Indian Religions and Civilization
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to present the historical outlines of the most relevant cultural phenomena and movements of South Asian civilizations, from Antiquity to the Middle Ages; the main currents of thought, conceptions of reality, mythological imagery, literary expressions of the Indian civilization will be especially implied, in order to provide a critical perspective, for the understanding of the cultural complexity.
Expected learning outcomes
The course aims to provide students with knowledge, understanding and ability as follows:
- Knowledge of historical, geographical and cultural contextualization of the main currents of thought, and mythological and literary representations of the Indian civilization; understanding of the complex relationships between manifold aspects of the cultural heritage of South Asia.
- Knowledge and appropriate use of analytic means for the understanding of the cultural complexity and the development of critical perspective.
- Knowledge of specific lexicon and linguistic elements of correlated textual sources;
- Ability to critically consult the reference texts and their bibliography, understanding their main arguments, and applying diverse interpretative theories.
- Ability to critically evaluate sources on the internet and other media.
- Knowledge of historical, geographical and cultural contextualization of the main currents of thought, and mythological and literary representations of the Indian civilization; understanding of the complex relationships between manifold aspects of the cultural heritage of South Asia.
- Knowledge and appropriate use of analytic means for the understanding of the cultural complexity and the development of critical perspective.
- Knowledge of specific lexicon and linguistic elements of correlated textual sources;
- Ability to critically consult the reference texts and their bibliography, understanding their main arguments, and applying diverse interpretative theories.
- Ability to critically evaluate sources on the internet and other media.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Title of the course: The Law of Desire in Ancient Indian Culture
The course aims to investigate the historical and cultural complexity of ancient Indian civilisation by examining the multiple declinations of one of its pivotal concepts: desire. A wide-ranging examination will be offered, starting from the ritual and cosmogonic conception of the Vedic matrix, to the speculative one of the ascetic tradition, with its heterodox developments, to the Hindu normative one par excellence, to the devotional and mystical one. Transversal to these cultural phenomena is the dialectical tension between cosmic systematisation, suspended between control and negation, and irreducible chaos.
Such a survey will be conducted on the basis of the main literary and epigraphical, and even iconographic sources of ancient India.
The main topics will be organized in three sections, 20 hours each, as follows:
Parte A (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of the ancient Vedic cultural history: desire between ritual orthopraxy, cosmology, and magic practices.
- Fundamentals of the Late Vedic cultural history: wisdom of desire between speculation and asceticism: desire and action in the Upaniṣads.
Parte B (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of Hindu Cultural History: socio-cosmic Order and desire.
- The Bhagavadgītā: the yoga of desire.
- Desire in the eterodoxic movements: Jainism and Buddhism
Parte C (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of Hindu Cultural History: Tantric śaktism and Eros
- Bhakti and erotic mysticism
The course aims to investigate the historical and cultural complexity of ancient Indian civilisation by examining the multiple declinations of one of its pivotal concepts: desire. A wide-ranging examination will be offered, starting from the ritual and cosmogonic conception of the Vedic matrix, to the speculative one of the ascetic tradition, with its heterodox developments, to the Hindu normative one par excellence, to the devotional and mystical one. Transversal to these cultural phenomena is the dialectical tension between cosmic systematisation, suspended between control and negation, and irreducible chaos.
Such a survey will be conducted on the basis of the main literary and epigraphical, and even iconographic sources of ancient India.
The main topics will be organized in three sections, 20 hours each, as follows:
Parte A (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of the ancient Vedic cultural history: desire between ritual orthopraxy, cosmology, and magic practices.
- Fundamentals of the Late Vedic cultural history: wisdom of desire between speculation and asceticism: desire and action in the Upaniṣads.
Parte B (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of Hindu Cultural History: socio-cosmic Order and desire.
- The Bhagavadgītā: the yoga of desire.
- Desire in the eterodoxic movements: Jainism and Buddhism
Parte C (20 ore)
- Fundamentals of Hindu Cultural History: Tantric śaktism and Eros
- Bhakti and erotic mysticism
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites for admission
Teaching methods
The course consists both of face-to-face classes and participative classes. The former ones are adopted mainly for learning theoretical subjects, and are supported by Power Point slides, whereas the latter ones aim at analysis of textual sources, especially the literary ones, and discussion of didactic material, previously assigned. The attendance is recommended, in particular for this section of the course. For further initiatives and news, students should also regularly refer to Indian Religions and Civilization page of mAriel, and the website of the Indological courses of our university (https://sites.unimi.it/india/).
Teaching Resources
6 ects: Sections A and B
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 3-172; 317-322; 326-340.
- M. Biardeau, L'induismo. Antropologia di una civiltà, Milano: Mondadori, 1995, pp. 1-129; 144-154.
- P.M. Rossi, Incantesimi d'amore, Milano: Unicopli, 2024, pp. 23-54; 83-153; 198-211; 324-335.
- Ch. Malamoud, Semantica e retorica nella gerarchia indù dei 'fini dell'uomo', in Cuocere il mondo, Milano: Adelphi, pp. 142-167.
- G. Pasqualotto, Dieci lezioni sul Buddhismo, Venezia: Marsilio Editori, 2017.
- C. Della Casa, il giainismo, in Hinduismo, a cura di G. Filoramo, Bari: Laterza, 2018, pp. 287-318.
