What: Hindu
Devotionalism (
When: MWF 12-12:50
Where: HSSB 1206
Instructor: Aaron Ullrey (aaron-ullrey@umail.ucsb.edu)
Office: HSSB 3075
Office Hours (Tentative): W--1:30-3:30,
R--10-12, and by appointment.
How to contact me:
Please
use my email listed above. If you must
leave a phone message, call the Religious Studies office (805) 893-7136; this number is not a conversation
number: it is a message line. I expect
all communication to be professional and polite, and I will extend the same
courtesy to you.
Description of Course:
The
primary activity for Hindus’ religious lives is the worship of deities; the
most prestigious aesthetic of worship is devotion. Hindu sources state there are three
preeminent deities: Śiva, Viṣṇu, and Devī; these are said
to be “high gods” by virtue of their pan-Indian appeal and prevalence in
Sanskrit mediums. Alongside these gods
are innumerable deities having lesser prestige but arguably greater value in
daily life: household gods, gods of the village, forests, and mountains; as
well as regional deities. The “low gods”
are predominantly local, and their lore is transmitted in vernacular languages.
This
course will explore the history of devotional cults and mythology of both the “high
gods” and the innumerable “low gods”; consequently, the course is a history of
divinity in south
No
previous knowledge of Hinduism or Indian history is required for the
course. Mid-term and final exams will
assess each student’s grasp of the various popular and elite deities and
methods of worshipping these deities.
Students will write two 7-page research papers exploring the history of
a deity or cluster of deities. Papers
must have a clear historical thesis, may not merely be a re-telling of
traditional mythology, and may not be a theological meditation on the deities. Research papers must use in-class materials;
external research is also required, but it need not be extensive. No paper will be accepted without appropriate
drafts, pre-writing, and reading notes accompanying the final draft. Students’ papers will be assessed on--in the
following order--successful argumentation, organization, style, and grammar/mechanics.
Reading Materials for
the Course
Books
for
Doniger, Wendy. Hindu Myths: A
Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit (Penguin Classics).
Haberman, David L. Journey through the
Twelve Forests: An Encounter with
Huyler, Stephen P. Meeting God:
Elements of Hindu Devotion.
Kulke, Hermann and Dieter Rothermund. A
History of
Babb,
Cort, John E. “Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain
Tantric Deity.” in David Gordon White, ed. Tantra In Practice. Princeton:
Chakrabarti,
Kunal. Religious process: the Puranas and the Making of a Regional Tradition.
Cohen, Richard S. “Nāga, Yakṣiṇī, Buddha:
Local Deities and Local Buddhism at
Davidson, Ronald M. Indian Esoteric
Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement.
Eschmann, A., H. Kulke, et al. “The
Formation of the Jagannātha Triad.” in Eschmann, A. ed. The Cult of
Jagannath and the regional tradition of Orissa. ??: Manohar, 1978.
Gold, Ann Grodzins. Fruitful Journeys:
the Ways of Rajasthani Pilgrims. Berkely:
S. W. Jamison and M. Witzel. “Vedic
Hinduism.” www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vedica.pdf
Lutgendorf, Philip. Hanuman's Tale:
The Messages of a Divine Monkey.
--“My Hanuman is Bigger Than Yours.” History
of Religions. vol. 33 no. 3, pp. 211-245
available on JSTOR
Mandelbaum, David G. “Transcendental and
Pragmatic Aspects of Religion.” American Anthropologist. New Series, Vol. 68, No. 5. (Oct., 1966), pp.
1174-1191. Available on JSTOR
Nobokov, Isabelle. Religion Against
the Self: An Ethnography of Tamil Rituals.
Olivelle, Patrick. “Ascetic Withdrawal or
Social Engagement.” in Donald Lopez, ed. Religions of
Raju, P.T. Structural Depths of Indian Thought.
Renou, Louis. Indian Literature.
Smith, Frederick M. The Self
Possessed: Deity and Spirit Possession in South Asian Literature and Culture.
Sontheimer, Gunther-Dietz. Pastoral
Deities in
Vaudeville,
Weinberger-Thomas. Ashes of Immortality:
Widow-Burning in
White, David Gordon. Kiss of the Yoginī: “Tantric Sex” in
its South Asian Context.
Assessment:
Students’
grades will be determined based on writing (40%), exams (40%), and class
attendance/participation (20%). The
first paper will be worth 10% of the grade and the second will be worth 30% of
the grade.
Assignments:
Two
formal papers (7 pages each) are required.
