Rupert Snell

DESCRIPTION:

This course investigates Krishna as an expression of the divine, especially as viewed through the many devotional traditions that came to pervade Indian culture from medieval times. Krishna is both the philosophical counselor of the Bhagavad Gita and, with quite a different character and emphasis, is the “divine lover” whose amorous games on the Yamuna riverbank are described in the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana and its myriad vernacular retellings. We will study texts in translation from both traditions, with an emphasis on north Indian portrayals of Krishna in poetry and art. Temple traditions, performance styles, and sectarian movements will be introduced and discussed, as will the various ways in which Krishna is equated with (or differentiated from) both Rama and Vishnu. Students who wish to study devotional texts in the original Hindi should consult the instructor about enrolling in the parallel HIN 130D class, which will introduce poetry in the Braj Bhasha dialect of Hindi.

TEXT:

Archer, W.G. The loves of Krishna in Indian painting and poetry. London, Allen and Unwin, 1957.

Barz, Richard, The Bhakti sect of Vallabhacharya. Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1992.

Bryant, Edwin F. (trans.) Krishna : the beautiful legend of God ; ?r?mad Bh?gavata Pur?n?a, Book X. London, Penguin, 2003.

Bryant, Edwin F. (ed.), Krishna: a source-book. Oxford, OUP, 2007.

Bryant, Kenneth E., Poems to the child-god : structures and strategies in the poetry of Surdas. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1978.

Hawley, John Stratton, Krishna, the butter thief. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1983.

Jayadeva, trans. Barbara Stoller Miller,  Love song of the dark lord : Jayadeva's Gitagovinda. Various editions. Kinsley, David R., The divine player : a study of Krsna lila. Delhi,  Motilal Banarsidass, 1979.

Miller, Barbara Stoler (ed. & trans.) The Bhagavad-Gita : Krishna's counsel in time of war. New York, Columbia University Press, 1986.

GRADING:

Class discussion — 20%

Weekly response papers — 20%

Two essays @ 20% = 40%

Book review — 20%

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

This is the first in a sequence of two first-year courses for complete beginners in Hindi. It is a highly interactive class that involves all members in speaking, listening, reading and writing; we begin with the Hindi script and gradually encounter and learn the tenses and structures that allow you to express yourself accurately and with confidence in basic Hindi. 

This class offers a survey of Hindi autobiographical writing. Our writers include well-known public figures such as the painter M.F. Hussain ("the Picasso of India"), Mahatma Gandhi, the revolutionary and freedom-fighter Yashpal, a little-known station-master from Rajasthan, an Indian spy in a Pakistani jail, novelist and screenplay-writer Krishan Chander, poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, prime minister Chandrashekhar, musician Allaudin Khan, Dalit author Kausalya Baisantri, screenplay writer & lyricist Javed Akhtar, and Hindi & Punjabi lyrical poet Amrita Pritam. We will sample their works, discuss their use of language and their techniques for writing about "the self", and will read secondary literature about the genre of Autobiography both in India and more generally. Students will also experiment with the genre by writing about their own lives in Hindi.

This course is an introduction to South Asian cultures and histories, especially to areas of study pursued in the Department of Asian Studies and at UT-Austin. Students will be introduced to major thinkers, ideas, histories, issues, and movements of South Asia. While a clear set of factual information will be integral to the course, the equally important goal of the course is to learn how to engage South Asia on terms similar to other courses in the liberal arts. Stated plainly, we want to do more than learn about South Asia; we want to learn from it as well.  The institutional and traditional obstacle to this approach stems from the simple fact that most American students, whatever their ethnic origins, are taught that “our” intellectual heritage begins with the Greeks and ends with contemporary European and American thinkers. Who “we” are and what makes us a “we,” however, is not as clear as it seems. Most of us are simply not taught how and why to understand South Asian (or other area) literatures, art, religion, law, or other cultural expressions as sources for our own humanistic and ethical development. Thus, the primary goal of this course is to train students in how to “read” South Asia in such a way that it can mean something to them, rather than merely being what other people do—not to make South Asia “ours,” but to take the ideas, history, and people of South Asia seriously.

