YS 205 | Bhakti Yoga:
The Bhāgavatapurāṇa
18-hour online course
with Dr. Edwin Bryant
Now available for self-study.
What is Bhakti Yoga? How does it relate to other forms of Classical Yoga? What can we learn from the stories of the great yogi exemplars of the Kṛṣṇa-bhakti tradition?
Join professor of Hinduism, Dr. Edwin Bryant, and a global cohort of students, for this unique opportunity to explore the teachings and tales of Bhakti Yoga from the Bhāgavatapurāṇa.
Bhakti Yoga + The Purāṇas
For many, yoga in real-life India is essentially bhakti yoga. Traditionally, Hindus have not learned their yogic world view from dense philosophical texts like the Yogasūtras, but from the colorful and popular narratives of yoga tales derived from a genre of Sanskrit texts called the Purāṇas. It is in these texts that bhakti yoga, the path of devotion, is outlined and exemplified, and it is through these Purāṇic tales and legends percolating across the Indian subcontinent since well before the common era that Hinduism has spread and remained vibrant across the centuries (and where the source material for Hindu poetry, song, architecture, drama, dance and other aesthetic traditions is to be found).
From the 18 ‘great’ Purāṇas, the Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa, literally ‘the Beautiful Legend of God,’ is by far the most important, since it is the primary textual source containing the full account of Kṛṣṇa’s life. Indeed, this makes it one of the two most important texts in Hinduism, along with the Rāmāyaṇa, in terms of “on the ground Hinduism” (rather than its exported forms in the West).
The Bhāgavatapurāṇa
The Bhāgavatapurāṇa is focused exclusively on īśvara-praṇidhāna — the various modes of bhakti, devotion, to Īśvara, God (also known as Bhagavān), specifically in the forms of Nārāyaṇa/Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa. It is the principal Sanskrit textual source dedicated to the accounts of Lord Viṣṇu’s incarnations and activities, and to the lives and practices of the most famous yogi exemplars who dedicated their lives to seeking and experiencing the ultimate Truths of the individual ātman, self, and its loving relationship with a personal God. Many of the teachings of the Yogasūtras and the Bhagavadgītā are to be found in these narratives, along with so much more, but in far more theologically developed ways, all embodied in the form of charming yet philosophically profound tales that capture the heart and mind — the goal of bhakti.
This online course will consist of a close-reading of a selection of the most famous bhakti yoga stories and teachings from the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, focusing on the amazing lives of some of the best known yogis of yore and their astonishing yoga practices. The course will culminate in reading some of the līlās, episodes, in Kṛṣṇa’s early life that make him one of the most beloved forms of Bhagavān in India. Constant reference will be made to the Yogasūtras, as well as the Bhagavadgītā and Vedānta philosophy so as to show the interconnectedness of these canonical texts and traditions.
Course Readings
The core readings for the course will come from Dr. Bryant's book, Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2017). Purchase of the book is optional but recommended. Students will be provided with PDFs of the relevant sections.
Course Modules
Module 1 — Defining Bhakti: The Tale of Vyāsa
Module 2 — The Tales of Śuka and Parīkṣit
Module 3 — At the Moment of Death: The Tales of King Bharata and Ajāmila
Module 4 — Viṣṇu Protects His Bhaktas: The Tale of Child Prahlāda
Module 5 — Kṛṣṇa as Mischievous Child: Vātsalya Bhāva
Module 6 — Kṛṣṇa as Amorous Lover: Madhura Bhāva
All students enrolled in this course will receive:
- 6 pre-recorded video lectures (90 min each)
- 6 pre-recorded Q&A sessions (90 min each)
- 5 YS Credits
- 18 Hours of CE credit with YA
- Course Syllabus (PDF)
- Weekly Readings (PDF)
- 6 Multiple Choice Quizzes (for fun)
- 6 Weekly Handouts (PDF)
- Yogic Studies Certificate upon completion (PDF)
- Access to the private Yogic Studies Online Community Forum
Your Instructor
Dr. Edwin Bryant
Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University. He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years, and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, published eight books, and authored a number of articles on the earliest origins of Vedic culture, yoga philosophy, and the Kṛṣṇa tradition. These include Bryant’s translation of and commentary on The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009), and more recently its sequel entitled Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2017).
Enrollment is OPEN!
Sign up today and reserve your spot in the course.
This course is eligible for 18 hours of Continued Education (CE) credits with Yoga Alliance
"It was wonderfull to have six weeks to spend on this cource with Edwin Bryant as our guide and teacher. Dr Bryant brought life and clarity to the passages of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa with the warmth and joy of his personal connection to Bhakti Yoga as well as his scholarly expertise. It was a pleasure to participate!"
YS 205 Student
"It was a pleasure and a gesture of grace to have this opportunity to hear, learn from and interact with Dr. Edwin Bryant! By way of his phenomenological method of exploring, pondering, clarifying and deep-plunging into the various aspects and details of (perfectly curated!) highlights of the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, he expertly and Lovingly immersed us into this very ocean of stories! In so doing, it simply (enabled me to) let these Tales effortlessly convey the numinous-yet-Intimate, multifarious-Singular presence of Kṛṣṇa!"
A. di Michele
Media, PA
"The Bhāgavata Purāṇa course really helped me fill in some gaps in my knowledge. I also have been reading Edwin's book on the BP and he never disappoints with his ability to explain complex ideas in a simple manner, and in a joyous manner. I highly recommend this course. It's been one of my favourites.Jacqueline’s embodied philology makes the philosophical study come alive. Being able to not simply discuss but actually practice elements such as Sambhavi Mudra and nadanusandhana made those techniques much easier to understand and to perhaps implement in one’s own meditative practice."
YS 205 Student
"Edwin Bryant is a top notch tutor. Very humble and very erudite. He is such a kind soul and what generous man. Edwin is incredibly patient and dedicated to his craft. You can tell that he cares about what he is teaching, that he cares about the students whom he is sharing this knowledge with, and that he cares about the tradition that he is representing. He is a great synthesis of scholar and practitioner and I highly recommend anyone who is learning anything for the first time to do a course with Edwin Bryant as he is a perfect balance between Bhakta & Scholar."
