General Information about the curriculum
This curriculum offers Vedic worldview of life by intruding various Philosophical concepts in Indic Knowledge systems. This course has been designed keeping in mind the needs of MSc Vedic Sciences students and their future needs. All the modules discussed in the curriculum are highly essential and help to analyze and apply the Indic philosophy of life in present context. Thorough research has gone into the design of the curriculum.
Course Objectives
- Pursuing “philosophy of life” by itself as one of the Indic knowledge systems
- Understanding the same (Vedic worldview) as the context of various Indic knowledge disciplines being pursued
Course Outcomes
- To understand the spirit behind the so-called “Unity in Diversity” in the demographic patterns, settlement patterns, inter-group interactions of Indian society
- Perspective of how that can help the contemporary world as a role model
- To understand the spirit behind the lifestyle or day-to-day life of Indians from a Vedic perspective
- To understand the ideas about life before death and life after death that govern the motives of individual and social actions of Indians from a Vedic perspective
Curriculum
Module I
As reflected in settlement patterns: urban, rural and tribal; nāgara, grāmya, āraṇya / pārvata:
Reference to tribal life in various scriptures, poetic and other kinds of pre-modern Sanskrit works
References to urban-rural, rural-tribal and urban-tribal interface in various pre-modern Sanskrit texts
Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa: references to multiple lifestyles, particularly, Mahābhārata as a book of cultural relativist understanding of diverse lifestyles
Contrast with urban-centric, uniformity imposing, messianic, globalizing, philosophies
Module II
As reflected in Organic unity of social structure:
Puruṣasūkta and human body model of social structure
Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ vs birth-based views
Arjuna-Aśvatthāma
Svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ: all svadharmas are dharmas, as such can bestow puṇya etc.
Dharmavyādha-upākhyānam (pativratā-upākhyānam) from Araṇyaparva
Module III
As reflected in Trivarga and Caturvarga (Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti; Iha and Para) balance:
Pravṛtti / Iha:
No negation or looking down upon trivarga view
Due consideration for artha and kāma:
Foundation in Vedas
Continuity in later texts
Artha as power and wealth
View of arthasādhana in various sources:
Acquisition of power as legitimate
Purpose of Power: “Kṣatām trāyate iti kṣattraḥ”
Acquisition of Wealth as legitimate:
Purpose of wealth
Dāna: Praise of dāna right from Śruti, all through the ancient Sanskrit texts
Kāma (Sexual or general pleasure) as legitimate (dharmabaddha)
Kāmasādhanā as puṇya-giving
Pañcāgnividyā
Pravṛtti / Iha: Dharma:
Dharma as the means/path/method for artha and kāma
Method as goal
Dharma as end in itself (not necessarily a step towards mokṣa)
Dharma as a means for puṇya (as such, a means of svarga or uttamajanma)
Dharma-centrality of Vedic philosophy of life
Mīmāṁsā view as karma-centric view, dharma-centric view and yajña-centric view
Yajña-centrality right from Vedas
Extended meaning of yajña: vratas in Purāṇas
Vṛkṣāropaṇa, taṭākoddhāra etc. as vratas
Gārhasthya as yajña: yajamāna as the common word for householder
Para-pravṛtti: Afterlife (non-mokṣa afterlife):
Cycle of birth and death
Paralokas:
Pitṛloka
Punnāma-naraka
Svarga and naraka
Various Deva-gaṇas such as yakṣa, gandharva and devalokas
Āditya-vasu-rudrādi-lokas
Āditya-vasu-rudrādi-rūpas
“kṣiṇe puṇye martyalokaṁ viśanti”
Śrāddha rituals
Marriage as a duty towards pitṛs through giving birth to offspring and thus delivering the pitṛs from the naraka of waiting to be born again
Para-nivṛtti: Mokṣa-oriented afterlife:
Brahmaloka
Mokṣa, various mokṣalokas
Śāśvata-brahmaloka-prāpti
Vedānta as Mokṣa-śāstra
Upaniṣads and understanding of mokṣa aspect of afterlife
Dharma and karma as a step towards mokṣa
“na hi kaścit kṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt”
Dharma > puṇya as essential even for a mokṣa seeker
Gita: Various paths for Mokṣa
Equal status of all paths
Paths as mutual alternatives
Spiritual paths: Each path for each: Karma-mārga, Jñāna-mārga, Bhakti-mārga, Rāja-yoga or Yoga-mārga, Tantra-mārga etc.
Iha and para as a pair:
Iha and para as twin goals for puṇya-oriented activities
Bhakti (iṣṭadevatā, kuladevatā, grāmadevatā, rāṣṭradevatā; household worship, collective temple worship) for iha-para vs bhakti for mokṣa
Gītā: Samanvaya of Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti, Trivarga and Caturvarga:
Views on the necessity of giving up of iha for mokṣa
Janaka to Yājñavalkya
Karmaphalasannyāsa-yoga or Karma-yoga
Metaphor of war
Module IV
Karma theory:
Various understandings and misunderstandings
Karma-yoga different from Karma theory
Daivam – Puruṣakārah
Encouragement for puruṣakāra while recognizing Daiva
Karma theory as puruṣakāra-motivating but not fatalistic justification of the existing conditions
Module V
Violence and non-violence
Distribution of violence and non-violence between Rājadharma – Ṛṣidharma
Viśvāmitra invites Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa
Mutual respect between Rājā and Ṛṣi
Rājā-Ṛṣi pairing
Mutual dependence of Gṛhastha and Sannyāsa
Module VI
View towards nature:
Ecology, Ecosystem
“parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ”
In contrast to extremisms
Evaluation & Assessment Methods Used
Formative Assessment:
Continuous Evaluation (Continuous Assessment)
40% weightage: 40 marks
Formative Assessment will be based on a continuous comprehensive pattern
There shall be assignments and quizzes
Summative Assessment:
End Term Examination
60% weightage: 60 marks
There shall be an End-term examination of 60 marks
Formative Evaluation-The answer sheet of the formative examination will be shown to individual students, and the student will be guided on how to improve upon the performance.
