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THE FACULTY OF ORIENTAL STUDIES:

M.PHIL. IN CLASSICAL INDIAN RELIGIONS

is two-year course attempts to introduce students to classical Indian religion in away which bases understanding on original sources and equips them to continue inthe same vein.

e course is in two parts. e first, of five months, is an intensive study of therudiments of Sanskrit and leads to a written examination at the end of March ofstudents ability to translate prepared texts and their knowledge of grammar. Studentsare not allowed to proceed to the second part of the course unless they pass thisexamination. In the second part of the course there are regular classes in reading and

interpreting prescribed selections from Sanskrit religious texts in two traditions thateach student may choose from the following four: Brahmanical, aiva, Vai.s .nava, andBuddhist.

Concurrently they receive regular tutorials on all the main religious traditions, forwhich they prepare essays that they read out and discuss with their tutors. From timeto time there are other relevant lectures and seminars.

In the final examination there are three obligatory three-hour written papers. Oneconsists of translation from Sanskrit. It is divided into two parts, which carry equal

weight: translation from the prepared set texts, and unprepared translation. In thelatter two passages are set: one in verse from the Epics, Pur.nas or Sm.rtis and one in

prose from a commentary on a religious text. In the other two written papers questionsare set on the history of classical Indian religion. In each paper approximately fifteenquestions are offered, of which students must answer four. e subject matter isdivided more or less chronologically, with the emphasis in the second being on theearly medieval traditions. Besides the three written examinations already mentioned,students have either to offer a fourth written three-hour paper, on approaches to thestudy of Indian religion, or to write a thesis of up to , words. In practice moststudents have chosen the latter option. It is usual to write the thesis mostly duringthe vacations; two copies of the thesis must be submitted to Exam Schools no laterthan noon on the Friday of the second week of Trinity term in the final year of thecourse. Tutors discuss with students the choice of topic and supply bibliography, and

may criticise a first draft, but the final version of the thesis is entirely the studentsown work. If the student is subsequently admitted for a research degree, a successfulM.Phil. thesis may form the basis of the doctoral dissertation.

Set TextsA final list of set texts will be published in this course handbook, not later than Friday

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ofth week, Michaelmas term, for the final examination.

Trinity term