Course educational objective(s) 

To introduce learners to the landscape of Vedic literature with broad taxonomy of Indic knowledge systems

Course 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

Curriculum

Unit – 1: Knowledge – Vedic context; Sources and classification of Indic (Vedic) Knowledge; Yajňas as Knowledge

Unit – 2: Vedāṅgas: Original context and so far identified contemporary knowledge aspects

Unit – 3: Other Vaidika-darśanas: Original context and so far identified contemporary knowledge aspects

Course educational objective(s) 

To look into the Vedic concepts of aesthetics and creativity; to discuss the various aspects and theories related to poetics and arts in Indic creative knowledge systems and their extension to contemporary art and design.

Curriculum

Unit – 1: Psychology of Beauty

Unit – 2: Vedas: View of the beauty of nature and art

Unit – 3: Prerequisites of creativity: Kāvyahetus: Pratibhā, Vyutpatti, Abhyāsa; Purpose /benefits of poetry (art) Kāvyaprayojanas

Unit – 4:  Mother of all Vedic Aesthetic texts: Nāṭyaśāstra

Unit – 5: Kāvyātmā theories: Rasa theory; Dhvani theory; Rīti theory; Alaṅkāra theory; Aucitya theory; Vakrokti theory; Kavisamayas (Poetic conventions)

Course Objective(s):

To enable learners to grasp the general usage of Sanskrit and to understand the structure of the language

Course outcomes:

1. The learner will be able to understand Sanskrit as a general usage medium
2. The learner will be able to think and communicate simple sentences in Samskrit
3. The learner may gain the confidence to approach texts in Samskrit for self-study and follow when taught using Samskrit medium

Curriculum:

Unit – 1:  विषयः –  सम्भाषणसंस्कृतम्

उद्देश्यम् – संस्कृते सरलवाक्यानां निर्माणसामर्थ्यम्, व्यवहारे उपयुज्यमानानां संस्कृतपदानां ज्ञानम्

Unit – 2: विषयः –  वर्णाः

उद्देश्यम् – संस्कृते प्रयुज्यमानानां वर्णानां ज्ञानम्, वर्णानां समीचीनोच्चारणस्य परिज्ञानम्

Unit – 3: विषयः –  सर्वनाम्नां परिचयः

उद्देश्यम् – कस्मिन् अवसरे किं सर्वनाम प्रयोक्तव्यम् (सर्वनाम्नाम् एकवचनं बहुवचनं च), युष्मच्छब्दस्य प्रयोगे मध्यमः (एकवचनस्य एव परिचयः), अस्मच्छब्दस्य प्रयोगे उत्तमः, क्रियापदानां सामान्यतः परिचयः

Unit – 4: विषयः –  शब्दानां परिचयः

उद्देश्यम् – अजन्तानां हलन्तानां च प्रसिद्धानां शब्दानां परिचयः। सम्बोधनप्रथमा। प्रसिद्धानाम् अव्ययानां ज्ञानम्

Unit – 5: विषयः –  क्रियापदानां परिचयः

उद्देश्यम् – प्रसिद्धानां क्रियापदानां प्रयोगः, लट्, लोट्, लङ् एषां लकाराणां ज्ञानम्

Unit – 6: विषयः –  प्रत्ययानां ज्ञानम्

उद्देश्यम् – प्रसिद्धानां केषाञ्चन प्रत्ययानाम् अवगमनम्, वाक्यनिर्माणे तेषाम् उपयोगिता, ग्रन्थेषु Unit – 7:

विषयः –  सन्धिः उद्देश्यम् – सन्धिज्ञानसामर्थ्यं सन्धिविच्छेदसामर्थ्यं च

Unit – 8: विषयः –  सुभाषितादीनाम् अवगमनम्

उद्देश्यम् – सरलकथानां पठनाभ्यासः, सरलश्लोकानाम् अवगमनं, पदानाम् अन्वयः

Suggested activities:

• Fortnightly sessions for topic based speech in simple Samskrit
• Games such as dumb charades, role play, skip the word, chinese whispers in Samskrit

