Learning lessons with understanding from select Gita verses with spiritual pedagogy: Creating Tanaka verses from English meaning of verses

Abstract

Keeping in view the pedagogy of learning from scripture like the Bhagavad Gita which emphasises a learner-centred approach by contextualizing spiritual truths of the scripture through reflective meaning making. the motivation for the study was the motivation from an AI Overview. Converting the meaning of Sanskrit verses into Hindi Poetic form "Chaupais" (quatrain) and "Dohas" (couplets) have been tried. However, in the present times communication in English being seen as one of 21st Century skills requiring use of five-line pattern poetry of Japanese origin called Tanka with 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 syllables per line consecutively. The rationale was that prose meaning of verses in English is is restricted in poetic form meaning making with understanding takes place. Using the mixed study design (Triangulation, focus group, R & D, lesson study), 7 verses were chosen and their meaning in English was presented through Tanka verses. Thereafter, process of creating tanka verses was demystified through a lesson study and assignment for creating tanka verses for 11 verses was given as asignment through internet search of English meaning from the internet and extended meaning from the commentaries on the verses. A group of students of grade 10 (N= 25, age group: 15-16 years) reacted significantly positive (D.F.=2, Chi-squared test, p  ≤ 05)

Keywords: Bhagavad Gita, intervention, meaning making pattern poetry, reflective thinking, Scriptural pedagogy, tanka,