AV俱乐部

Education

• BA, MA (Concordia)
• PhD (McMaster)

Biography

I was born and raised in Montreal, and hold BA and MA degrees in Religious Studies from Concordia University, and a PhD in Religious Studies from McMaster University. My doctoral dissertation treated the two concluding books of the Mahabharata, a 4th century Sanskrit epic poem. I have studied Sanskrit at the University of British Columbia, McMaster University, and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, India, where I also undertook manuscript research on Mahabharata commentarial literature. Before coming to AV俱乐部, I taught Introductory and Intermediate Sanskrit at McMaster University and South Asian Religions at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Since 2009 I have been teaching undergraduate courses at AV俱乐部 on all major religious traditions of South and East Asia (Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Indian and Theravada Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Popular Chinese Religion, Chinese Buddhism, Shinto, Popular Japanese Religion, Japanese Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism), as well as Sanskrit and South Asian history.  

Research interests

The figure around whom my more recent research revolves is the Hindu god Vishnu, particularly in his manifestation as Vasudeva Krishna. Four Sanskrit texts -- the Mahabharata, Harivamsha, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana -- constitute key sources for this research. Recent works include a monograph on Krishna's son (, 2019), funded by a three-year SSHRC Insight Grant ("V膩sudeva K峁涐梗峁嘺's Family in Early Sanskrit Traditions: Divine Incarnation and Human Descent in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 and 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘", 2011-2014) and an annotated translation of a 13th century Sanskrit play from Kerala (). My continuing research focuses on the religious significance of literary, gender, aesthetic, and social dynamics of Sanskritic culture across the broad period ca. 0-1500 CE.
 

Teaches 

• RELS 1001 Religions of the East (Winter 2025)
  
• RELS/CLAS 1600 Introductory Sanskrit I
  
• RELS 2011 Hinduism
  
• RELS 2012/CHIN 2060 Chinese and Japanese Religions
  
• RELS 2013/CHIN 2070 Buddhism (Fall 2024)
  
• RELS 2014 Death, Dying and the Afterlife in South Asian Religions (NEW COURSE Fall 2024)
  
• RELS/CLAS 2600 Introductory Sanskrit II
• RELS/HIST 2509 Hindu, Muslim, Sikh: Identity, Culture and State in Pre-Colonial South Asia
• RELS/HIST 2510 Hindu, Muslim, Sikh: Colonial Trauma and Nationalism in Modern South Asia
  
• RELS 3000 Topics in Religious Studies
  
• RELS 3101 The Self and the World in Indian Story (Fall 2024)
  
• RELS 3111 Vishnu and Krishna the Dark Lord
  
• RELS 3112 Buddhism in India and Tibet
  
• RELS 3113 The Mahabharata
• RELS 3115 The Plays and Poetry of Kalidasa: Sanskrit Courtly Literature in Translation (Winter 2025)
  
• RELS/CLAS 3600 Sanskrit Texts I: Narrative and Epic Selections
  
• RELS 4310 Topics in Comparative Religion
  
• RELS/CLAS 4600 Sanskrit Texts II: Myth, Poetry and Drama
  
  

Publications

2023. "The 驰耻驳补-础惫补迟腻谤补 Complex in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 and 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘: A Trial for Literary-Holist Readings of the Sanskrit Epic." Journal of the American Oriental Society 143(4): 905-929. .

2023. "The Pur膩峁噄fication of the Death of K峁涐梗峁嘺." In Visions and Revisions of Sanskrit Narratives, edited by Raj Balkaran and McComas Taylor. Australia National University Press, 2023. .

2023. "The Eropolitical Compound: Immanence, Transcendence and a Parasitic Operation of Patriarchy in Sanskrit Literature." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 86 (1): 79-100. .

2023. Review: After the War: The Last Books of the Mahabharata. Wendy Doniger. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. American Academy of Religion: Reading Religion.

2022. Review: The Other R膩ma: Matricide and Genocide in the Mythology of Para艣ur膩ma. Brian Collins. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2020. American Academy of Religion: Reading Religion.

2022. "A Deferential Krsna: The Unstolen Cows of 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 113." Religions of South Asia 16 (2-3): 115-136.

2021. "The Corporeal 惫补峁兣沘: Seizure and Restriction of the Body in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘." Rethinking the Body in South Asian Traditions, edited by Diana Dimitrova. Routledge.

