YHU 3291 – Sacrifice, Sex, and Power in Medieval

1 YHU 3291 – Sacrifice, Sex, and Power in Medieval Kashmir

Lecturer: Professor FBA

Description

Kashmir became the centre of a flowering of religion, philosophy, and literature in the early medieval period (850-1050), with and different kinds of vying with each other for royal patronage. Orthodox Brahmins performed sacrifice and practiced strict ritual purity, Buddhism cultivated inner purity of the mind that leads to salvation (nirvāṇa), while new forms of Hinduism called rejected ritual purity in the belief that impurity – such as ritual sex outside of caste boundaries – leads to worldly, magical power and success (siddhi), as well as salvation (mokṣa). This course will examine these concerns by focusing on a play, Much Ado About Religion, and a philosophical text, The Essence of Supreme Truth, as well as on other readings.

The course will provide an in-depth study of the religion in Kashmir during the early medieval period through focusing in particular on two texts, a humorous play and a philosophical treatise, placing them in the context of society and politics of the time. At the end of the course students will understand an important period of religious and cultural formation in Kashmir and be able to extrapolate from this to other areas, especially South India where Kashmir traditions impacted and took root. It will give students an understanding of ideas about highest human good, salvation, social hierarchy and challenges to it, and governance are that are reflected in the religious and secular literature of the time.

Readings

Generally, the seminars will focus on two texts, Much Ado About Religion and the Introduction to Tantric Philosophy. There will also be readings of secondary sources.

Lyne Bansat-Boudon, Introduction to Tantric Philosophy (Routledge, 2011)

Csaba Dezsö, Much Ado About Religion (Clay Sanskrit Library, 2005).

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Assessment

The course will be assessed by three essays: 2000 words for the first, 2500 words for the second, and the third essay will be a timed essay in class (one hour). Each essay will have weighting of 30%. A seminar presentation and overall participation will constitute the remaining 10%.

Choose two essays from the following, one from each section. Alternatively, an essay title can be agreed with the tutor.

A

1. Was tantric religion a threat to the society in medieval Kashmir? 2. Explain the social and political order in medieval Kashmir. 3. What is tantric practice and how did it threaten the Brahmins?

B

4. Explain the philosophy of Abhinavagupta’s Paramārthasāra. 5. Discuss the differences between the religious protagonists in Much Ado About Religion. 6. What are the differences between non-dualist and dualist Śaivism? 7. What are the main disagreements between Buddhism and Non-Dualist Śaivism? 8. How does Jayanta Bhaṭṭa portray the Buddhists and Jains and why? Do you think hs representation of their views is accurate?

Essay Deadlines

FIRST essay due Tuesday 1st October (after Recess week)

SECOND essay – timed essay in class for one hour – Topics: Brahmins, Caste, Śaiva Siddhānta, Non-Dual Śaivism, Popular Śaivism in Kashmir, Jayanta Bhaṭṭa, the Paramārthasāra. No books except Jayanta’s Much Ado

3 About Scriputre and Abhinavagupta’s Paramārthasāra. This is because this just takes away your time and you can all write competently on these topics by now!

THIRD essay due Friday 15th November (before Reading week)

Seminars

Each class will be a combination of lecture and seminar. We will have student presentations of the topic during the first session. The seminar that focusses on the texts will be on Fridays.

Schedule

There will be two classes on Tuesday 1600-1730 and Friday 1600-1730.

1. Introduction to Medieval Kashmir 1. 13th August: Introduction. 2. 16th August: Medieval Kashmir and the Writing of History

Reading: Alexis Sanderson, ‘Purity and Power Among the Brahmins of Kashmir,’ in Michael Carrithers, Steven Collins, and Steven Lukes (eds.), The Category of the Person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History (Cambridge University Press, 1985), pp. 190-198.

2. The Vedic World of Sacrifice 1. 20th August: Vedic Sacrifice 2. 23rd August: Vedic Society

Reading: Much Ado About Scripture, Act 1.

