See above Contents
Additional expected learning targets.
Autonomy of judgment:
At the end of the second year, the student is expected to be able to move with ease over texts belonging to all the main registers of the Sanskrit language (epic, literary, puranic, tantric, philosophical, technical, metrical, grammatical, etc.), reading, translating and, if necessary, intervening critically on them.
Communication skills:
At the end of the second year, the student should be able to write in Sanskrit and understand Sanskrit speeches relevant to his or her specific field of study.
Learning skills:
The student should be able to independently carry out readings of texts of high difficulty. For literature in particular, students will be able to cope with the study of tantric texts and commentary, especially with regard to kāvya and philosophical literature, by developing critical commentary and referring to the internal debate in specialized literary criticism.
No prerequisites are required.
The Sanskrit language course includes annual face-to-face lectures and seminar activities:
1. Reading of texts - 40 hours
2. Exercises - 8 hours
Attendance in class is recommended. The exam will be both written (translation of a passage of medium or high difficulty, depending on the annuality followed by the student — 4 hours) and oral. The latter will involve reading and linguistic commentary on Sanskrit texts read during the year or agreed with the teacher.
Texts provided during the course or agreed with the teacher. For further study and for the literature exam, students may choose two texts from the list below or agree on two alternative texts with the teacher.
Gnoli, R., L’estetica indiana. La scuola di Abhinavagupta, Carocci editore, Roma 2023.
De Simini, F., Il Buddhismo. Storia di un’idea, Carocci editore, Roma 2013.
Boccali, G., et alii, Eros, passioni, emozioni nella civiltà dell’India, Carocci editore, Roma 2023.
Sferra, F. (a cura di), Filosofie dell’India. Un’antologia di testi, Carocci
Ferraro, G., Il Buddhismo indiano. Storia di una tradizione filosofica, Carocci editore, Roma 2024
I Year: Students will deepen their knowledge of Sanskrit language through the reading and comment of texts that are more complex from the morphosyntactical point of view. Some arguments will be treated
more deeply, especially in the light of Indian grammarians’ philosophical speculations. The course aims at familiarizing students with the different varieties of the Sanskrit language. For this purpose, excerpts from the exegetical literature and from scientific and technical works will be read and explained. Some classes will focus on Indian palaeography and the theory and practice of textual criticism. Excerpts of two unpublished commentaries on the Vajrāmṛtatantra will be read during the course.
II Year: Students will deepen their knowledge of Sanskrit through the reading of medieval manuscripts. The Vijñānabhairava and the Bodhicaryāvatāra (chapters 7–10) by Śāntideva will be read during the
course.
For the literature course, specifically: Analysis and in-depth study of some themes and problems related to the development of Sanskrit literature, with special reference to Tantric and unpublished commentary literature.
Italian and English
For the literature course: Teaching does not make a program distinction for non-attending students and Erasmus students. However, attendance is recommended. The examination will be oral.