Summative Evaluation – The end term examination shall be conducted as per the university examination schedule. The paper, for Theory, shall be assessed by the teacher who teaches the course.
References
Bhagavadgīta
Upaniṣad texts
Sage Vyāsa, Brahmasūtras
Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata texts
Sarva-darśana-saṅgraha
Īśvara Kṛṣṇa, Sāṅkhyakārikā
Kanaada, Vaisheshika Sutra
Laugakshi Bhaskara, Arthasangraha
Gautama Nyayasutras
Indic Knowledge Landscape
Credits 2 (L-T-P 2-0-0, Lecture 30 hours)
Why should you attend?
If you are curious to know whether there is an indigenous knowledge in India and its diversity and spread of coverage, this course is for you. It will demystify the various sources from vedas to folklore encompassing Indian culture in just 30 hours. You will get to know what is the subject matter of the Vedas, Upanishads, Shastras, Puranas etc., in a way you can relate to modern knowledge.
Course Objectives
To introduce learners to the landscape of Vedic literature with broad taxonomy of Indic knowledge systems.
Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge of the sources of Vedic knowledge
- Comprehension of the seamless nature of Vedic knowledge
- Understand the purpose and utility of Vedic knowledge systems in enriching human life
Indic Reasoning and debating
Credits 2 (L-T-P 2-0-0, Lecture 30 hours)
Why should you attend?
Have you ever felt that something you read on social media does not make any logical sense but do not know why? Have you felt the need to win arguments with friends regardless of their motive of argument? Did you know that there are sixteen types of mistakes one can commit and you can counter any opponent in a debate by learning India’s celebrated science of debate?
If so, this course is for you. It will make you appreciate why India was the capital of knowledge and debates for millennia and why people came from all over the world to study here. This course will introduce Tarka – The Indian logic system and methodology of structured debate.
After completing this course you can exactly pinpoint fallacies in social media arguments.
Course Objectives
- Ability to make use of debate exchanges and definitions and classification systems drawn from Indic manuals, learners understand the systematic process to challenge and defend assertions made in the course of debate.
Learning Outcomes
Learner transforms into a persuasive communicator with ability to-
- Defend statements using clear, logical reasons
- Choose relevant statements to defend
- Support the arguments with well-chosen evidence, which is explanatory and thoroughly analyzed
The structure and method of Indic shastras
Credits 2 (L-T-P 2-0-0, Lecture 30 hours)
Why should you attend?
Did you know that India is unique in having a science of how to do scientific enquiry? All Indian sciences follow a standard template that enables the systematic mining of Indic texts. If you know this template you can understand any shastra(Indic sciences) easily. It also helps in artificial intelligence where knowledge representation is crucial.
Course Objectives
To understand the exposition style common to all Indian Shaastras or scientific treatises. This throws light on Bhaaratiiya method of scientific discourse.
Learning Outcomes
- Ability for independent study of Indic shaastra texts to explore contemporary relevance
- Ability to navigate Indic texts for concept search and knowledge mining applications
- Ability to paraphrase Indic shaastra content to novice mainstream-educated audience
Vedic human psychology
Credits 3 (L-T-P 3-0-0, Lecture 45 hours)
Why should you attend?
Who does not want to be happy all the time? But we are constantly surrounded by things that make us unhappy. What is in us that causes grief. Is it the outside circumstance or something in us that responds? Who am I? How Many Grades of Happiness exist? Why do I like some things and do not like others? How to help others in distress?
The answer to all these questions was the central pursuit of India for millenia. India offers the most comprehensive understanding of human nature that is central to all aspects of human life. This course gives you the essence of this knowledge without overwhelming you with the details.
It unifies spirituality, religion, psychology, aesthetics by enunciating their common underlying principles.
Course Objectives
To give a basic understanding of human psychology and the motives of human behavior. To serve as the foundation for all humanities disciplines. This course integrates several western models of psychology with a common taxonomy derived from Vedic perspective. It also introduces a novel Vedic model derived from several Vedic sources including Upanishads, Sankhya-Yoga, Tantra, Bhaagavatam, Jyotisha, Natyashaastra and Mimaamsa.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of this course students will be able to
- Comprehend the basic meaning & nature of western psychology
- Compare and contrast various paradigms of western psychology
- Understand and evaluate various fundamental concepts of Vedic psychology
- Juxtapose western and Vedic understanding of human personality
- Diagnose various psychological issues and create an intervention plan by integrating western and Vedic principles
Scientific thinking
Credits 2 (L-T-P 2-0-0, Lecture 30 hours)
Why should you attend?
Modern-day parents want their children to imbibe scientific thinking and be innovators in whatever area they choose to pursue. However, today’s school education system focuses on informing the findings of science but not the method of scientific thinking and model-based reasoning in a formal way. This course hones three key skills of scientific thinking, namely, abstraction, classification and inference essential to become a creative scientist.
This course introduces India’s science of building scientific models and analyzing the soundness of any theory. It helps one become a discerning scientist and appreciate scientific works better.
Course Objectives
To elucidate the fundamental aspects of knowledge, its creation, its process and the method of scientific inquiry. To introduce the Navya Nyaya approach of model building.
Learning Outcomes
After the completion of this course students will be able to
- Understand Model based reasoning as the method of all scientific inquiry
- Assess the robustness of scientific models according to criteria laid out in Vedic scientific system
- Build robust scientific models for use in simulating real world systems
- Recontextualize Vedic shaastras as scientific models for a contemporary application.