All papers are to be written in 12-point font, double-spaced, with
standard one-inch margins, and full MLA citations and bibliography. Papers are to be submitted in a folder
accompanied by all reading notes, pre-writing, outlines, and drafts. Papers submitted without the aforementioned
materials will not be accepted.
All
students are required to attend in-class writing workshop sessions for the
formal papers (it is strongly recommended you do not miss these classes). Students will bring multiple copies (likely
three) for use in their writing groups.
Additional short papers may be assigned at instructor’s discretion. Peer-editing is the most important part of
the writing component to this class; to miss a peer editing session is to incur
the wrath of the instructor and to have a significant drop in grade.
At
the instructor’s discretions, students will take weekly reading quizzes that
will affect the attendance/participation portion of their grade. These quizzes will not assess whether the
students have done the reading or not; the quizzes will assess the thoroughness
of the students’ reading.
Extra Credit:
There
is one, and only one, opportunity for extra credit in this course. A student may choose to read a novel about
south
The
novel must be approved by the
instructor by the Friday class of the fifth week of instruction. Students should meet instructor in office
hours to finalize their choice of novel. The paper is due by the Friday class of the
seventh week of instruction. These dates
are non-negotiable, and late work will not be accepted.
Students
may earn between 0 and 10 percentage points added to their final grade; be
advised that merely ‘doing’ the assignment does not guarantee any additional
points. The paper must be free of grammatical
errors, have a clear thesis and structure, and make use of readings and
theoretical apparatuses from the course.
In other words, the assignment is assessed in the same formal manner as
other papers. There is no penalty for
having a book approved and then not writing the assignment.
Attendance:
I
take class attendance seriously. Three
absences, for any reason, are permitted without any penalization. Realize that this is a ten-week course and
three absences is an entire week of class missed. This course is based on both lecture and
discussion, to understand the material a student needs the benefit of both
components. If a student misses more
than three absences, that student will meet with the instructor and the
situation will be discussed and actions will be taken (depending on the
severity of absenteeism, ranging from lowered grades to failing of the
course). Tardiness is inexcusable, if a
pattern of lateness develops there will be private discussion with the
instructor and actions will be taken.
Policy Statement
Regarding Plagiarism:
All assignments handed in must represent a student's own work. Plagiarism is a
serious offense, and will be dealt with accordingly. If you use the words or ideas of others
without proper citation of your source, you may be suspended or expelled from
the university. I take this very seriously, and if I suspect you have included
any amount of material from uncredited sources, I will investigate vigorously.
NOTE: If you are student
with a documented disability and would like to discuss special academic
accommodations, please contact me during office hours at the beginning of the
course. Also, if you are an ESL student,
please discuss this with me; if you do not self-advocate, I cannot help
you. I take these accommodations very
seriously and will do my best to help you.
Understand that I understand the hardships of writing in a foreign
language, since most of my own graduate work involves me learning archaic,
Asian languages.
Part 1: Historical:
Vedas, Epics, Pūraṇas
Week 1 -- March 31-April 4: Introduction &
Begin Vedic
M: Syllabus, Discuss Hindu deities generally.
Reading (In these articles focus on the
methodologies of the authors):
1.
Huyler,
1-46 (note key vocabulary, stories about lives of Hindus, and pictures)
2.
Mandelbaum,
David G. “Transcendental and Pragmatic Aspects of Religion” (Be able to define
transcendental and pragmatic poles of religion and give examples. Explain author’s anthropological approach.)
3.
Doniger-O’Flaherty,
11-25 (What are the problems and limits of textual studies? How does Doniger
approach the study of religion?)
4.
Kulke
and Rothermund, 1-16 (What is the historical approach to studying
W: Theory Day. What is divinity? What is our
method for studying divinity? Pragmatic
vs. Transcendental aspects of religion.
Reading (What is specific about the Vedas
and Vedic religion? How do they differ
from any of your prior knowledge of Hindu deities):
1. S. W. Jamison and M. Witzel. “Vedic Hinduism.” (Long article, skim! Focus on those sections that deal specifically with deities and means of relating to deities; focus on 52-63, 80-88, understand ) Found at: www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vedica.pdf
2.
Doniger:
25-28, 56-91, 97-115 (Who are the deities in question? Know the details of
their stories? How can they be described
using the analytic models developed so far?)
F: Vedas, Vedic literature? Vedic Deities. What are the four Vedas? What kind of Mythology is found in the Vedas?
Reading (Who are the Brahmins?):
1.
S.
W. Jamison and M. Witzel. “Vedic Hinduism.” 28-52 (Get a basic understanding of
what the vedic rituals are like).
2.
Kulke
and Rothermund, 17-45 focus on 31-50. (What are the main historical periods of
the Brāhmaṇas settling in
3.