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

The process of translating a text leads us to the deepest possible contemplation of its meanings; and it helps us appreciate the expressive capabilities of both ‘original’ and ‘target’ languages. This course explores the issues involved in translating literary texts from Hindi to English and, to a lesser extent, vice versa. Our selected texts will represent a range of literary genres from modern prose fiction to pre-modern poetry. By comparing existing translations, writing our own versions, assessing different styles and techniques, and seeing (if briefly) what the theorists have to say, we will deepen our understanding of the stylistics of Hindi — what makes the language work, how it expresses sentiment and meaning in a variety of contexts and registers, in what ways the written language differs from colloquial speech, and what factors connect or divide the two worlds of Hindi and English. The class will operate as a seminar, reading translations against their originals in order to analyze the ways in which meaning is lost (or preserved, or enhanced) when a text is ‘taken across’ from one language to another. Students registering for this class must have a good reading knowledge of modern standard Hindi, an appetite for cultural adventure, and a willingness to lead the class by offering lively presentations.

The graduate mode (HIN 384) of this course entails and requires an ability to bring sophisticated critical perspectives to the practical process of translation and to the secondary scholarship analyzing it; the writing requirement for graduates is double that of undergraduates.

See the downloadable syllabus for more details.  The instructor can be contacted by mail: rupertsnell@austin.utexas.edu

Practicing skills in reading, listening, writing, and speaking in everyday social situations and some formal situations. Relevant for students working toward the "Advanced" level on the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale, and equivalent to level two on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. 

Hindi 330 (Topic: Style and Register in Hindi) and 332 may not both be counted.

Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

This Hindi-medium course explores literary depictions of love and lovers, both human and divine, in pre-modern and modern texts. We also sample poetry translated into Hindi or English from Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil, together with modern Hindi poetry, prose fiction, and cinema. Background readings are mostly in English; class discussions will be in a highly authentic mixture of Hindi and English. The prerequisite is HIN 312L with a grade of at least C; or the permission of the instructor. The class supplies everything that is required for a reader of modern Hindi to be able to appreciate pre-modern poetry in the Braj Bhasha and Awadhi dialects. See the syllabus for more details. 

This course is based on readings, in Hindi, of selections of autobiographical writing. Please see the syllabus for a full description.

This English-medium course looks at the various manifestations of devotional religion

underlying north Indian culture. Our main focus will be on Hindu bhakti traditions,

studied by reading translations of devotional poetry in its historical and cultural context.

Most of our sources will be selected from the pre-modern literatures of languages such

as Hindi, Punjabi and Bengali, but our search for the roots of these literary traditions

will also lead us back to Sanskrit texts such as the Bh?gavata Pur??a and the G?tagovinda.

We will also examine the three postulates of the course title: “MY” – the personal

connection inherent in devotionalism; “SWEET” – the role of aesthetics and sentiment in

devotional attitudes; and “LORD” – perceptions of dependence and divine majesty.

Students with some knowledge of the religious and cultural “map” of India will be best

positioned to benefit from this course; students who know Hindi will find opportunities

to read some Hindi texts. The essential prerequisite, however, is an energetic interest in

the subject and a desire to study a wide range of remarkable primary literature.

Continuation of Bengali 506.

Continuation of Bengali 312K.

Not open to native speakers of Bengali.

Not open to native speakers of Bengali.  Prerequisite: Bengali 507 with a grade of at least C.

A Panorama of Hindi Literature

HIN 330/384 Fall semester 2012 —  TTh 5:00–6:30,  MEZ 2.102

Rupert Snell  Office hours — TTh 1:00–2:30, WCH 4.130

This course offers an introduction to Hindi literature, and investigates how writers develop individual styles to express meaning, mood, and inference. Each piece that we read in Hindi, whether a short story, a poem, or an extract from a novel or autobiography, will be contextualized by wider readings in translation, and/or by analytical studies in English.  Our focus will be on 20th-century writing, but towards the end of the course we will also sample “classical” texts from the 16th and 17th centuries — an essential backdrop to modern writing and still very much a living part of North Indian culture. 

In class each week we will focus on reading a text in the original Hindi. You must prepare the texts in advance, using the glossaries supplied, and must also read the specified English readings and translations; there will be a quiz on this material at the very beginning of the Tuesday class. Keeping up with text preparation and the weekly readings is essential. No make-ups for missed quizzes! 

Although the course schedule does not include formal presentations by students, our classes will be very interactive and will have ample opportunity for discussion. In line with the constitution of India, Hindi and English in parallel will be our official class languages!

Students with four semesters of Hindi study, or equivalent knowledge, are eligible for this class.  

ASSESSMENT

Quizzes on weekly readings 20%

Class discussion 20%

Essay in English  (Oct. 18th) 20%

Translation Project  (Nov. 15th) 20%

Take-home final  (TBA) 20%

Essays must be submitted in hard copy on October 18th (HIN 330 students — 1500 words; HIN 384 students — 3000 words).  Drafts may be submitted for feedback by October 9th.