3. The Orthodox Brahmins 1. 27th August: Brahmin Rules 2. 30th August: Brahmins and Kings OR possible trip to Asian Art Museum

4 Reading: Much Ado About Scripture, Act 2

4. The Śaiva World – The Śaiva Siddhānta 1. 17th September: The Conservative Doctors 2. 20th September: Śaiva Philosophy

Reading: Much Ado About Scripture, Act 3

Reading: Sanderson, ‘Purity and Power,’ pp. 198-206.

5. Non-Dual Śaiva Philosophy 1. 8th October: The Doctrine of Recognition 2. 11th October: Abhinavagupta’s Arguments

Reading: Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 1-13.

6. The Śaiva World – Ascetics and Institutions 1. 10th September: Inviting Abuse 2. 13th September: The Skull Men

Reading: Much Ado About Scripture, Act 4.

7. RECESS WEEK 21/9/19-29/9/19

8. Śaiva World – Popular Śaivism 1. 3rd September: Popular Gods in Kashmir 2. 6th September: Possession and Love Magic

Reading: Bansat-Boudon, Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 14-27

9. The Śaiva-Śākta World 1. 1st October: Wild Goddesses of Kashmir 2. 4th October: Ritual Sex and its detractors

Reading: Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 28-40.

10. The World of Viṣṇu 1. 15th October: CLASS ESSAY 2. 18th October: Vaiṣṇava Ritual

5 Reading: Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 41-50.

11. The Buddhist and Jain Worlds of Kashmir 1. 29th October: The Buddhist Heritage 2. 1st November: Starving for Liberation

Reading: Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 51-67.

12. Kashmiri Religion Beyond Kashmir 1. 5th November: Śaivism in Nepal 2. 8th November: Śaivism in the South

Reading: Introduction to Tantric Philosophy, verses 68-88.

13. Conclusion 1. 12th November: Review weeks 1-6 2. 15th November: Review weeks 7-12

Reading: Alexis Sanderson, ‘How Public Was Śaivism?’

14. READING WEEK 18th November – 24th November

Bibliography

The play is fairly easy to read. Abhinavagupta’s verses are not too hard. But Sanderson’s work is very difficult but see how you get on. Anything by Sanderson is worth reading, but especially the works recommended here. Read my Introduction to Hinduism chapter on Śaivism for an easy introduction.

Bansat-Boudon, Lyne, Introduction to Tantric Philosophy (Routledge, 2011).

Bloomfield, Maurice and Richard Garbe (eds.), The Kashmirian Atharva-Veda (School of the Paippalādas), reproduced by Chromatography from the Manuscript in the University Library Tübingen 3 parts. Baltimore 1901.

6 Carrithers, Michael, S. Collins and S. Lukes (eds.) The Category of the Person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History (CUP 1985).

Dupuche, John, The Kula Ritual (Delhi: MLBD, 2003).

Dezsö, Csaba, Much Ado About Religion (Clay Sanskrit Library, 2005).

Flood, Gavin The Truth Within: A History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism (Oxford University Press, 2013).

Flood, Gavin Introduction to Hinduism (CUP 1996)

Ganeri, Jonardon, The Concealed Art of the Soul: Theories of Self and Practices of Truth in Indian Ethics and Epistemology (Oxford University Press, 2007).

Garfield, J. L. and William Edelglass (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Heesterman, J.C., The Broken World of Sacrifice: An Essay in Ancient Indian Ritual (University of Chicago Press, 1993).

Sanderson, Alexis, ‘Purity and Power Among the Brahmins of Kashmir,’ in Michael Carrithers, Steven Collins, and Steven Lukes (eds.), The Category of the Person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History (Cambridge University Press, 1985), pp. 190-198.

Sanderson, Alexis, ‘Kashmir’ Online Encyclopedia of Hinduism (Leiden: Brill, 2016)

Sanderson, Alexis, ‘How Public Was Śaivism?’ PDF also on Academia.edu

Sanderson, Alexis, ‘The Śaiva Age’ PDF also on Academia.edu

Slaje, Walter, Medieval Kashmir and the Science of History (Austin: South Asia Institute. University of Texas, 2004).

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