Here is where we will build a Tol or school. Tol refers to the traditional kind of school common in India before the British. Few tols survive these days. This will be a school that offers a variety of courses of study centered around Gaudiya Vaisnavism, but broad enough to satisfy a global community. Traditional subjects like darsana (philosophy), alankara (literary criticism), vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), and kavya (poetry) will be joined with a subset of the Great Western Books program to provide a unique, but balanced learning experience. Degrees will be granted eventually when the program is more fully developed. The curriculum will include the following texts:
Vaisnava Vyakarana (Samksepa and Sampurna Hari-namamrta-vyakarana )
Sankhya ( Sankhya-karika with comms.)
Yoga ( Yoga-sutra with comms.)
Vedanta ( Vedanta-sara , Vedanta-paribhasa , Catuhsutri with Sankara and Vacaspati comms.)
Vaisnava Vedanta ( Prameya-ratnavali , Vedanta-syamantaka , Siddhanta-ratna , Vedanta-darsana , etc.)
Mimamsa ( Mana-meyodaya , etc.)
Alankara ( Dhvanyaloka , Kavya-prakasa , Rasa-sutra with comms.)
Vaisnava Alankara ( Alankara-kaustubha , Ujjvala-nilamani , Kavya-kaustubha )
Vaisnava Darsana ( Bhagavata-sandarbha , Laghu and Brhad-bhagavatamrta )
Great Books (Greek Tragedies, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, etc.)
Kavya ( Raghuvamsa , Kumara-sambhava , Sakuntala , etc.)
Vaisnava Kavya and Nataka ( Gita-govinda , Krsna-karnamrta , Lalita-Madhava , Vidagdha-Madhava , Caitanya-candrodaya , etc.)
Purana ( Bhagavata , Visnu , Padma , Brahma-vaivarta , etc.)
The Great Epics ( Mahabharata and Ramayana )
The Sri Caitanya Sanskrit Tol is about to open. This is an experiment in alternative, online education. The course of study will take approximately eight years, after which successful students will be granted the title of Bhaktisastri (equivalent to a BA). There are three stages in the course of study. The first or introductory level ( prathama ) lasts three years and is the stage in which one will begin the study of the Sanskrit language through the grammar of Jiva Goswami, develop Sanskrit vocabulary by study of the Amara-kosa , master the basics of philosophy (Vedanta and Nyaya), be introduced to literary criticism and literature, begin reading the great Sanskrit Epics and Purana (primarily the Ramayana on this level), study Vaisnava rites and practices through the Hari-bhakti-vilasa , explore the foundations of Vaisnava theology and philosophy through the introductory texts of Baladeva and Visvanatha, and, in the interest of becoming well rounded citizens of the world, begin reading some of the world's other great classical works of literature, religion, and philosophy (the so-called Great Books). The intermediary stage ( madhyama ), also lasting three years, will involve the continued study of Sanskrit and the study of more advanced and difficult works in all of the areas mentioned above. Students in this stage will study the intermediate texts in Vedanta and Nyaya and also take up the Sankhya and Yoga schools. The Mahabharata will be undertaken in this stage with special focus on the Bhagavad-gita and its commentaries. The final stage (two years) will focus on the advanced texts of the Vaisnava tradition such as the Sandarbha of Jiva, the Bhagavata with commentaries, the plays and poetry of Rupa, Kavi Karnapura, and Jiva, and the Vedanta-sutra with commentaries. Students who complete the course will have studied many of the most influential works of the Caitanya tradition and will be equiped to continue exploration of the Sanskrit works of the Caitanya tradition and of other Indic traditions on their own. The program is designed to produce a generation of well grounded scholars and theologians of the rich and complex literary and philosophical traditions of India with focus on the Caitanya tradition. There are abbreviated programs for those who already have degrees from college or graduate work, as well. Prospective students should inquire about them in their letters of application.
Students who are accepted into the program will be required to pay fees for registration and study materials in each of the three stages. Each month materials will be sent out by email for the student to work on. Students will return their assignments to the instructors to be evaluated and will also be able to ask questions of their instructors over the material being worked on by email. Examinations will be administered by means of email with restrictions placed on the amount of time taken to return the examination answers. Acceptance into a higher stage is contingent on passing the prior stages with high marks. Students will receive certificates of achievement for each stage in the program successfully completed. Students who complete all three stages will be granted the degree of Bhaktisastri by the Vaisnava Institute of Higher Studies. In the future there may be advanced degrees offered by the Institute for the training of teachers of the Caitanya tradition. All current instructors hold doctoral degrees in areas related to the study of Sanskrit, Vaisnavism, and Indic philosophy and religion.
If you are interested in being part of the first class of ten students, send a letter of interest to admissions , with information about your prior education, your current level of knowledge of Sanskrit, and your interest in the program.
Here is a tentative curriculum for the first year.