Translation Project: you may choose your own text: this is an opportunity to develop your own interests and preferences. The subject and scope of the project must be approved by November 1st, and the final project must be submitted in hard copy on November 15th. Drafts may be submitted for feedback by November 6th. Each project will consist of a passage to be translated from Hindi to English, together with an analytical commentary, in English, on the translation process. The length of the agreed passage will depend on the type of the individual text; passages for HIN 384 students will be longer and more challenging than those for HIN 330 students. 

You are strongly advised to take up the option of submitting drafts of essays and translation projects!

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

In this course we will study key Hindi texts, in the original, from half a millennium of literary
development. Our survey will include selections from the devotional verse in the Braj Bhasha and
Awadhi dialects by 16th-century “poet-saints” such as Surdas, Mirabai and Tulsidas; we will also read
poetry composed under the patronage of regional courts in the 17th and 18th centuries, examining its
connectivities to the devotional poets and also to older and broader Indian poetic themes such as love,
the world, and the poets’ own reflections on the art (and craft) of poetry. As we move on to explore texts
from the 19th century we will witness the arrivalof two new guests at the table: “modern standard” Hindi
in the Khari Boli dialect, and English-influenced genres such as prose fiction and free verse. With the
transition into literary modernity we will encounter classics from the 20th-century canon, including short
stories, satire, autobiography and poetry. Our survey will not be strictly chronological but will trace
themes and sensibilities across periods and genres. Textual selections will be studied in their cultural
context with the help of English-medium histories, with glossaries and translations being provided when
necessary. The Braj and Awadhi texts will be accompanied by a full range of supportive material:
students are not expected to have any prior knowledge of these dialects — nor to have any great
difficulty in encountering them for the first time. Students with five semesters of Hindi study, or
equivalent knowledge, will be eligible to take this class.

TEXTS:

Kabir – Bijak / Granthavali
Tulsidas – Ramcaritmanas
Surdas – Sursagar
Mirabai – Padavali
Biharilal – Satsai
Sundardas – Sundar-vilas
Banarasidas – Ardhakathanak
Lallulal – Premsagar
Bharatendu Harishchandra – Bharat ki durdasha
Premcand – Kafan
Sharad Joshi – short satirical pieces
Harivansh Rai Bachchan – Kya bhulun kya yad karun (autobiography)

GRADING:

Five short articles on individual authors/genres (@ 10%) 50%
Term paper (10 pages) 25%
Take-home exam 25%

Flagship Urdu VIII

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Study of various aspects and periods of Hindi language and culture.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and six semester hours of upper-division coursework in Hindi or consent of instructor. Additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

MY SWEET LORD
DEVOTION IN MEDIEVAL INDIA
ANS 372, RS 341
Rupert Snell — rupertsnell@mail.utexas.edu — WCH 5.104a
TTH 9.30–11.00, MEZ 1.120
Fall 2009
This course is about devotional religion – a central element of Indian
culture and a major part of the life experience of contemporary
India. Our main focus will be on North Indian bhakti traditions,
which we will study by reading translations of devotional poetry in
its historical and cultural context. The core of the syllabus will be
the poetry of Tulsidas, Surdas, Mirabai, Kabir, and other medieval
poets whose work continues to inspire and delight modern readers
and audiences. While most of our sources will be selected from the
pre-modern literatures of languages such as Hindi, Punjabi and
Bengali, our search for the roots of these literary traditions will also
lead us back to Sanskrit texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and the
Gitagovinda, and we will also look at seminal Alvar poetry from the
Tamil culture of southern India.
Major themes and issues will include: aesthetics and poetics; literary
genres; poetry & painting; hagiography; textual transmission &
historicity; the translator’s lens; literacy & orality; music,
performance & recital styles; the sectarian milieu; temple and
private worship, and the lives of the saintly. We will also examine
the three postulates of the course title (borrowed from a song by
George Harrison): “MY” – the personal connection inherent in
devotionalism; “SWEET” – the role of aesthetics and sentiment in
devotional attitudes; and “LORD” – perceptions of dependence and
divine majesty.
Students with some knowledge of the religious and cultural “map”
of India will be best positioned to benefit from this course; students
who know Hindi will find opportunities to read some Hindi texts.
The essential prerequisite, however, is an energetic interest in the
subject and a desire to study a wide range of primary literature.

