MMW 12 Lecture 13: South Asian Religions and the Bhagavad Gita

• School: UCSD
• Department: Making of the Modern World
• Course: MMW 12
• Professor: Alexander B Stewart

Document Summary

Mmw 12 lecture 13 south asian religions and the bhagavad gita. 1400-900 bc: rig veda (with other vedas, basis of religion based on rituals performed by brahmins: oldest south asian texts, dependent on priestly caste. Interaction between aryans and the people who were already there. 1200 bce: battle of kurukshetra (bhagavad gita battle) 800-400 bce: upanishads (provides mystical path for everyone; dialogues between teacher and student explaining nature of the universe) 600 bce: life of mahavira (main proponent of jainism) 400 bce-400 ce: mahabharata told, retold, written down (originally an oral text; longest poem in the world; compliation of all of the knowledge of the culture) 320-550 ad: gupta dynasty: priestly ritual and individual paths of salvation blend together; beginning hindu synthesis (ties together priestly role and individual enlightenment; blending of hinduism, buddhism, jainism) Brahman: universal soul that makes up universe, gods, humans, everything. Brahma: creator deity, who is also embodiment of brahman.