Project:

1. Write street plays in simple Samskrit and enact
2. Prepare Samskrit labels for objects in the campus
3. Prepare instruction charts in Samskrit (like marking the way to SVS, save water, keep silence etc)
4. Prepare posters to explain simple subhāṣitas (can be collaborated with School of Design beginners)

References:

1. प्रथमदीक्षा, राष्ट्रियसंस्कृतसंस्थानम्, नवदेहली
2. अभ्यासपुस्तकम्, विश्वासः, संस्कृतभारती, बेङ्गलूरु
3. अभ्यासदर्शिनी, जनार्दन हेगडे, संस्कृतभारती, बेङ्गलूरु
4. हिन्दीसंस्कृतशब्दकोषः, श्रीप्रकाशपाण्डेयः, संस्कृतभारती, नवदेहली
5. संस्कृतव्यवहारसाहस्री, संस्कृतभारती, बेङ्गलूरु

Course educational objective(s)

Pursuing “philosophy of life” by itself as one of the Indic knowledge systems and understanding Vedic worldview as the context of various Indic knowledge disciplines being pursued.

Course outcomes

1. Comprehend the Vedic worldview that governs the social, societal, personal, and occupational goals and means in the world
2. Grasp the Vedic outlook regarding life in the here and hereafter and the cycle of life
3. Understand the concepts of Svadharma, free will, and duty-oriented action vis-a-vis desire-driven action

Curriculum

Unit – 1: Purushārthas; Pravṛtti-mārga – advancing to action; Nivṛtti-mārga – advancing to return; Āśramas – Facilitation for Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti; Varṇas – Organized facilitation for action; Svadharma as governing aspect 

Unit – 2: Cycle of life – Iha and Para; Various lokas; Spiritual paths

Unit – 3: Karma theory 

Unit – 4: Violence and non-violence – Mutual Dependence of  Gṛhastha and Sannyāsa

Tutorial 

• Frame a model of the Catuṣṣaṣṭīi-vidyāsthānas into a framework of the Puruśārthas that they address, which varṇa / āśrama they fit for
• Read and discuss the context of ‘svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ’ from five commentaries of Bhagavadgītā
• Discuss the contexts of ‘mā phaleshu kadācana’ and ‘sarva-dharmān parityaja māmekaṁ śaraṇam vraja’ with regards to abhyudaya and niśśreyas in the life of an individual

References

1. बलदेव उपाध्याय, संस्कृत साहित्य का इतिहास, शारदा निकेतन, वाराणसी
2. बलदेव उपाध्याय, वैदिक साहित्य और संस्कृति, वाराणसी
3. राधावल्लभ त्रिपाठी, संस्कृत साहित्य का अभिनव इतिहास, विश्वविद्यालय प्रकाशन, वाराणसी
4. Winternitz Maurice, Indian Literature (Vol. I – III), Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi
5. Pujyasri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, The Vedas, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sudakshina Trust, Mumbai

Course Objective(s)

1. To introduce the reasoning acumen and structured model of debate available in Indian epistemology
2. To equip learners with the skill of debating by closely following the reasoning structure of statements in debate, discourse, discussion etc and present their own points of view and assess the opponent’s / speaker’s  point of view

Course outcomes

1. Learners will understand the concept of knowledge, its classification and means and system of reasoning in Indian epistemology
2. Learners will be able to identify structures, fallacies in arguments and develop robust reasoning skills 

Curriculum

Unit – 1: Cognition and its Means

Unit – 2: Reasoning: Inference, valid and fallacious reasoning

Unit – 3: Debating

Suggested activities

• Organize debates in the vāda structure 
• Test invariable concomitance instances in real life situations and check for fallacies

Tutorial

•  Explore structures of fallacies of cognition and debating in Schools of philosophy other than Nyāya

Project

• Evaluate the arguments in reasoning exercise books from the vāda perspective

References

1. Tarkasaṅgraha
2. Pramāṇa-paddhati

Intuition – the Indian śāstric perspective  –  “Intuition” इत्यस्मिन् विषये भारतीय शास्त्रविचारः

Course Objective(s):

To provide a well-rounded introduction to intuition as a higher-level cognitive mechanism, both from the modern viewpoint and the deeper perspective from the Indian śāstras, as well as an appreciation of the relevance of intuition to the evolution of human society and its future.  

