RELG 459. Bhagavadgita and Mahabharata .

Investigation of the history, diversity, and influence of the Mahābhārata tradition, including the many lives of the Bhagavadgī, the Sanskrit epic itself as well as retellings from different religious and performative contexts. Topics explored include religious perspectives on death; debates about morality, violence, and political power; classical Indian aesthetics; devotional (bhakti) traditions; colonial and post-colonial constructions of religion; and contemporary reflections on caste and gender.