General Information about the curriculum
This curriculum offers Vedic Principles of Beauty, Aesthetic experience, style, components of beauty, process of creativity, and aesthetic appreciation. This course has been designed with the needs of MSc Vedic Sciences students in mind and their future needs kept in mind. All the modules discussed in the curriculum are essential and help analyze and apply the Vedic Aesthetic concepts in the present context. Thorough research has gone into the design of the curriculum.
Course Objectives
To enable the learner to understand and make aesthetic judgement and analysis of creative works of self and others in the areas such as art, design and architecture based on Vedic aesthetic perspectives.
Course outcomes
At the end of the course the learner will be able to –
- Identify new models of inspiration for artistic creativity
- Explain and Demonstrate the Vedic concepts of aesthetics and creativity; various aspects and theories related to poetics and arts in
- Indic creative knowledge systems and their extension to contemporary art and design.
- Identify new aesthetic guidelines for artistic creativity
- Identify and Demonstrate the benefit of ancient Indian explorations of art, beauty and creativity that are mathematically precise,
- computably adequate and aesthetically fulfilling at the same time.
- Discuss the benefit of aesthetic inquiry towards self-exploration or spiritual attainment (if one could call it so).
- Describe and illustrate an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of therapeutic aspects of art, beauty and creativity.
Curriculum
Module I
Vedas: View of beauty of nature and art
Vedas as ‘romantic poetry’, bhāvukatva of mantradraṣṭas, “nānṛṣiḥ kurute kāvyam”, “kaviṁ kavīnām upamas’ravastamam”
Mantras on beauty, art, poet, poetry, imagination etc.
Roots of later theories in Mīmāṁsā and other Vaidika-darśanas and as such in yajňa etc.
Module II
Upaniṣads:
Brāhmaṇas and Āraṇyakas on the beauty aspects in Veda
“raso vai saḥ”
“ānando brahmeti vyajānāt”
Module III
Classification of sources:
Training manuals: Kaviśikṣā-granthas
Theoretical works: Siddhānta-granthas
Interpretative works: Vyākhyāna-granthas
Module IV
Art-wise classification, mutual connections and scope for extension:
Nāṭya
Kāvya/Kavitva
Nṛtya
Nāṭaka /Rūpaka
Saṅgīta
Śilpa /Vigrahanirmāṇa
Vāstu
Citralekhana
Contemporary extension of each to the arts other than the focus of the work
Module V
Prerequisites of creativity: Kāvyahetus: Pratibhā, Vyutpatti, Abhyāsa:
Pratibhā: definition and various views, theories
Vyutpatti: loka-śāstra-kāvyādy-avekṣaṇa
Abhyāsa:
Relative significance and mutual connection among the three
Extension to all art, all creativity in general
Module VI
Purpose /benefits of poetry (art) Kāvyaprayojanas:
काव्यं यशसे अर्थकृते व्यवहारविदे शिवेतरक्षतये। सद्यः परनिर्वृतये कान्तासम्मिततयोपदेशयुजे।।
Vyavahāravide (khalacaritam etc.) modern view of presentation without instruction
Upadeśa-ānanda (Instruction and delight)
Arthakṛte
Module VII
Mother of all Vedic Aesthetic texts: Nāṭyaśāstra:
Lokavṛttānukaraṇa
Loka-dharmi – Nāṭya-dharmi
Realism in pātrocita
Module VIII
Itivritta (plot) analysis:
Paňcasandhi etc.
Extension to narrative literature, film studies etc.
Module IX
Kāvyātmā theories:
Rasa theory
Dhvani theory
Rīti theory
Alaṅkāra theory
Aucitya theory
Vakrokti theory
Module X
Alaṅkāras:
Centrality
Classification: Sāmyamūlaka, Atiśayoktimūlaka, Śṛṅkhalāmūlaka etc.
Abundance, naturalism etc. as Alaṅkaras
Module XI
World of Rasa:
Rasa Centrality (Ecstasy of empathy)
Rasaniṣpatti up to Abhinavagupta
RasasaṅkhyāFirst eight and Śānta-bhakti: trivarga-caturthavarga
Rasasamīkaraṇavādas
Rasābhāsa
Rasavaividhya, Rasaparivartana, Rasanirvahaṇa etc.
Module XII
World of Dhvani:
Dhvani ātmā (Vedic science of semantics: abhidhā, lakṣaṇā, vyaňjanā; rūḍha, yoga/yaugika, yoga-rūḍha)
Intricate classification of dhvani varieties
Semantics to Semiotics
Extension to art, design, music, dance, sculpture, architecture etc.
Module XIII
World of Aucitya – short work but big world:
Aucitya as jīvitam
Propriety
Unity
Proportion
Congruence
Matching etc.
Extension to art, design, music, dance, sculpture, architecture etc.
Module XIV
World of Vakrokti: Vakrokti-jīvitam (Creativity)
Sukumāramārga (path of delicacy /fragility as creativity) and Vicitramārga (path of being/doing different as creativity)
Vakratā (Deviance) as part of Vicitramārga (path of being/doing different as creativity)
i. Deviance at the ‘whole’ (of work of art) level
ii. Deviance at the main sub unit (of work of art) level
iii. Deviance at the ‘syntactic unit’ (of work of art) level
iv. Deviance at the ‘unit of syntax’ (of work of art) level.
v. Deviance at ‘cellular’ level (of work of art).
Extension to art, design, music, dance, sculpture, architecture etc.
Module XV
Rīti-jīvitam (Style?), Vṛtti, Pāka, Guṇa, Śayyā
Module XVI
Kavisamayas (Poetic conventions):
Conventions of unscientific /unrealistic but aesthetic imaginations of laws of nature
Extension to art and design
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 Question paper Pattern
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
Bharata Muni, Natyashastra
Mammata, Kavyaprakasha
Jagannadha Padita, Rasagangadhara
Vishwanatha, sahityadarpana
Dandi, Kavyadarsha
Rajashekhara, Kavyameemaamsa
Anandavardhana, Dhvanayaloka
Kuntaka, Vkroktijeevitam
Kshemendra, Auchityavichara Charcha
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.
