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.