Religion 403
Vedanta Sutras
Location: seminar Room, Loree 131
5-6th period (3.55-6.55 PM).
Instructor: Edwin Bryant.
Tel: x 23289. E-mail: <>.
Office Hours: Wed 2-3 PM, Loree 114.
Course Description and Objectives: The Vedanta, or Brahma, Sutras has emerged as the most important of the six schools of Indian philosophy, and, indeed, has almost become synonymous with Hindu philosophy. Written in order to clarify the sometimes abstruse statements of the Upanisads, the oldest philosophical texts in Hinduism, the cryptic nature of the Vedanta Sutras in turn produced a number of distinct streams of commentarial interpretation. This course will attempt an overview of the main schools of Vedantic thought up to the medieval period -- Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Baladeva. Attention will be paid to some of the prominent points of agreement as well as contestation amongst some of these schools. The course will focus on primary texts.
Course Prerequisites: None (but some prior knowledge of Hindu philosophy recommended).
Course Requirement: Class attendance and participation (10% of the final grade); two non-cumulative quizzes (25% of the final grade each); a final cumulative exam (40% of the final grade).
Required Reading
Available at the Douglass Coop:
Olivelle, Patrick. The Upanisads. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Vireswarananda, Swami. Brahma Sutras. (Sankara Bhasya). Calcutta: Advaita
Ashrama, 1982 (henceforth, Sankara)
Vireswarananda and Adidevananda (trans) Brahma Sutras: Sri Bhasya. Kolkata:
Advaita Ashrama, 2003. (henceforth, Ramanuja).
Adams, George C. Badarayana’s Brahma Sutras.Motilal Banarsidass Delhi: Publishers,
1993.
Available on electronic reserves at Alexander library:
Bose, Roma. The Vedanta Parijata Saurabha of Nimbarka. Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal, 2004. (Henceforth, Nimbarak).
Vasu, Rai Bahadur. The Vedanta Sutras of Badarayana with the Commentary of
Baladeva. Delhi: Oriental Books, 1979 (henceforth, Baladeva)
Ghate, V.S. The Vedanta. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona: 1981.
Mudgal, S.G. The Brahmasutras. Mumbai: Archish, 2005.
Recommended Reading:
Chatterjee, S and Datta, D. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. Calcutta: Calcutta
University Press, 1984.
Week I.
Focus: The Upanisads
Readings: Olivelle, Brihadaranyaka 1: 1-2, 4; 2: 1, 3-5; 3: 4-9; 4: 2-5; 6: 2.
Ghate, introduction and outline pps 1-52.
Week II.
Focus: The Upanisads
Readings: Olivelle,
Chandogya 3: 14; 4: 4; 5: 3-10; 6: 1-2; 9-15; 8: 7-15.
Taittiriya 2: 1-8.
Aitareya 1: 1.
Kausitaki 4: 1-20.
Week III.
Focus: The Upanisads,
Readings: Olivelle,
Kena (entire).
Katha (entire).
Isa (entire).
Svetasvatara (entire).
Week IV.
Focus: The Upanisads,
Readings: Olivelle,
Mundaka (entire).
Prasna (entire).
Mandukya (entire).
Week V.
Focus: Vedanta Sutra, chapter I
Readings: Adams, entire;
Ghate pps 53-68.
Week VI.
Focus: Vedanta Sutras, chapter II
Readings: Vireshvarananda, Sankara, chapter II entire, Ramanuja (pages to be announced); Ghate, pps 68-105
Week VII.
Focus: The Vedanta Sutras, chapter II (cont),
Readings: Sankara, chapter II entire; Ramanuja (pages to be announced).
Week VII.
Focus: Vedanta Sutras, chapter III
Readings: Sankara, chapter III entire; Ramanuja (pages to be announced). Ghate, pps 105-132
Week IX.
Focus: Vedanta Sutras, chapter III (cont).
Readings: Sankara, chapter III entire; Ramanuja (pages to be announced).
Week X.
Focus: Vedanta Sutras, chapter IV.
Readings: Sankara, chapter IV entire; Ramanuja (pages to be announced). Ghate, pps 132-155.
Week XI
Focus: Vedanta Sutras, chapter IV (cont).
Readings: Sankara, chapter IV entire; Ramanuja (pages to be announced).
Week XII
Focus: The commentary of Madhva
Readings: Mudgal, Adhyayas III & IV (pp183-324)
Week XIII.
Focus: The commentary of Nimbarka
Readings: Nimbarka (pages to be announced).
Week XIV
Focus: The Commentary of Baladeva
Readings:Baladeva (pages to be announced).
Week XV
Focus: The commentary of Vallabha
Readings: Ghate, 156-170.