Gaudiya Discussions Archive » CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the modern world. Dealing with the varieties of challenges we face as practicing Gaudiyas amidst Western culture.

Course of study - BA Divinity in Vaishnavism

Jagat - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 22:41:17 +0530

For Gopi Dust:

Here is the course of study I advise (subject to revision):

Year I. 30 credits.
1. Introduction to World Religions (6 credits)
2. Sanskrit language (6 credits)
3. Life of Chaitanya (6 credits)
4. Bhagavad-gita (comparitive study) (3 credits)
5. Psychology of Religion (3)
6. Philosophy of Religion (3)
7. Meditational techniques (3)

Year II. 30 credits
1. One major world religion (Buddhism, Christianity or Islam) (6 credits)
2. Sanskrit language (6 credits)
3. Srimad-Bhagavatam (6 credits)
4. History of Hinduism (6 credits)
5. Vaishnava poetics (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu) (3 credits)
6. Post Chaitanya Gaudiya Vaishnava history to Bhaktivinoda Thakur (3 credits)

Year III. 30 credits
1. Six Sandarbhas (6 credits)
2. Bengali and Sanskrit (6 credits)
3. Another major world religion (as above) (6)
4. Vaishava poetics (Ujjvala-nilamani) (3 credits)
5. Vaishnava poetic literature (3 credits)
6. Sociology of religion (3 credits)
7. A history of Iskcon (3 credits)

This was off the top of my head. I probably missed some really important things. Anyone have any suggestions. If it were really a divinity course, it would probably require a little more about counselling, etc. Practical psychology, etc.

Jagat - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 22:46:24 +0530

The Sanskrit course would probably incorporate some of the Vaishnava poetic literature and poetics. That's something that would need to be worked out.

I think a course in music and Vaishnava padavali of some kind should be included.

A final year course in modern challenges to religious faith would be pretty good.Maybe even a course in Vaishnava cuisine. The above course is also short on sad-achara, archana and other practical aspects. Haribhaktivilasa, archana-paddhatis, etc.

Satyabhama - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 22:56:05 +0530

O, would that this were a real course of study, and not an exercize in tongue-in-cheekery!

Jagatji, add some courses on the Alwars please! Let's have a wider range of choices and course offerings on different Vaishnava schools...

Satyabhama - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:02:20 +0530

How about classes in Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, etc. with emphasis on abhinaya-heavy dances depicting Krishna, Venkatesha and other incarnations...

Kalkidas - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:38:23 +0530

And don't forget to add some courses on differrent schools of indian philosophy and different schools of Vedanta in particular...

Kishalaya - Tue, 14 Sep 2004 23:49:26 +0530

Suggestions for any open slots:

Logic 101
Philosophy of Science I, II and III
Ethics

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:39:16 +0530

How about a class on Etiquette?

Madhava - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:48:03 +0530

And devotional music, some basic rAgas, and on leading a decent kIrtana.

purifried - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:31:23 +0530

Wow! Sounds great Jagat? You're teaching for free from home via the internet? Sign me up please!

Oh and on a not so jolly note, you might want to add a course on common sense since it seems to be so lacking amongst the Vaishnava communities. Prabhupada is known to have said, "...and if you have no common sense, then ask someone who does."

Ys,

Madhava - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:38:36 +0530

QUOTE (purifried @ Sep 14 2004, 09:01 PM)

Oh and on a not so jolly note, you might want to add a course on common sense since it seems to be so lacking amongst the Vaishnava communities.

Yes we definitely need these "now let's sit down for a moment and try to be sane" sessions.

babu - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:53:46 +0530

QUOTE (Jagat @ Sep 14 2004, 05:11 PM)

What would be the minimum g.p.a. one could get to be able to assist Srimati Radharani?

Jagat - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:58:32 +0530

QUOTE (babu @ Sep 14 2004, 04:23 PM)

What would be the minimum g.p.a. one could get to be able to assist Srimati Radharani?

You have to go to finishing school and learn the 64 arts.

The final exam is when Radha teaches you a song and you have to sing it to Krishna.

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:01:03 +0530

Rani would probably fail them all, because She's too busy thinking about Krishna to concentrate on lecture. Maybe if you let Her copy your notes.

Ok, looking at the course schedule, She might be a little better off in second and third year...

Jagat - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:09:27 +0530

History of Hinduism could include Vedanta and Alwars.

But actually, the way modern Western universities work is not the same as traditional studies in India. There are certain advantages to both systems. In the former you tend to read a lot of secondary sources, at least at the undergraduate level. Reading through a book from beginning to end with a teacher is not done.

Perhaps Vedanta should be read with the Bhagavatam.

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:16:59 +0530

QUOTE

In the former you tend to read a lot of secondary sources

True! Never much liked that, to tell you the truth.

Jagat - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:26:51 +0530

Reading the entire Mahabharata and Ramayan should be on there somewhere. And a course in sloka memorization. No one should finish the degree without knowing at least 1000 slokas by heart, plus songs, etc. Memorization is good, especially for the young. Maybe even the whole Gita and entire chapters of the Bhagavatam, like 1.2, 1.5, 2.3, 3.29, 5.1, 7.9, 10.2, 10.14, 10.21, 10.29-33, 10.47, 10.87, 11.2, 11.5.

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:28:54 +0530

Sounds good Jagat. So when do we start? You want to do it over the phone? I can give you my phone number. Tuition is free right?

DharmaChakra - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:30:17 +0530

Jagat:
Besides the rather joking nature of this thread, I for one would be very interested in seeing a bibliography to go along with this course...

Madhava - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:54:46 +0530

Honestly, we need to eventually work on turning this into something tangible.

