Welcome to the
Devī Gītā Class Page
An elective one-unit course.
In this little-known but important section of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, the Great Goddess reveals Herself as the cause and substratum of creation; the nature of non-dual reality and Its realization; the eight-fold methods of yoga; the process of awakening kundalini; the path of devotion; and the Vedic and Tantric ways of Her worship, etc. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati will guide students verse-by-verse, basing his interpretation on traditional commentaries, Shakta siddhanta, and classical hermeneutics.
This in-depth scripture class will meet each Wednesday evening from 7pm to 8pm (Pacific Time) on Zoom. The first segment of this class will run for the eight-week period of The Hindu Goddess course. Recordings of these session will be posted withing a few hours of the live meeting for students who could not attend live.
Registered students will also have access to supportive study material such as video and audio recordings, and writings from the instructor and curated content such as PDFs of articles, essays, and selections from books and journals, readings from textbooks, and links to online videos and articles. These classes will also be broadcast on Facebook and Youtube for the wider devotee community, but only registered student will be able to interact during the live class and have access to the supportive study material.
By participating in any program or course given by Ramakrishna Seminary, students consent to our Terms and Conditions Agreement.
This scripture study course is being offered tuition-free to enrolled student of the Ramakrishna Seminary. While the course is offered free of charge, please consider making a donation to support the seminary and its students if you are able.
Your Instructor
Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati
A Hindu monk, priest, educator, and Dean of the Seminary with more than twenty-six years of experience in presenting the teachings and practices of Sanatana Dharma, Indian philosophy, Tantric rituals, and the devotional schools.
Textbooks
For this course we will primarily be relying on the translation by C. Makenzie Brown in our discussions.
Dr. Cheveer Mackenzie Brown is Professor of Religion at Trinity University, specializing in the development of Goddess theology in Hindu textual traditions. We greatly encourage students to procure his The Devi Gita, the Song of the Goddess: a Translation, Annotation, and Commentary. This is at present the best study resource on the Devi Gita in English and students will benefit from having it. (As this book can be expensive, we will provide registered students with a PDF of his translation of the verses.) We also suggest getting Ramamurthy Natarajan's inexpensive Śrī Devī Gīta as a supportive alternate translation. We will often reference the translation by Swami Vijñanananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, from his monumental translation of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, and will make a PDF available to students.
The Devī Gītā: The Song of the Goddess: A Translation, Annotation, and Commentary by C. Mackenzie Brown
State University of Yew York Press, 1998
Evaluation of Student Performance
This 1-unit course is worth 1 Seminary Credit, and can be taken for either Credit or No Credit. Students not taking the course to earn Seminary Credits are not required to turn in written assignments or a final paper, but are expected to participate in online lectures and discussions and keep up with assigned readings and other materials. Students who are taking this course for Seminary Credits are expected to attend weekly online lectures and discussions. If students must miss a live lecture, they are expected to watch the recording of the session and to participate in the discussion forum.
Writing assignments must be turned in via the Google Classroom "Student Page" for this course.
Attendance/Participation 50%
Class assignments 50%
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Passing grade for Seminary Credit 70% and above
Accessing Course Materials
Click on the links below to access online meetings, supportive materials, assignments, and discussion groups
(Access restricted to registered students)
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Starts the week of February 28
CHAPTER 1
The Appearance of the Great Goddess before the Mountain King and the Gods
Available February 28th
Access Module / Chapter 1
Start date to be announced
CHAPTER 2
The Goddess as Supreme Cause of Creation
Available April 26, 2023
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Start date to be announced
CHAPTER 3
The Goddess Reveals Her Cosmic Body
To be announced
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CHAPTER 4
Instructions in the Yoga of Knowledge
To be announced
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CHAPTER 5
Instruction Eight-Limbed / Kundalini Yoga
To be announced
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CHAPTER 6
The Goal of Yoga: Knowledge of Brahman
To be announced
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To be announced
CHAPTER 7
Instruction in the Yoga of Devotion
To be announced
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Start date to be announced
CHAPTER 8
Yoga of Devotion cont. and Sacred Sites, Rites, & Festivals of the Goddess
To be announced
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Start date to be announced
Chapter 9
Vedic and Internal Forms of Goddess Worship
To be announced
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Start date to be announced
Chapter 10
Tantric Form of Goddess Worship and Disappearance of the Great Goddess
To be announced
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