Vedanta is the ancient philosophy of India. While it is born in India, the principles it advocates are echoed in literature across the world. The book Select English Poems by A. Parthasarathy is a testament to that. From the vast ocean of English literature, the author has selected a few literary gems which bring forth this idea. To gain maximum benefit from the course, it is suggested that you purchase the book by clicking here. However, for those who do not do so, links will be provided for each of the poems.
This is Part-II of the course and covers the following poems:
The Village Preacher by Oliver Goldsmith. The poem portrays a picture of an ideal Vedantin. He has all the qualites of the head and heart that one should aspire for. The metaphor at the end of the poem beautifully illustrates the state of an enlightened being. A poem not to be missed!
The Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe. This poem is based on an old Indian parable. Six blind men apporach an elephant to try to understand what it is. Their descriptions of the beast give us a deep insight into how we, quite like the blind men, give arguments to justify our positions in life.
The Toys by Coventry Patmore. A touching poem about a father's love for his child. In it, the father strikes the boy, only to regret it later. The rest of the poem paints a lovely picture of how he understands the deeper meaning of God's love for us.
The Nightingale and the Glow-Worm by William Cowper. A nightingale, having spent the day delighting people with his singing, decides to make a dinner meal of a glow-worm. The latter, realising this intent, appeals to the bird with wise words. Through this interaction, this short poem brings out a message for all of humanity.
Whether or not good literature appeals to you, you will find these poems highly insightful and relevant in their Vedantic takeaways. Their analysis would adequately aid your path to spiritual development with memorable and helpful examples.
The course consists of 4 compulsory lessons - one lesson per poem. In all lessons you are required to watch the full video in the lesson before you can move to the next one. After watching a video, click on the "Mark Complete" button at the bottom to move to the next lesson.
After completing all the lessons, you will be required to give 4 Exams - one per poem - of 5-10 minutes duration each which will be in the form of Multiple-Choice-Questions. The passing percentage is 50%. On getting the required percentage in all exams, you will get a certificate from Vedanta Wisdom Trust for the course.
The suggested donation for the course is ₹2000. Donations cannot be made in any currency other than Indian Rupees. All donations are eligible for a 50% 80G Income Tax Exemption. Kindly keep your PAN card available when you enroll for the course.
The procedure for enrolment can be viewed by clicking here This procedure is for the course "Vedanta Foundation Course". A similar procedure can be followed for enrolling in this course.
