REL-B420 Topics in Hindu Religious Traditions: The Indian Epic in Comparative Perspective (CSA; A&H)
Section 27850, Tuesday/Thursday 02:30P-03:45P, Woodburn Hall 116
Professor: Rebecca J. Manring
213 Sycamore Hall
855-6756
rmanring@indiana.edu
What is our duty as human beings? In this course we will explore how ancient Indian intellectuals answered this question. The Mahābhārata is one of the foundational texts of Indian civilization and is a world classic offering tremendous mythic and psychological insight into the human condition. We will examine that classical Indian epic, stressing its role as a living tradition that is constantly being recreated and reinterpreted. We’ll read significant excerpts from the epic itself, alongside recent scholarship on its literary, religious and historical contexts. We’ll also consider it as performance tradition and so will view and discuss recordings of several modern stagings of the Mahābhārata. Students will also consider recent novels (all available, if not originally written, in English) treating sections of the epic.
Class meetings will include a great deal of discussion. We will also make use of video materials and lecture, to help bring the material alive in the classroom. Students will be responsible for leading discussion for at least two class meetings, and will complete six short written assignments and one final project.
The primary purpose of this course is for you to gain an appreciation of the past, present, and no doubt future significance of this epic in India. You should leave this course with the ability to spot references to the text in news reports, popular cinema, and even casual conversation. You should also gain the following from your participation in this class:
- Familiarity with the complex notion of dharma in Indian society;
- A keener awareness of how the epic genre embodies cultural norms and transcends time;
- An appreciation, if not love, of Indian literature in different eras.
