The Bhagavad Gita: the Gospel of India

The course is a basic subject in the Bachelor degree of Ancient Civilizations for the Contemporary World, and belongs to the historico-religious area. In line with the objectives of the Bachelor degree, the aim of the course is to provide the students with a substantial knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita (2nd century BCE - 1st century CE), undoubtedly the most famous of all Indian scriptures and the center of the great Mahabharata epic. Through a critical reading of the eighteen chapters of the poem, students will learn the fundamental religious and philosophical presuppositions and goals of India's civilization and mainstream Hinduism. In a comparative perspective, the course is thought as a contribution to the dialogue between India and the West by clarifying its historical and hermeneutical conditions.

1.Knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will have acquired the basic tools for the analysis of an Indian religious text (its methods, technical terms, commentarial tradition, etc.) along with the knowledge of the theology of Indian epic and more broadly the key concepts of Indian philosophies and religions.
2.Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to analyze an ancient Indian text by situating it within its historical context; use of proper terminology; ability to gather, select and evaluate contemporary scholarship on the topic.
3.Critical judgement and expression of opiniones: analyzing and discussing the various issues involved with critical acumen; contextualizing the poem's theology within its specific cultural milieu; appreciation of how this text has become a classic of Hinduism and of the shifts in interpretation that have characterized its commentarial tradition over the centuries and up to the present, in India as well as in the West.
4.Communication skills: a clear exposition and communication of the acquired knowledge in both oral and written form.
5.Learning skills: understanding of an ancient Indian text by focussing on its English translations; ability to develop one's own critical interpretation of the text and its essential teachings.