SAN 384S (#31975) and SAN 330 (#31960)
The Supar??dhy?ya
spring 2010
Joel Brereton
Office: WCH 4.134A
Email: jpb@austin.utexas.edu
Office Hours: T 1:30-3:00, TH 1:30-3:00 and by appointment
This course will study the Supar??dhy?ya (also called the Supar??khy?na), a late Vedic poem that tells the story of Supar?a or Garu?a, the eagle that became the mount of Vi??u. It will emphasize the historical transition from Vedic to Epic poetic composition and the problems of textual corruption and restoration. It will also study other versions of the Supar?a tale in the Yajurveda, the Mah?bh?rata, and the B?haddevata, and a possible ancestor of the story in the ?gveda.
Requirements:
For both SAN 384S and SAN 330, the course requires careful preparation of the text assigned for each class meeting, including the ability to translate the text and to analyze its grammar and syntax. Both sections of the course also require two exams, and, in addition, SAN 384S requires an essay on a different early narrative. The final grade will be determined as follows:
For SAN 384S
Class recitation 40%
Two exams, each 20%
Essay 20%
For SAN 330
Class recitation 50%
Two exams, each 25%
The grade for class recitation will depend on attendance and preparation, so it is important for everyone to be present and to be ready for each class. Please discuss any anticipated absences with me before the class you expect to miss.
Grading:
This class uses plus-minus grading on a straight scale of 93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B. 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, etc. That is, the minimum grade for an A is 93, for an A- 90, for a B+ 87, and so on.
Posted Materials:
Texts and additional materials will be posted on Blackboard. You can access the Blackboard site for this course from http://courses.utexas.edu/.
Special Needs:
At the beginning of the semester, students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructors by presenting a letter prepared by the Service for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office. Students should contact the SSD Office at 471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY.
Academic Honesty:
Be careful not to copy the work of peers or in written work to use material without proper attribution. Nothing can be more disastrous for your grade or for your college record than to be found to have violated the University rules on academic honesty. Students who violate these rules are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course or dismissal from the University or both. If you have any questions about properly utilizing sources, check with the instructor.
Texts:
The principal text we will be using is based on Jarl Charpentier, ed., Die Suparnasage. This text is available on the Blackboard website for the class. All other assigned texts will also be posted on Blackboard.
Schedule:
The exact schedule of the class will depend on our progress through the text, and students should expect that we will be doing a careful exegetical and grammatical analysis of each verse and passage. Approximately two-thirds of the semester (that is, from January 19 to approximately April 1) will be dedicated to the Supar??dhy?ya itself and the remainder of the semester to parallel versions of the narrative in other Sanskrit sources. The dates of the exams and the due date for the essay (in SAN 384S) are:
First exam March 25
Second exam May 6
Essay April 22
The date of the first exam may be adjusted depending on our progress through the Supar??dhy?ya, but any change will be announced at least two weeks in advance.
Because unanticipated consequences of karma or daiva are possible, the instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus with due notification. Any such modifications will be noted in a revised syllabus.