Veda Theory Masterclass – 1
The Vedas are the oldest spiritual works of ancient India. Many Indic knowledge systems consider it as authority and forms the foundation of their respective practices. Revealed to the brilliant Ṛṣi-s (Seers) of Vedic times, these collections of high calibre poetry we refer to as mantras, need time, patience, contemplation and an attentive mind to fully appreciate its scope and comprehend its vision. This intensive course will lead all enthusiastic seekers in the direction of that understanding.
Introduction
The course content is based on 10+ years of intensive personal research as well as long term study with the late Prof. R.L. Kashyap, who taught me to approach the Veda-s for personal growth and inspiration through a deep understanding of the deities and their collaborative functions with humans. Dr. Kashyap was the Founder of SAKSHI, an institute dedicated to the revival of Vedic knowledge. He received the Padmaśrī award from the President of India for his contribution to Literature & Education. Prof. Kashyap also taught me how to approach commentaries and how to be discerning with translations.
The uniqueness of this course is that I am a chanting practitioner. This is central to my life and teachings. All theory I study or teach, emerges from my practice of chanting the Veda, of which I have studied a very wide range of texts from my Guru, Sri. M.S. Sreenivasan. If I understand the nomenclature and arrangement of Veda, it is because I have been taught several of those texts in the Guru-Śiṣya parampara (1-2-1 mentoring) with full understanding of the source and arrangement of those texts.
Course objectives
At the end of this workshop, the student will:
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- Have an overview of Indic Knowledge Systems & be able to clearly distinguish Veda from later texts.
- Understand the general approach to commentaries and translations as undertaken in this course. Some book recommendations will be provided.
- Understand the nomenclature of Veda – how mantras are organised in the Vedas – by function & structure. We will also list (with brief overviews) the vocabulary as related to nomenclature – maṇḍala, adhyāya, aṣṭakam, praśnaḥ etc.
- Have an overview of the chronological layers of the Veda – Saṃhitā, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka & Upaniṣat.
- Understand the content of each Veda and their differences in each – Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma & Atharva Veda.
- Understand some of the key terms and central themes of the Veda – Mantra, Ṛṣi, Devatā, Chandas, Sūktam, Yajña.
- Get an insight into Taittirīya Prātiśākhyā – the rule book on how to recite the Veda in our lineage. We will therefore also go over an overview of the Śīkṣā Vedāṅga.
- Learn how word meaning is assigned in the Veda with some case studies and approach based on works of Prof. R.L.Kashyap.
- Be taken through an evolution of deities from Veda to the Purāṇa-s (Gaṇeśa, Sarasvatī, Lakṣmī, Indra) and also have an overview of the deities & deity groups (collective deities) of the Veda.
- Have an introduction to some special and specific considerations – 1) Repetition of mantras in the Veda 2) The spirit of Khila mantras in Ṛgveda (later additions).
Course Curriculum
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Zoom details for your LIVE course
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Introduction to your course
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Course discussion area
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Book recommendations
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Class 01 – IKS overview & translation approach
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Class 02 – 4 Vedas, similarities, differences
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Class 03 – Saṃhitā Brāhmaṇa Āraṇyaka Upaniṣat
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Class 04 – Mantra, Sūktam, Ṛṣi, Chandas, Yajña
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Class 05 – Nomenclature of Veda & Revision
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Class 06 – Ṛgveda & Sāmaveda mantras
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Class 07 – Yajurveda & Atharvaveda mantras
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Class 08 – Deities Agni Indra Soma
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Class 09 – Deities Aditi, Rātri, Śraddhā, Vāk, Medhā
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Class 10 – Evolution of deities (Gaṇeśa, Sarasvatī, Viṣṇu etc)
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Class 11 – Deity of the Veda – Sūrya
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Class 12 – śīkṣā and prātiśākhyā vedic phonetics
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Class 13 – Repetition & Khila mantra-s
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Class 14 – Etymology & word meaning assignment in Veda
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Class 15 – Vāstu & Jyotiṣa mantras
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Class 16 – Summary & closing words
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Test your knowledge!
Your Course Includes
Recorded lectures from 16 LIVE classes
All the LIVE classes taught in Sept & Oct 2023 to a live audience are available in this course for study.
Optional quiz
An optional quiz to test your understanding is included in this course.
Certificate of completion
Those who complete the optional quiz successfully will be awarded a certificate of completion. The quiz will not involve any instructor time, it is fully self-paced on our learning system.
Frequently asked Questions
I have completed the Chanting Teacher training OR I am enrolled in the 2024 Chanting teacher training – should I be taking this course as well?
Some part of this course is taught in the TT. The additional content is much more detail in the overviews, the repeating mantras in the Veda and the Khila mantras overviews. Also the special class on Sūrya mantras is not covered in the TT. If you wish to study this theory in an intensive format, you are most welcome to join! To old and new students of the INDICA-Veda Studies TT, a discount will be offered, if you have not received this information in your TT newsletter, write to Edgar for more information!
I have bought the self-paced Veda theory bundle – is this content the same or different?
This course will cover most topics in more depth and there are several new topics being covered, not present in the theory bundle. For those who have purchased the entire bundle previously, a discount will be offered. You should receive this offer in an email, if not please contact Edgar for more information!
I have absolutely no chanting background, will I still be able to follow this course?
The examples provided in the course of mantra-s and chants are much more relatable if you have some background in chanting Veda. Even otherwise, if your focus in on theory, you will certainly be able to follow. Especially if you are practitioner in one of the other sciences – yoga, āyurveda etc, you will benefit from this course and having a comprehensive insight into the Veda-s.
I am completely new to Indic Knowledge Systems, will I still be able to follow this course?
Indic Knowledge Systems (IKS) is the basis for all practitioners of Yoga, Āyurveda, Jyotiṣa, Tantra, Vedānta etc. If you wish to have a comprehensive overview of especially the source texts – the Vedas, you are welcome to join this course. You can always revisit the entire teaching as often as you like. This is how I built my understanding of the Veda as well, by revisiting teachings, reflecting, connecting, allowing the co-existence of doubt and multiple views on a topic.
Is there any interaction with the teacher in this course?
If you are part of the cohort signed up to the LIVE program scheduled in Sept-Oct 2023, you will be able to ask questions in live classes. Otherwise, this will be a fully self-paced course with no instructor led segments.
Can I email any questions that come up while going through this course?
With the full self-paced study, email support is not possible. Most FAQs are already addressed in this course.