HIN 432K — Flagship III — Syllabus & Schedule
Instructor: Rupert Snell (rupertsnell@mail.utexas.edu).
Office hours (provisional): TTH 11.00-12.30, WCH 5.104a.
Teaching assistant: Sandeep Gupta (sandeepg@mail.utexas.edu).
Office hours — TBA.
Prerequisite: Flagship Hindi II.
Classes: TH 5.00–6.30 in GAR 1.134.
Course booklet: sat åa†mkTa´Å — Selections from Seven Hindi Autobiographies.
Overview of the course. We shall continue to work on the four skills of reading,
writing, speaking and listening that formed the focus of your first-year Flagship
syllabus; but as we encounter different styles and registers of Hindi, we will discover
which kinds of language and vocabulary are best suited for which purpose. We will
frequently use online media as sources for news and current affairs, and will range
widely across numerous different styles of formal and informal language. A theme
running through the semester will be autobiography, whose narratives give a unique
insight into Indian society; the course-book selections from seven widely diverse
autobiographies will form the backbone of our work here. Readings are to be prepared in
advance. Weekly homework assignments are very varied, with no two tasks being alike.
Homework is due 5pm Tuesdays and is to be left in my mailbox, either in HUF or in
DAS (WCH 4th floor); it will normally be returned with comments at the Thursday
class. As the assignments are set in advance, don’t let any one of them take you by
surprise – prepare early! Advice on homework can be sought in office hours, or by
email at any time. Assignments involving writing in Hindi should be 500-600 words in
length unless otherwise specified. Follow the instructions for each assignment closely.
Grading and assessment
Homework 50%
Three exams @ 10% 30% (Wednesdays 9/23, 10/21, 11/18)
Class participation 20%
UT notice regarding disability: Students with disabilities may request appropriate
academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community
Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259.
SCHEDULE
WEEK 1, August 27 — Introductions; course procedures, aims and objectives; current
news stories on Hindi-medium websites.
HOMEWORK 1, due Tuesday 1 September — Your account of a current news story as
described in this week’s Hindi media. (Go to samachar.com and click ih~dI). Cite the
URLs you have used, give your article an appropriate title, and include your own
reactions to the item.
WEEK 2, September 3 — (a) Presentation & discussion of two of the news stories used
in homework. (b) Reading and discussion of Javed Akhtar’s introduction to Tarkash.
HOMEWORK 2, due Tuesday 8 September — Summarize the opening pages of Javed
Akhtar’s introduction to Tarkash (use third person throughout).
WEEK 3, September 10 — (a) Tarkash continued. (b) Words and word origins.
HOMEWORK 3, due Tuesday 15 September — A passage from your own
autobiography (publication date 2049) recounting an event from your childhood.
Include the title of your autobiography!
WEEK 4, September 17 — Reading Harishankar Parsai’s autobiography; discussion of
his language, the register he uses, alternative styles of expression.
HOMEWORK 4, due Tuesday 22 September — 4-minute audio or video recording of
discussion with a friend or classmate (anybody whose Hindi is as good as yours) about
a current news event. Recording to be mailed to rupertsnell@mail.utexas.edu.
WEEK 5, September 24 — (a) Dictation. (b) Reading Kaushalya Baisantri’s
autobiography.
HOMEWORK 5, due Tuesday 29 September — Who are the Dalits? An essay researched
through Hindi media by Googling “dilt”. Cite your sources.
WEEK 6, October 1 — More from Kaushalya Baisantri’s autobiography, and
discussion of her style.
HOMEWORK 6, due Tuesday 6 October. Meri Hindi — not an essay, but a bullet-point
discussion of any problems you have in learning Hindi, together with your strategies
for overcoming them.
WEEK 7, October 8 — News stories from the Hindi media, including Karwa Chauth.
HOMEWORK 7, due Tuesday 13 October — What is the significance of the Karwa Chauth
festival? Research it online and write a 250-word article with the heading krva cOT.
Then give one- or two-sentence definitions in Hindi of the following words: ìt, pvR,
¨pvas, †yOhar, poe, cOT, ctuTIR, sUyoRdy.
WEEK 8, October 15 — Amitabh’s accident: reading the autobiography of Harivansh Rai
Bachchan.
HOMEWORK 8, due Tuesday 20 October — The meaning of Madhushala: your
interpretative commentary on four stanzas that you choose from Bachchan’s celebrated
poem (available on Blackboard). May be presented either in writing, or in an
audio/video recording; either way, quote the four stanzas in full.
WEEK 9, October 22 — Reading from the autobiography of Rajendra Prasad, the first
president of the Republic of India.
HOMEWORK 9, due Tuesday 27 October — Translation into Hindi of a passage from
Nirad Chaudhuri’s Autobiography of an Unknown Indian (1951). A longer passage will be
available on Blackboard, s to show the context.
WEEK 10, October 29— (a) More from Rajendra Prasad. (b) Role play: interviewing
India’s first president from the perspective of today, looking particularly at the ways in
which India has changed in recent decades. (Any volunteers for Rajendra Babu’s role
here?)
HOMEWORK 10, due Tuesday 3 November — summary of the class discussion on
Autobiography. As with homework 8, this may be either recorded or written.
WEEK 11, November 5 — Hindi vocabulary: where does it come from, what are its
cultural meanings?
HOMEWORK 11, due Tuesday 10 November — Investigate the individual list of words
given to you, looking into their etymology, their connections with related words, any
synonyms, any idioms in which they appear, and any other points of interest. Your
main sources will be OHED and Platts. You may use a mixture of English and Hindi
in this assignment.
WEEK 12, November 12 — Reading the autobiography of Yashpal, Hindi writer and
“freedom fighter”.
HOMEWORK 12, due Tuesday 17 November — When is a terrorist not a terrorist?
Essay on the use of violence in politics.
WEEK 13, November 19 — What is autobiography? What do autobiographers choose
to reveal about themselves, and why? Prepare three discussion points in advance for
this class discussion.
HOMEWORK 13, due Tuesday 24 November — åa†mkTa : summary of the class
discussion on Autobiography. As with assignments 8 and 10, this can be either written
or recorded.
WEEK 14, November 26 — A final look at the news in the media.
HOMEWORK 14, due Tuesday 1 December — veb kI bolI : make a survey of the Hindi
words and expressions used for media functions such as “download”, “save” etc in a
variety of Hindi-medium websites, and write a report on your findings. How is Hindi
adapting to these new demands?
WEEK 15, December 3 — An encounter with the Ardhakathanak of Banarasidas (1641
A.D.), considered “India’s first autobiography”.
NO HOMEWORK ! CufiI !