2020. "The P膩rij膩tahara峁嘺 Narrative in Early Sanskrit Sources." Asian Literature and Translation 7(1): 16-32.

2019. Pradyumna: Lover, Magician and Scion of the Avat膩ra. Oxford University Press

2019. "K峁涐梗峁嘺's Son Pradyumna as K膩ma and M膩yin in the 'K膩r峁ａ箛a' Pur膩峁嘺s." Pur膩nic Studies: Proceedings of the Pur膩峁嘺 Section of the 17th World Sanskrit Conference, July 9-13, 2018, edited by Raj Balkaran and McComas Taylor. Dept. of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia Canada (79-95).

2019. The 笔谤补诲测耻尘苍腻产丑测耻诲补测补 of King Ravivarman: A New Sanskrit Text of the Trivandrum Edition and English Translation.

2018. "The Abducted Male: Sexual Conquest, Lineage and Divinity in the Narratives of Pradyumna and Aniruddha." in Divinizing in South Asian Traditions, edited by Diana Dimitrova and Tatiana Oranskaia. Routledge: 6-26.

2018. "Rukmi峁嚹�". Jain P., Sherma R., Khanna M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: .

2018. "痴颈峁ａ箛耻". Jain P., Sherma R., Khanna M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht.DOI: .

2018. "贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘". Jain P., Sherma R., Khanna M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: .

2018. "Satyabh膩m膩". Jain P., Sherma R., Khanna M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. DOI: .

2015. 鈥淟ifting the Meanings of Govardhana Mountain: A Review Essay.鈥� Journal of Vaishnava Studies 23 (2): 5-25.

2015. Review, Heroic K峁涐梗峁嘺: Friendship in Epic 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补. Kevin McGrath. Boston: Ilex Foundation, 2013. Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses 44 (3): 399-402. DOI:

2014. "The Abduction of 艢r墨-Rukmi峁嚹�: Politics, Genealogy and Theology in 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 87-90." Religious Studies and Theology 33 (1): 23-46. DOI:

2013. "The Fructification of the Tale of a Tree: The P膩rij膩tahara峁嘺 in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 and its Appendices." Journal of the American Oriental Society 133 (2): 249-268. DOI:

2013. Review, Narrative Art in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补: The 膧di Parva. Pradip Bhattacharya. Delhi: Dev Publishers, 2012. International Journal of Hindu Studies 17 no.1: 87-92.

2012. Review, Studying Hinduism in Practice. Hilary P. Rodrigues, ed. Taylor & Francis, 2011 in Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 41 no.1: 129-131. DOI:

2011. "The Mystery of the Syamantaka Jewel: The Intersection of Genealogy and Biography in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘." Religions of South Asia 5 nos.1 & 2: 153-169.

2011. "Draupad墨's Fall: Snowballs, Cathedrals, and Synchronous Readings of the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补." International Journal of Hindu Studies 15 (1): 111-137. DOI:

2011. "Evaluating the Critical Edition of the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补: Inferential Mileage and the Apparatus Materials."Journal of Vaishnava Studies 19 (2): 71-88.

2010. Review, Studying Hinduism: Key Concepts and Methods. Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby, eds. London and New York: Routledge, 2008 in Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 39: 107-109.

2009. "Janamejaya's Last Question." Journal of Indian Philosophy 37 (6): 597-625. DOI:

2008. "The s膩rasvata y膩tsattra in 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 17 and 18." International Journal of Hindu Studies 12 (3): 283-308. DOI:

2007. Review, God of Desire: Tales of K膩madeva in Sanskrit Story Literature by Catherine Benton. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006 in Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses 36: 593-594.

Select Conference Papers

"The Pur膩峁噄fication of the Death of K峁涐梗峁嘺." Special Panel (Epics & Pur膩峁嘺s): Visions and Revisions of Sanskrit Narrative: Introducing 鈥楶ur膩峁嘺 Perennis 2.0'. Dr. Raj Balkaran, Chair. Thurs. Jan. 12th, 2023. 18^th World Sanskrit Conference, Online (Zoom) / Australian National University, Canberra. Jan. 9-14^th , 2023.