Olivelle,
Patrick. “Ascetic Withdrawal or Social Engagement” 375-388 (What are the types of Vedic ritual
practitioners?)
4.
Huyler,
“The Soul of Family.” 66-89 (Compare and contrast contemporary worship
practices with Vedic)
Week 2 -- April 7-11: Vedas and Epics
M: Vedic Ritual, Vedic History, Vedic Literature. What happens in Vedic Rituals? Who performs them?
Reading (What are the main plots of the
Mahābharata and Rāmāyana?
What are the characteristics of Epic Literature):
1.
Doniger,
“Epic Avatars: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa,” 197-231 (Know the main
plots of these two deities/incarnations.”
2.
Renou,
“The Vedic and the Epic,” 3-17 (use this chapter to get an overall picture of
the literature discussed so far)
W: Instructor overview of the stories. Epics vs. Vedas. Rāma and Kṛṣna.
Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata.
1.
Kulke
and Rothermund 50-108 (Focus on understanding the main dynasties, their
chronology, and their religious Affiliations)
F: History day! The Social Environment in the
Epics and After the Epics. Mauryas,
Guptas, and the Golden Age.
1.
Cohen,
Richard S. 360-400. Available on JSTOR
(What is local and translocal religion?)
2.
Huyler,
“Elements of Worship,” 46-63 (What kinds of worship do we see here?
Reciprocality)
Week 3 -- April 14-18: Translocality, Avatars,
and Images
M: Theory
Day! Theoretical point: Local and
Translocal. What can we learn about
Hinduism from studying the development of Buddhism? How did Buddhism and Hinduism parallel in
developments? What is ritual reciprocity?
1.
Doniger,
175-197, review 197-231, read 341-238 (What are the main deities and how do they
become avatars?)
W: Avatars and the Avatar System. Return to Epics and how the epics are used to
create Avatar systems. How are popular
deities incorporated into translocal religious traditions?
1.
Lutgendorf,
“My Hanuman is Bigger than Yours,” 211-245. (What is the role of images and the
History of Hanuman in Hinduism) JSTOR
2.
Lutgendorf,
“Prayers, Recipes, Memoirs: Hanuman in Hindi Popular Literature.” in Hanuman’s
Tale. p. 90-123 (What are the various manners in which Hanuman is
worshipped?)
3.
Babb,
“Pūja” in Divine Hierarchy. p.31-67. (What kind of worship are to
be done? What are their functions?
Contrast contemporary ethnography with other rituals we have seen.)
F: Bhakti and the Epics Figures. Images and Devotion.
Case Study: Hanuman.
1.
Huyler,
“Answered Prayers,”116-155 (Who are the big deities? How are the worshipped? What are the images used?)
2.
Doniger,
125-173 (Be able to discuss the major stories About Śiva.)
Week 4 -- April 21-25: The Rise of Śiva and
the Goddess, Emphasis on the Pūraṇas
M: Śiva. Who is he? How is he worshipped? Why is he called the erotic ascetic?
Reading (Heavy reading day, plan ahead).
1.
Chakrabarti,
TBA (How do the goddesses become the Goddess? What is the role of scripture and migration
in thie process?)
2.
Doniger,
238-269 (main themes in descriptions of the
goddess)
3.
White,
“The Origins of the Yoginī” in Kiss of the Yoginī. 27-66 (How
did groups of goddesses become worshipped collectively as one goddess? What is the connection of “natural” deities
with anthropomorphic deities”
W: The Goddess.
Discussion of the development of the pūraṇas and the
integration of Goddesses into translocal religion.
1.
Cort,
“Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain Tantric Deity.” 417-433 (What are
the multiple identities of this deity? Why is he popular? How is he legitimated?)
2.
Babb,
“Brahman and Baiga.” in Divine Heirarchy,
177-214 (we will discuss this again later)
F: Worshippers and worshipped. Great and Little
traditions. Popular and pragmatic.
Reading (heavy reading day, plan
ahead. Compare the methods of the
authors’ depiction of history, their historiography if you will.):
1.
Kulke
and Rothermand, “Gods, temples and poets” 141-153
2.
Davidson,
“The Victory of Esoterism and the Imperial Metaphor.” in Indian Esoteric
Buddhism 113-168 (How does Davidson define tantra and characterize medieval
3.
Kulke
and Rothermund, “The regional kingdoms of Early Medieval India.” 109-140
Week 5 -- April 28-May 2: Begin Medieval Era
& Paper Writing
M: Regional Ferment in medieval and
post-medieval
W: Peer-Edit
F: Paper Due, Introduce Thematic Sections.
