It can be enjoyed by teenagers in the age group 12-18, on their own or together with their parents and grandparents as well.

Course Content:

“Exploring Hinduism” is a series of courses that facilitates a structured exploration of various facets of one of the world’s most ancient families of traditions and civilization.  This course moves past the modern myth that the Hindus, were backward and primitive, throughout time, and might have remained so, but for a western intervention.

It explores Hindu thought at its finest, and its contributions to the realm of consciousness, spirituality, mind sciences and the relation between the spiritual world and the material world.

It uncovers the way Hindu thought traveled and diffused into other world civilizations and cultures, throughout history as it continues to do so today.

It highlights the source of the sustained prosperity and wealth of the Hindus across vast stretches of time.

It investigates the question – are Hindu ideas obsolete? Or do they have contemporary relevance?

Over 20 sessions, spanning a quarter, this course will cover a variety of areas of innovation, inventions, development of ideas and thought, that characterized the Hindu civilization for millennia.

These areas will include Health and Wellness, Ayurveda, Vaccines, ideas such as Yoga, Dharma, Karma, Dhyana, Ahimsa, Mathematics, Music, Epics, Fables and Stories, Arts, Education, Sports, Vegetarianism, Astronomy, Meridians, Time zones, Philosophy and Spirituality. The Course will explore how Hindu thought impacted the world, and how it morphed and adapted to different cultures and environments.

During this course, students will acquire a newfound confidence from the dawning of a recognition that the Hindu Civilization has been quite different from what our received knowledge has led us to believe. It will renew their trust in the Hindu worldview and way of life, that has been so sustainable and successful for so long.

Course Learning Objectives:

In this course students will

  1. Discover the cohesiveness with which mind and matter have been integrated in Hindu thought.
  2. Learn about how Hindu thought has diffused gently and quietly throughout time, to impact the world’s cultures and civilizations.
  3. Discover the Hindu paradigm of emphasizing both, the world of consciousness and the material world equally, for a healthy, holistic, and successful life, that led to affluence.
  4. Develop the confidence to think laterally with regard to the challenges and problems facing humanity and propose paradigm-shifting approaches towards the future.

Class Structure:

The course spans 1 Quarter with 2 online sessions per week. Each session will comprise of 60 minutes with lectures and interactions with the faculty and will include engaging Quizzes.

Area of Study: Hindu Studies Foundation

Required/ Elective: Elective

Prerequisites: None

Instructor: Dr. D.K. Hema Hari & Dr. D. K. Hari

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

Day: Saturday & Sunday

Time: 11:00 am EST -12:00 pm EST

Start Date: 10th April 2021

End Date: 27th June 2021

Hindu Musical Traditions – A Cultural Immersion

Course Content:

While Indian music traditions are diverse, the core of the various traditions stands out as unique with their emphasis on ‘the raga’ and ‘the tala’ and a core of commonality that is rooted in spirituality.  In this course, our goal is to provide a nuanced understanding of ragas, talas, and compositional forms in Karnatic and Hindustani music traditions.

Course Learning Objectives:

The student should be able to:

  1. Obtain a basic understanding of the framework of Ragas and the Indian melodic framework and Talas and the cyclical nature of time
  2. Discuss the Melakarta Raga System of Karnatic Music and the That System of Hindustani music.
  3. Experientially understand the feel of ragas in Hindustani and Karnatic music.
  4. Experientially understand the feel of talas in Hindustani and Karnatic music
  5. Clearly distinguish between the Karnatic, Khyal, Dhrupad traditions.
  6. Clearly articulate the similarities and differences between the Kriti, the Khyal, and the Dhrupad
  7. Obtain a brief understanding of the Western world’s study and outlook on Indian music.
  8. Discuss issues facing contemporary Indian music

There will be a minimum of 1 contact hour every week. The class is structured in a way that promotes discussion and debate based on listening experiences and reading material. 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 complete one examination and submit one short essay.

Prerequisites: Enrollment into a Program of study and must have completed TAT 3102 – Hindu Musical Traditions – A Historical Perspective

Faculty / Instructor: Dr. Kanniks Kannikeswaran

Required / Elective: Elective

Start Date: 6th April 2021

End Date: 15th June 2021

Time: 08:00 pm est – 09:30 pm est

Day: Tuesday

Quarter Offered: Spring 2021

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