I would imagine this could be well realized in an online study group. I have already volunteered to code the back-end for the entire project in an old discussion with Nitai on his Caitanya Sanskrit Tol project, which "...is about to open..." since several years now.

I wonder what kind of monetary remuneration would be befitting for the teachers, obviously to cut out the time for this it needs to be compensated. I believe a group of ten to twenty would be relatively easy to get together if the semester fees were kept reasonable.

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 02:54:58 +0530

Professor Jagatji, do you know where I can get a copy of Varaha Purana with English Translation? How about Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya?

Oxen Power - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 04:20:40 +0530

Haribol,
Well this is something of wanted to do since I have the time on my hands
and my main interest of study is Vedic culture.However my problem is Florida
Vedic College wants big $ and being a theology school of course there is no financial aid and the RVC iskcon deal in Kansas city is like a bootcamp I dont think I could hack that for very long.I hope to hear more about that tol thing you
mentioned madhava,I have seen that on nitai's site before.

Anyways since at a secular community college I could likely get financial aid
Ive thought of going to CC to take english and writing and then i wonder maybe Jagat would know as far as what universitys and how much eductaion to you need to get into learning sanskrit at a college or university.For starters getting at least
an associates in english or writing would be a good step but I wonder how long before you can get into somewhere that teaches sanskrit.Thanks

JAI SRI GURU SRI GAURANGA

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 04:44:22 +0530

QUOTE

the RVC iskcon deal in Kansas city is like a bootcamp

Yes, it seems so. I encounter the students from RVC every once in awhile. They don't talk much though. But they do chant in the plaza sometimes, so that's cool.

Elpis - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 07:01:53 +0530

QUOTE (Satyabhama @ Sep 14 2004, 05:24 PM)

Professor Jagatji, do you know where I can get a copy of Varaha Purana with English Translation?

I am not Jagadananda, but here are my 25 cents.

An English translation of the VarAhapurANa was published as AITM vols. 31-32, available here.

An edition with both Sanskrit text and English translation was published by the SarvabhAratIyakAzirAjanyAsa in VArANasI in 1981.

An edition of the purANa was edited by PaNDit HRSikeza ZAstrI (Bibliotheca Indica vol. 109; Calcutta: Asiatic Society, 1887-1893).

And then there is an edition from VeGkatezvara Press (Bombay, 1923).

Satyabhama - Wed, 15 Sep 2004 07:29:51 +0530

Thanks!

DharmaChakra - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 00:49:08 +0530

QUOTE (Elpis @ Sep 14 2004, 09:31 PM)

QUOTE (Satyabhama @ Sep 14 2004, 05:24 PM)

Professor Jagatji, do you know where I can get a copy of Varaha Purana with English Translation?

Excellent.. I might add that a good college course includes a bibliography that is 'purchasable'

Seriously, I think this is at a minimum a good way to build a decent Vaisnava library, with recommendations from a serious scholar on the topic...

Jagat - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 01:04:22 +0530

QUOTE (DharmaChakra @ Sep 14 2004, 05:00 PM)

Jagat:
Besides the rather joking nature of this thread, I for one would be very interested in seeing a bibliography to go along with this course...

Not really a joke. When I see how little knowledge Gopidust has, and how much hubris, it makes a course like this really necessary. Actually, I have often wondered why Iskcon brahmacharis are NOT put through a course of study like this. After "brahmin" initiation, they should undertake the study of the Veda...

O yeah, I forgot three credits in the Vedas... Well, maybe at the MA level.

As for a bibliography, that will take a little time. However, I invite everyone to contribute suggestions.

Elpis - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 05:38:32 +0530

QUOTE (Satyabhama @ Sep 14 2004, 05:24 PM)

How about Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya?

I am still not Jagadananda, but I found the following, which may be of interest:

"Srinivasa kalyanam: Venkatachala mahatmyam in pictures." Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, 1974.

Chalapati Rao, G.V., "Sri Venkatachala, its glory." First edition. Machilipatnam, A.P.: Available with G.V. Chalapati Rao, 1983.

Elpis - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 05:44:38 +0530

QUOTE (DharmaChakra @ Sep 15 2004, 03:19 PM)

I might add that a good college course includes a bibliography that is 'purchasable'

Well, Satyabhama's question was not directly related to the question of a general bibliography. I imagine that she is capable of using interlibrary loan and a xerox machine, if nothing else is available, like any serious student.

Satyabhama - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 06:54:15 +0530

QUOTE

I imagine that she is capable of using interlibrary loan and a xerox machine, if nothing else is available, like any serious student.

Thank you for having faith in me! Actually, I will probably buy it, since I am so fond of Varahavatara...

Elpis - Thu, 16 Sep 2004 08:29:01 +0530

QUOTE (Satyabhama @ Sep 15 2004, 09:24 PM)

Thank you for having faith in me! Actually, I will probably buy it, since I am so fond of Varahavatara...

You are welcome. Good luck finding the books (or are you just going to purchase the AITM translation?).

Yes, good old paGkakrIDAvatAra is an interesting fellow.

Anand - Fri, 17 Sep 2004 19:31:51 +0530

QUOTE

I wonder what kind of monetary remuneration would be befitting for the teachers, obviously to cut out the time for this it needs to be compensated. I believe a group of ten to twenty would be relatively easy to get together if the semester fees were kept reasonable.

If this indeed becomes a tangible project, I like to volunteer some help possibly with the business office.

babu - Tue, 21 Sep 2004 06:35:01 +0530

http://www.bhajankutir.net/tol.html

Madhava - Fri, 17 Dec 2004 23:43:54 +0530

The posts discussing ISKCON history have been split to the appropriate subforum. Some other topics have also been split and moved.

Since this is not an ISKCON forum, it would be appreciated if our good audience could restrict ISKCON and Gaudiya Matha related posts to that one particular subsection.