"Subrahma峁噛a K峁涐梗峁嘺: Stolen and Unstolen Cows in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 and 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘." Transdisciplinary Approaches to the Ra虅ma虅yan蹋a and Maha虅bha虅rata International Online Seminar Series. Centre for Asian Studies, Cardiff University, Wales. June 24th 2021.

"Is the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 a Vai峁ａ箛ava Text? The Great Epic Between Indo-European and Pur膩峁噄c Systems of Meaning." Invited lecture, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, June 19, 2021.

"Two rasas for the Price of One: Collapsing 艣峁涐箙驳腻谤补 and 惫墨谤补 in Sanskrit Literature." Annual Meeting, Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (Canadian Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, June 3rd 2019.

"K峁涐梗峁嘺's Son Pradyumna as K膩ma and m膩yin in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and Brahmavaivarta Pur膩峁嘺s." 17th World Sanskrit Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. July 14th 2018.

"The vamsa as Body: Seizure, Illness and Restriction of the Body in the Harivamsa." 6e Congr猫s Asie, SciencesPo, Paris, France. June 26-28 2017.

"Narratology and Sanskrit Epic Literature: Insights and Limits of Genette for the Study of the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 and 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘." "Historicizing Narratology" International Workshop, Institute of Egyptology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. May 5-6 2017.

"Ravivarman's 驳补谤产丑腻峁卥补: Theatre and Theology in the 笔谤补诲测耻尘苍腻产丑测耻诲补测补." 41st Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions. Cardiff University Centre for the History of Religion in Asia, St. Michael's College, Cardiff University, Wales. Apr. 15-17 2016.

"The Abducted Male: Lineage, Sexual Conquest and Captivity in the Vrishni Narratives." 23rd European Conference on South Asian Studies. Z眉rich, Switzerland. July 23rd-26th 2014

"Vrishnis and Vyuhas: Revisiting Narrative and Ritual in the Harivamsa and Pancaratra System." 42nd Annual Conference on South Asia. Madison, WI. Oct. 17th - 20th 2013

Panel convener and chair: Panel: "Ritual, Myth and Identity: Rethinking 'Sectarian' Hinduism in Sanskrit Ritual and Narrative. 42nd Annual Conference on South Asia. Madison, WI. Oct. 17th - 20th 2013

"Hindu and Jain Visions of Pradyumna: The Avatara's Avatara." Conference on the Study of Religions of India (CSRI): 鈥淣ot Quite Divine: Co-stars and Supporting Casts in South Asian Religions,鈥� Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, June 27-30th 2013

"The Master of Illusion: Krishna鈥檚 Tricky Son Pradyumna in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁伵沘 and its Appendices." 223rd Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, Portland, OR. March 15-18th 2013

"The Master of Illusion: Krishna鈥檚 Tricky Son Pradyumna in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁伵沘 and its Appendices." South Asia Workshop 2012"Worlds of South Asia," University of Copenhagen, Sept. 17th 2012

"The Raising of Govardhana Mountain: K峁涐梗峁嘺鈥檚 Divine Intervention in the Braj Landscape."Fantastic Narratives and the Natural World Conference, AV俱乐部, April 27- 28th 2012

"Transplanting the Tale of a Tree: The P膩rij膩tahara峁嘺 in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 and its Appendices." 222ndAnnual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, Boston, MA. March 16-19th 2012

"The Wives of the Dark Lord: K峁涐梗峁嘺 as G峁沨asthin in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 Pur膩峁嘺." Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (Canadian Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences), Fredericton, NB. May 30th 2011

Panel convener and presenter: Panel: The 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补: End and Endings (Religion in South Asia Section). Paper: "Draupad墨's Fall: Narrative Continuity and the Problem of Symmetries in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补." 2010 Annual International Meeting, American Academy of Religion, Atlanta, GA. Oct.29th- Nov. 1st 2010

"Help from Old Friends: N墨laka峁囜弓ha's Role in Evaluating the Critical Edition of the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补." 39th Annual Conference on South Asia. Madison, WI. Oct. 14th- 17th 2010

"The Mystery of the Syamantaka Jewel: The Intersection of Genealogy and Biography in the 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘." The Genealogy of History, the History of Genealogy: Family and the Narrative Construction of the Significant Past in Early South Asia. Cardiff University Centre for the History of Religion in Asia, Cardiff University, Wales, May 26th - 29th 2010