RELG 232 - Religion and Culture in Indian Epics

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
Epic gods and superheroes of the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata populate the South Asian psyche and its cultural production, inhabiting multiple modes of being, literary, historical and religious. On one hand they symbolize the tension between myth and history. On the other, between religious and secular literature. Are they gods, moral exemplars, mentors, superheroes, literary characters or psychological archetypes? You will look at the diverse worlds these characters inhabit and engage with their continuing relevance, meaning and uses. You will explore how various voices across gender, caste and class historically reinterpreted and subverted the meanings and morals of the epics.

This course is cross-listed with GSFS-232