Sanskrit Reading Group: Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad-Gita—or “The Song of the Lord”—is the formative Indic hymn on dharma, the individual’s aspiration to good conduct, or their expected responsibilities and anticipated practices. This song—staged as a dialogue between Krishna, the divine avatar of Vishnu, and his devotee, the heroic warrior Arjuna, meeting on the eve of war—collects spiritual, religious, and philosophical teachings from its time to justify the martial deaths of a family’s elders, teachers, and extended kin. One of the most widely read texts of world literature, the polysemic layering of ideas leads the dialogue into elusive motives and complex actions that helped define spiritual goals and practices in South Asia.
This six week reading group will meditate on couplets (slokas) from Chapter 12 of the Gita, focusing on grammatical forms, nuanced glosses, and, ultimately, personal translations. To gain insight into the cosmic-mundane connections, we will examine each sloka for the realities embedded in the phrase Kuruksetra, dharmaksetra—the field of battle is the field of dharma—while also observing the human inquiry and corresponding divine delivery. In addition, through the study of metrics, balanced by the linguistic and cultural variables each reader brings to the text, we will learn the sung hymn. The course textbooks include Les Morgan’s Translating the Bhagavadgita: A Workbook for Sanskrit Students and Study Guide to the BhagavadGita with Practical Concordance.
Course Schedule
Friday, 11:00am-1:00pm ETSeptember 19 — October 31, 2025
6 sessions over 7 weeks
Class will not meet Friday, October 10th.
$335.00
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