- Bhagavadgītā. Traduzione di Bianca Candian. A cura di Anne-Marie Esnoul, Milano: Adelphi. A selection of texts will be presented during the course.
- C. Della Casa, Il Caturvargasaṃgraha di Kṣemendra, in Agata Pellegrini Sannino (a cura di), Scritti scelti di Carlo Della Casa, Palermo 1998, pp. 115-132.
6 ects: For NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: the following texts are to be added:
V. Eltschinger-I. Ratié, Che cos'è la filosofia indiana?, Milano: Einaudi, 2023, pp. 17-128.
9 ects: Section C:
- Jayadeva, Gītagovinda, Milano: Adelphi.
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 187-192; 201-220; 237-258;
- M. Biardeau, L'induismo. Antropologia di una civiltà, Milano: Mondadori, 1995, pp. 156-196.
G. Boccali, Il mito di Śiva e Pārvatī nel Kumārasambhava. Fra ascesi e eros
9 ects: For NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: the following texts are to be added:
- P.M. Rossi, The forest of meditation: the Poetry of the paradoxical connotation in the Buddhist Theragāthās, in Pandanus'09: Nature in Literature, Art, Myth and Ritual, pp. 37-53.
- A. L. Herman, A Solution to the Paradox of Desire in Buddhism, in Philosophy East and West , Jan., 1979, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan., 1979), pp. 91-94.
- Wayne Alt, There Is No Paradox of Desire in Buddhism, in Philosophy East and West , Oct., 1980, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1980), pp. 521-528.
- Joanna Macy, The Dialectics of Desire, in Numen Vol. 22, Fasc. 2 (Aug., 1975), pp. 145-160.
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 3-172; 317-322; 326-340.
- M. Biardeau, L'induismo. Antropologia di una civiltà, Milano: Mondadori, 1995, pp. 1-129; 144-154.
- P.M. Rossi, Incantesimi d'amore, Milano: Unicopli, 2024, pp. 23-54; 83-153; 198-211; 324-335.
- Ch. Malamoud, Semantica e retorica nella gerarchia indù dei 'fini dell'uomo', in Cuocere il mondo, Milano: Adelphi, pp. 142-167.
- G. Pasqualotto, Dieci lezioni sul Buddhismo, Venezia: Marsilio Editori, 2017.
- C. Della Casa, il giainismo, in Hinduismo, a cura di G. Filoramo, Bari: Laterza, 2018, pp. 287-318.
- Bhagavadgītā. Traduzione di Bianca Candian. A cura di Anne-Marie Esnoul, Milano: Adelphi. A selection of texts will be presented during the course.
- C. Della Casa, Il Caturvargasaṃgraha di Kṣemendra, in Agata Pellegrini Sannino (a cura di), Scritti scelti di Carlo Della Casa, Palermo 1998, pp. 115-132.
6 ects: For NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: the following texts are to be added:
V. Eltschinger-I. Ratié, Che cos'è la filosofia indiana?, Milano: Einaudi, 2023, pp. 17-128.
9 ects: Section C:
- Jayadeva, Gītagovinda, Milano: Adelphi.
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 187-192; 201-220; 237-258;
- M. Biardeau, L'induismo. Antropologia di una civiltà, Milano: Mondadori, 1995, pp. 156-196.
G. Boccali, Il mito di Śiva e Pārvatī nel Kumārasambhava. Fra ascesi e eros
9 ects: For NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: the following texts are to be added:
- P.M. Rossi, The forest of meditation: the Poetry of the paradoxical connotation in the Buddhist Theragāthās, in Pandanus'09: Nature in Literature, Art, Myth and Ritual, pp. 37-53.
- A. L. Herman, A Solution to the Paradox of Desire in Buddhism, in Philosophy East and West , Jan., 1979, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan., 1979), pp. 91-94.
- Wayne Alt, There Is No Paradox of Desire in Buddhism, in Philosophy East and West , Oct., 1980, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1980), pp. 521-528.
- Joanna Macy, The Dialectics of Desire, in Numen Vol. 22, Fasc. 2 (Aug., 1975), pp. 145-160.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is oral, and lasts approximately for 30 minutes. It aims to ascertain acquired knowledge and skills concerning three main issues: general preparation about Indian Civilization and Religious phenomena on the basis of the texts specified by the program; the historical and literary context of the cultural phenomena presented during the course; textual analysis, lexicon and linguistic features of the sources, especially the literary ones, as specified by the program.
Grading, on a scale of 30 (minimum passing grade 18), will take into account: the student's general preparation, and the familiarity with the bibliography of the course; knowledge and skills concerning the textual sources, especially the literary ones; understanding and command of fundamental historical and cultural concepts; capacity for synthesis and critical analysis in the presentation; use of appropriate language; accuracy and relevance in the oral presentation.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also, students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
Grading, on a scale of 30 (minimum passing grade 18), will take into account: the student's general preparation, and the familiarity with the bibliography of the course; knowledge and skills concerning the textual sources, especially the literary ones; understanding and command of fundamental historical and cultural concepts; capacity for synthesis and critical analysis in the presentation; use of appropriate language; accuracy and relevance in the oral presentation.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also, students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
Part A and B
L-OR/18 - INDOLOGY AND TIBETOLOGY - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Part C
L-OR/18 - INDOLOGY AND TIBETOLOGY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)