RELG 659. Many Mahabharatas.

Investigation of the many lives of the Mahābhārata, including primary sources (in translation) and key secondary works on the history and historiography of the Mahābhārata tradition. The Bhagavadgītā and itsinfluential reception history across the globe. Topics explored include religious perspectives on death; debates about dharma, political power, and morally justified violence; classical Indian aesthetics; devotional (bhakti) traditions; colonial and post-colonial constructions of religion; and contemporary debates about caste and gender.