This course is the second semester First Year Hindi course. It is the continuation of HIN 506 and is open only to students who have passed HIN 506 with the requisite grade or have the instructor's permission to take the course. For students entering without taking HIN 506, misrepresentation of proficiency level during placement will severely affect the final grade as such a misrepresentation shall be considered to be a case of scholastic dishonesty. This course is also not open to students who have passed HIN 506 but have been placed in a higher level Hindi course to match their proficiency level, nor is it open to students who have taken HIN 604.

With material especially designed for this course, one has plenty of opportunity to play with and explore the language and its parent culture. The course creates an intellectually stimulating atmosphere by drawing on varied academic interests of the participants. Through a combination of graded texts, written assignments, audio-visual material including contemporary Hindi films and songs, and computer based assignments, this course is geared towards increasing oral, aural, written and reading proficiency in the target language. Emphasis is placed on spontaneous self-expression in the language. 

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Not open to native speakers of Hindi.  Continuation of Hindi 312K.  Hindi 612 and 312L may not both be counted.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312K with a grade of at least C.

Not open to native speakers of Hindi.  Modern Hindi of India.  Hindi 612 and 312K may not both be counted.   Prerequisite: Hindi 507 with a grade of at least C.

Course Description:

Hindi 312K consolidates and builds on the first year level foundation laid in HIN 506/507 or HIN 604. There is a steady progression in the student's ability to communicate in and understand Hindi. Instruction with authentic materials including, but not limited to, feature films, radio broadcasts and graded literary and non-literary texts helps the student appreciate cultural nuances. Emphasis is placed on spontaneous self-expression in the language. This course is not open to students who have taken HIN 612. You may consult the instructor if you are unsure of which course you should take.

Not open to native speakers of Hindi.  Modern Hindi of India.  Hindi 612 and 312K may not both be counted.   Prerequisite: Hindi 507 with a grade of at least C.

Course Description:

Hindi 312K consolidates and builds on the first year level foundation laid in HIN 506/507 or HIN 604. There is a steady progression in the student's ability to communicate in and understand Hindi. Instruction with authentic materials including, but not limited to, feature films, radio broadcasts and graded literary and non-literary texts helps the student appreciate cultural nuances. Emphasis is placed on spontaneous self-expression in the language. This course is not open to students who have taken HIN 612. You may consult the instructor if you are unsure of which course you should take.

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

Please check back for updates.

Study of specific subjects related to Hindi culture as reflected in its literary productions and other modes of expression.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Hindi 312L with a grade of at least C.

Study of various aspects and periods of Hindi language and culture.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and six semester hours of upper-division coursework in Hindi or consent of instructor. Additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.