Course Outcomes:

• Understand the concept of intuition from the modern perspective
• Understand the concept of intuition more deeply from the Indian śāstras
• Appreciate the intuitive foundation of Indian knowledge systems and society
• Appreciate the key role of intuition in human evolution and its future

Prerequisites:

None

Curriculum:

1. Intuition – motivation and modern perspective – 6 hrs 
   1. anubandha-catuṣṭayam – what is intuition and why is it relevant? – 1.5 hrs
   2. Background concepts – multi-dimensionality and holographic-ness – 1.5 hrs 
   3. Evidence from quantum physics and neuroscience – 1.5 hrs
   4. Intuition as holographic higher-dimensional access – 1.5 hrs

      2. Intuition – as per the Indian śāstras – 18 hrs

1. 1. Indian model of knowledge and its unique aspects – 1.5 hrs
   2. pramāṇas, śabda-pramāṇa and intuition as yogaja-pratyakṣam – 1.5 hrs
   3. śāstric foundation of intuition from sāṅkhya and yoga darśanas – 1.5 hrs
   4. sāṅkhya-darśana – core concepts and satkāryavāda  – 1.5 hrs
   5. sāṅkhya-darśana – puruṣa, prakṛti, triguṇa model – 1.5 hrs
   6. sāṅkhya-darśana – 25 tattvas, prasava and pratiprasava – 1.5 hrs
   7. yoga darśana – core concepts – citta, vṛttis, samādhi, kaivalya – 1.5 hrs
   8. yoga darśana – aṣṭāṅga-yoga – eight aṅgas and their roles – 1.5 hrs
   9. yoga darśana – various saṃyamas and intuitive siddhis – 1.5 hrs
   10. yoga darśana – holographic intuition as ṛtambhara-prajñā – 1.5 hrs
   11. From other śāstras– applied intuition as pratibhā – 1.5 hrs
   12. Intuition – samanvaya of modern and śāstric perspectives – 1.5 hrs

        

2. Intuition and human evolution – relevance and implications – 6 hrs
   1. Intuition and the evolution of Indian śāstras and society – 1.5 hrs
   2. Relevance of intuition as a tool for decision making and innovation – 1.5 hrs
   3. Intuition and the past and future of human evolution – 1.5 hrs
   4. Discussion and conclusion – 1.5 hrs

Course Objective(s):

To enable the participants to understand the purpose, structure, methodology and hierarchical classification of Indic sources based in Vedic worldview and to elucidate how to study them.

Course outcomes:

1. Comprehending the Vedic worldview of knowledge, its purpose and its universal and holistic nature
2. Understanding and identifying the pan-SAstric structure and methodology of Indic knowledge sources

Syllabus:

Unit – 1: Indian world view:

Unit – 2: Indic sources – How to study? 

Unit – 3: Introduction to the systematic structures of Vedic science literature 

Unit – 4: Role and utilization of structures of Śāstra exposition in interpreting the Śāstra 

Unit – 5: Scientific nature of Indic literature

Tutorial (suggested for study): 

• Maṇḍala and aṣṭaka structures of Ṛgveda
• Vedāṅga structures
• Link between Saṁhitā and Āraṇyaka sections of Yajurveda
• Structure of Āgama texts
• Structure of Tantra texts
• Structure of Mahābhārata
• Structure of Purāṇas
• Structure of Mahākāvyas 
• Caraṇavyūha – Vedalakṣaṇa

References:

1. Prasthāna-bheda by Madhusudana Sarasvati
2. Sanatana Dharma, An elementary Text Book of Hindu Religion and Ethics, Published by the Managing Committee, Central Hindu College, Benaras, 1916