The Sanskrit Library
Courses/courses
History of Sanskrit literature
History of Sanskrit literature II: Epics: {r}AmAyaRa and {m}ahABArata
- UH102
- This is the second of four courses in The Sanskrit Library’s digital humanities programs that provide students with an historical overview and sampling of Sanskrit literature. The courses survey the history of the literature; introduce students to surveys, editions, translations, and studies on it; and read selected passages of the original texts. This course begins with the {r}AmAyaRa and its retelling in various versions in Sanskrit, and ends with the {m}ahABArata, its main story, critical scenes such as the dice match, didactic themes such as human effort (puruzakAra) versus fate (dEva), and subordinate episodes (upAKyAnas).
- Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar and Peter M. Scharf
- Schedule: Sundays, 7 September -- 14 December (no class 30 November).
- Course meeting times: 2:00–4:00pm U.S. Central Time.
- Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of Sanskrit: US101 with concurrent enrollment in US102 or equivalent.
- Course fee: $1,500.
- Register
- Course materials: a bibliography will be distributed to registered students.
{r}AmAyaRa
| Lecture |
Topic |
| 1 |
Birth of {r}Ama and {s}ItA |
| 2 |
Coronation of {r}Ama and {k}EkeyI's conditions |
| 3 |
{r}Ama and {B}arata's meeting |
| 4 |
Abduction of {s}ItA |
| 5 |
{v}AlivaDa: slaying of {v}Alin |
| 6 |
{h}anUmat's finding of {s}ItA and burning of {l}aNkA |
| 7 |
War between {r}Ama and {r}AvaRa |
| 8 |
{a}gniparIkzA: test of {s}ItA in fire |
| 9 |
The abandonment of {s}ItA |
| 10 |
Philosophical interpretation of the {r}AmAyaRa |
{m}ahABArata}
| Lecture |
Topic |
| 1 |
Critical editing of the {m}ahABArata |
| 2 |
Dating the {m}ahABArata |
| 3 |
Commentaries on the {m}ahABArata |
| 4 |
Retelling the {m}ahABArata ({k}zemendra's {B}AratamaYjarI) |
| 5 |
The main story |
| 6 |
The dice match |
| 7 |
Human effort (puruzakAra) versus fate (dEva) |
| 8 |
The aims of life (puruzArTa), especially Darma |
| 9 |
The {r}AmopAKyAna |