Universität Wien

142666 PS We Humans and Nature in Pre-Modern Hindu Traditions (2026S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikawissenschaften, Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismusk
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Tu 19.05. 11:00-13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 22 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 14.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 21.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 28.04. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 05.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 12.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 26.05. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 02.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 09.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 16.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 23.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34
  • Tuesday 30.06. 11:00 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 ISTB UniCampus Hof 4 2C-O1-34

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course examines concepts of ecology and nature in the pre-modern Hindu world. While contemporary ecological discourses focus on urgent concerns about the environment and the future of the planet, this course asks how questions of nature and the human–environment relationship were understood and articulated by pre-modern Hindu thinkers and traditions.

We explore the multifaceted relationship between humans and nature, including the divinization and worship of nature in specific sacred manifestations, such as mount Govardhan or the river Ganga. Devotional and philosophical traditions further emphasize the interdependence of humans and nature, whether through nature’s sustaining resources—such as rivers, forests, and agricultural abundance—or through Vedic ritual practices. Particular attention is given to notions of cyclical time and cosmic destruction, and to the ways nature figures within these temporal frameworks.

The course also examines philosophical perspectives that move beyond the divinization of nature, including its negation or reinterpretation as illusion (māyā) and its portrayal as a hindrance to human liberation from the world. Students will critically engage with a range of secondary literature, which will be closely read and discussed in detail during class sessions.

Assessment and permitted materials

The students are required to attend classes, give a short presentation on one of the texts discussed in class, and submit a brief written paper at the end of the semester. In addition, students are expected to complete the assigned readings before each session and actively participate in class discussions.

Attendance is mandatory. More than three absences will result in a failing grade. In justified exceptional cases, an additional assignment may be arranged in consultation with the course instructor.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

• Class participation: 45%
• Short presentation: 20%
• Short written paper at the end of the semester: 35%

Examination topics

All course content covered in class.

Reading list

Dwivedi, O. P. 2000. “Dharmic Ecology.” In Hinduism and Ecology. The Intersection of Earth, Sky and Water, edited by Christopher Key Chappel and Mary E. T. Tucker. Harvard University Press.
Framarin, Christopher G. 2013. “Environmental Ethics and the Mahābhārata: The Case of the Burning of the Khāṇḍava Forest.” Sophia, Springer, vol. 52: 185–204.
Haberman, David L. n.d. “A God of Stone: Divine Conceptions.” In Loving Stones, Oxford University Press. 2020.
Jacobsen, Knul A. 2016. “Sacred Animals.” Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online.
Kinsley, David. 2005. “Goddesses and Sacred Geography.” In Hindu Goddesses. Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
McGee, Mary. 2000. “State Responsibility for Environmental Management: Perspectives from Hindu Texts on Polity.” In Hinduism and Ecology. The Intersection of Earth, Sky and Water, edited by Christopher Key Chapple and Mary E. Tucker. Harvard University Press.
Nath, Vijay. 2009. “Environmental Issues and Ecologival Concerns: The Purāṇic Approach.” In The Purāṇic World. Environment, Gender, Ritual and Myth. Manohar.
Nelson, Lance E. 1967. “Reverence for Nature or The Irrelevance of Nature? Advaita Vedanta and Ecological Concern.” Science 155 (1203–1207): 282–301.
Patton, Laurie L. 2000. “Nature Romanticism and Sacrifice in Ṛgvedic Interpretation.” In Hinduism and Ecology. The Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water, edited by Christopher Key Chappel and Mary E. Tucker. Harvard University Press.
Smith, Frederick. 2016. “Trees and Plants.” Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online.

Association in the course directory

BA14 PS

Last modified: Mo 23.03.2026 15:46