Course info

Syllabus for M. Phil Programme in Sanskrit Sahitya

SSS 106 Sanskrit Literature as Source Material for the of Indian Culture

Core Course - 4 credits

Unit 1 - Vedas and allied Literature5

Vedas - Upavedas - Ved¡ ́gas - views on the date and authorship -religious

beliefs social life and mythical accounts in Vedas - different views on Aryan

issue - changing facets of Vedic deities - linguistic aspects in Vedas - ancient

Indian phonetics - reflection towards nature - philosophical trends and folk

elements in Vedas - ritualism in Vedas - Etymology prosody and astronomy

in Vedas - changing aspects of sacrificial cult from Vedic period - narrative

techniques in UpaniÀads - society, life and class structure in UpaniÀads -

complementary knowledge systems - Ëyurveda - Dhanurveda -

Gandharvaveda -Sthapatyaveda - Artha¿¡stra - Technical literature in

Sanskrit - Early art and Architecture - Indian methodology of sciences.

Unit 2 - Creative Writings in Sanskrit

Genres of literature -basics of categorization -D¤¿ya and áravya k¡vyas -

R£pakas - Upar£pakas - Kath¡ and Ëkhy¡yik¡s - Mah¡k¡vyas -

Kha ̧·ak¡vyas - Camp£k¡vyas - Sande¿ak¡vyas- á¡strak¡vyas - Subh¡Àitas

and other forms of literary articulation in Sanskrit - Theories and principles to

be followed in using literary works as source of history and culture.

Unit 3 - Epics and Pur¡ ̧as

Variations and versions in R¡m¡ya ̧a - readings and re-readings -

interpolations in Mah¡bh¡rata - ethical issues- evolution of the text - regional

versions of R¡m¡ya ̧a - Up¡khy¡nas as narrative techniques - social and

political structure - philosophical reflections of Pur¡ ̧as -incorporation of

different streams of cultural and knowledge systems - Pur¡ ̧as as a source of

study of history and genealogy-geographical evidences in Pur¡ ̧as.

Unit 4 - Buddhist and Jaina Literature.

Buddha-Jaina-Ajivaka philosophies -Tripi¶akas-Canonical literature-the

historical crisis - disintegration of classless society-formation of class soceity-

different intellectuals and their contributions-later developments-Mah¡y¡na

and Hinay¡na sects-P¡li and Pr¡k¤t sources- Sanskrit sources.

Unit 5 - Aesthetics

Conceptions and History of Indian Aesthetics - Scope of the discipline -

Aesthetics of Art and Literature - Forms of arts - Aesthetics and Poetics -

Aesthetic concepts in Sanskrit Poetics -Literary sources - Changes and

development in views -Theories of approach - Philosophical basis of theories6

- Dravidian concepts of Aesthetics- Ainthinai-social and geographical aspects

of Thinai-Contemporary scenario.