Receive Mid-term Study Guide. Start Exam
Review. Extra-credit books must be
approved before today.
1.
Haberman,
Preface-44 (What is the author’s methodology?
What deities does he encounter?)
2.
Gold
from Fruitful Journeys. 1-22, 34-58. (Same questions as for Haberman).
Part 2: Thematic :
Pilgrimage, Possession, and Nationalism
Week 6 -- May 5-9: Pilgrimage
M: Pilgrimage and Divinity. Contrast Methodology
and Topics of Gold and Haberman.
1.
Gold,
”Sweeping the Road Ahead.” in Fruitful Journeys. 262-298 (Try to grasp
the reason for and process of doing pilgrimage in contemporary
2.
Eschman,
et al. “The Formation of the Jagannātha Triad.” 169-96. (Be able to explain
the major phases of divinity in Orissa leading up to the Jagannāth
Triad. What are the dynamics of condensing
and agglomerating deities?)
3.
Huyler,
“Deities on Parade,” 158-173
W: Regional Pilgrimage Traditions. Case Study: Orissa.
F: Mid-term.
Make me proud!!!!!!
1.
Haberman,
45-133 (What sorts of deities are encountered by Haberman, especially
non-Vaiṣnava deities?)
2.
Vaudeville,
TBA (Know the main phases in development of Bhakti and the worship of
Kṛṣṇa)
Week 7 -- May 12-16: Tantra and Bhakti
M:
History of Bhakti and Braj.
Instructor lecture on geography and history of the waves in which Bhakti
spread through south
1.
Review
Haberman and Vaudeville
2.
Haberman,
134-196 (Again note the various deities Haberman encounters).
W:
Discuss Habermann in relation to Vaudeville. Students must be ready to compare and
contrast methods, source data, and results of the two author’s studies.
1.
Haberman,
196-224 (How does Haberman makes sense of the range of deities he encounters?)
2.
Sontheimer,
“The Origin Structure and Transformation of the Cults of Birobā,
Mhaakobā, and Kanṇḍobā,” 185-206. (Who are these deities
and how are they distinct?)
3.
Weinberger-Thomas,
“Under the Spell of Sacrifice.” 134-174 (How do Satis function as regional
deities?)
F: Regions
of
1.
Smith,
“Academic and Brahminical Orthodoxies,” 3-29 (What is the method and overview
of possession in Smith?)
2.
Huyler,
“Healing, Sacred Vows, and Possession.” 210-231
3.
Smith,
“Devotion as Possession” 345-362 (What is the connection of Bhakti philosophy
and possession?)
Week 8--May 19-23: Possession
M: Deities that possess. Bhakti/Tantra and possession. What are the predominant theories on the
function of possession in south Asian religion?
1.
Nobokov,
“Of Women and Demons” & “The Decapitation of Brides” 70-100. (How does possession work? What is the role of gender in possession
practices? What are the social-structure
affirming qualities of possession.”
2.
Smith,
“Possession in Tantra: 367-398 (What are the tantric techniques using
posession? Contrast with the techniques
and practices discussed by Nobokov.)
W: Functions of possession in village life.
Religious practices and Possession.
1.
Sontheimer,
“
2.
Babb,
“Brahman and Bhaiga,” 177-214 (Compare
and contrast modes of worship.)
F: Little deities and possession: local spirits,
trees, and mountains.
Reading (for next
friday):
1.
Huyler,
“The Final Stages,” 232-253 (Who are the people that engage in renunciation?)
2.
Raju,
TBA (What are the main philosophical modes described?)
3.
Begin
reviewing all materials read thus far.
The Final is coming up!
Week 9--May 26-30--Final Paper Writing.
M: No Class, Memorial Day
W: Peer-edit
F: Paper due.
Philosophy and devotionalism. Discuss the reading from last Friday.
1.
Review
for Exam and Conclusion of Class!
2.
Kulke
and Rothermund, 284-369 (Read to get an overview of the contemporary history of
Week 10--June 2-6. Non-Hindu Devotionalism and
Contemporary Hinduism
M: Divinity in Non-Hindu religions: Buddhism,
Jainism, Sikkhism, and Islam. (This will be a lecture with no assigned reading,
but it will reference earlier materials)
1.
Kulke
and Rothermund 284-343 (What are the main events of the Indian Independence and
Partition)
W: Triumph of Bhakti in contemporary discourse;
Nationalism.
F: Review Day.
What is devotionalism and divinity in south
Prepare for final and
knock it out of the park! I know you are
going to nail it!
Review Section: TBA
Exam: TBA