Hinduism Through Its Scriptures
Hinduism Through Its Scriptures
I just took a free online course from Harvard called Hinduism Through Its Scriptures, through its edX platform.
The course, which takes 20-30 hours to complete, is a mix of videos, readings and exercises. You’re introduced to the many Hindu sacred texts – hymns, narratives, philosophical thought – and their interpretations.
I would encourage students and teachers going on our cultural tour of India to at least become familiar with the concepts and sacred texts of Hinduism before they leave home. As you will see on the trip, religion permeates nearly every aspect of public and private life in India. So this class is a nice (and free) way to jump in.
Those texts come in seven different categories:
> The Vedas
> The Upanishads
> Shastras and Texts on Dharma
> The Ramayana
> The Bhagavad Gita
> The Puranas
> Vernacular Devotional Texts & Bhakti Traditions
I read the Bhagavad Gita a few years ago. It is the most prominent Hindu text. It recounts the conversation of the prince Arjuna and his charioteer guide Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, as Arjun debates whether to go to battle in war against his cousins. The text propagates the Brahmanic idea of living according to one’s duty or dharma.
Below is one of the many movies that have been done depicting the Gita. The production value is a little dated and you need to read the English subtitles, but it gives one a decent sense of the story.