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A collection of fifteen scholarly articles, this volume talks about the development of convergences and divergences in Indian aesthetics under two broad topics – Theoretical Explorations and Applications – be it cinema, dance, drama, music, literature or sculpture.
A collection of fifteen scholarly articles, this volume focuses on the convergences and divergences which exist in Indian aesthetics, focusing both on Theoretical Explorations and their Applications. Indian aesthetics encompasses traditions and texts that focus on literary, visual, structural and performative productions of a wide range of art forms that delight, entertain, provoke their audience in ways that are relevant to the life. These art forms result in various responses such as delight, emotional relish, and enjoyment. In their convergence with other arts, different Indian art forms, be it cinema, dance, drama, music, literature or sculpture, have practised a “give and take” policy all through their history. Most of them are based on the rasa theory as the connecting thread. Talking about the divergences, the book details how different art forms emerged from a common root and shaped up as separate entities within the Indian framework, while embedding divergent viewpoints opening up the possibility of diverse views on the same concept. These developments also hold true for modern art forms like cinema. The volume provides illustrations taken from a wide range of art forms ancient and contemporary, talking about the diverse applications of Indian aesthetics across multiple art forms in recent times.
Does Indian civilization have the capacity to change or has it been static? The impression of this civilization as an unchanging one has been revised today. Conflict-tension processes in a complex heterogeneous civilization like that of India are equally important and require in-depth studies along with investigating the continuity of tradition. It is in this context that protest, dissent and reform movements have also played a critical role and facilitated adjustments to changing social realities over the centuries. From time to time alternate systems to the accepted ideological or normative patterns have been suggested. Apparently many of these movements were religious in nature, but the socio-economic context which remains in the background does require further detailed examination. The present volume reflects some aspects of these movements. It is one in the series undertaken as part of the group project A Sourcebook of Indian and Asian Civilizations at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The essays in this volume by such scholars as Arun Bali, Savitri Chandra, Narendra Mohan, M.G.S. Narayanan and Veluthat Kesavan; Y.M. Pathan, M.S.A. Rao, Sachchidananda, G.B. Sardar and Pushpa Suri will stimulate discussion and generate new perspectives towards understanding Indian civilization.
The present work, reflects and deliberates over recent Indian scholarship in philosophy. It makes an attempt to analyse the philosophies of outstanding philosophers such as K.C. Bhattacharyya, S. Radhakrishnan, R.D. Ranade, A.C. Mukerji, T.R.V. Murti, N.K. Devraja, J.L. Mehta, J.N. Mohanty, Daya Krishna and S.L. Pandey.
The present work, Indian Philosophers of the Recent Past, reflects and deliberates over recent Indian scholarship in philosophy. It is to get the present and future generations of philosopher-scholars acquainted with the rich Indian philosophical heritage. This is going to deepen our insights into the nature of philosophical consciousness and into the act of philosophizing.
It makes an attempt to analyse the philosophies of outstanding philosophers such as K.C. Bhattacharyya, S. Radhakrishnan, R.D. Ranade, A.C. Mukerji, T.R.V. Murti, N.K. Devraja, J.L. Mehta, J.N. Mohanty, Daya Krishna and S.L. Pandey. The post-Independent Indian philosophy is said to have unique tendencies and trends; some of them can be easily identified as existentialist and phenomenological, idealistic, realistic, humanistic, linguistic and analytico-philosophical comparative philosophy and Indian defence of metaphysics.
The volume is unique in its conceptual clarity, lucid expression, systematic presentation and critical exposition of the subject matter. It is undoubtedly a valuable contribution for the seekers of Indian philosophical system which should evoke keen interest among scholars and students of philosophy.
In the context of current knowledge situation, when every discipline has something to contribute to interdisciplinarity, it seems quite apposite and opportune that philosophy should reinforce and reassert its traditionally cherished role of integrating human knowledge. The Book at hand is an attempt to that end. It is set to take the readers on an enthralling journey across disciplinary boundaries and inspire them to reach a comprehensive conceptual framework for human knowledge at large.
The book delves into the idea and the philosophy of interdisciplinarity, and then unravels the genealogy, dynamics, and myriad configurations of the highly complex phenomenon. It goes on to assess impact, advantages and critical issues involved in interdisciplinarity, while outlining an Indian view of it. The book, thus, explores the conceptual connections, fundamental issues and intrinsic implications of a myriad variety of interdisciplinary study and research, within and beyond academia. The book also attempts to develop necessary theoretical perspectives and a broader conceptual framework in this connection. Ultimately, it seeks to reach, as far as possible, a systematic conceptual account of varied and variegated interdisciplinary studies and researches by integrating them philosophically.
The present work is thus, intended for a wider audience, and not only for the practitioners of philosophy as an academic discipline. It is a must read across the intellectual spectrum, regardless of one’s disciplinary affinities and affiliations. It is wide-ranging in its concerns, far-reaching in implications, and highly resourceful and relevant for generalists as well as specialists, scholars and scientists, researchers and curriculum developers, educational administrators and policy-makers.
Ancient history of India reveals that there were two parallel traditions in India, viz. Vedic and Sramanic. The Sramana Tradition includes Jainism, Buddhism and others such as the Ajivikas and Ajtianas. Jain religious tradition is one of the oldest living religions of India. Historicity of 24th Tirthankara Mahavira in sixth century BCE is well established. The Jain records mention the name of 23 tirthankaras before Mahavira. Among them Parsvanatha was the 23rd and Neminatha was the 22nd.
Parsvanatha is now acknowledged as a historical figure by a number of scholars. The existence of Parsva’s Order in Mahavira’s time is recorded as a discussion between the followers of Parsva (caturyama) and those of Mahavira (pancayama) in the Uttara-adhyayanasiitra. Keeping this fact in mind, International School for Jain Studies (ISJS) in association with the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORT) organized a two-day International Seminar on “Traces of Sramana Tradition (with special reference to Jainism): Prior to 650 BCE” on 5-6 October 2019 in Pune. This book contains 13 selected papers presented in this seminar exploring the available archaeological, cultural, social and literary evidences to substantiate the existence of Jain tradition before 650 BCE.
This book profiles the salient demographic, religious and sociological features of the Jain communities in India and abroad, be it their way of life, social identity, organizational features such as sects, castes, kinship, family and marriage, food, festivals and pilgrimage, Jain associations, or the status of contemporary Jain women along with their inter-ethnic relations, and the Jains’ historical and civilizational contribution to Indian culture.
Jainism, one of the oldest religions of the world, found its philosophy, rituals and ethical code in the teachings of Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth tirthankara of Jainism. Though its reach was confined only to the Indian subcontinent for more than two-and-a-half millennia, from the twentieth century onwards, it made its presence felt across the globe, mainly in the US, the UK, Europe, East Africa and Nepal, and in smaller numbers in many other parts of the world, through its diasporic population. This book thus profiles the salient demographic as well as sociological features of the Jain communities in India and abroad.
The Jains have been a minority community consisting of less than 1 per cent of Indian population in modern times. The current population of the Jains is estimated around six million. Its diasporic communities consist of about 300,000. Despite its miniscule size, the community’s contributions to the Indian society in different realms are quite commendable, be it education, trade and commerce, politics or in running and efficiently managing charitable institutions. Other demographic features include its high literacy rate, lowest infant mortality rate and appreciable sex ratio (954 in 2011). Their approach and attitude towards all living beings stand tall among all religious communities of the world.
The book further features other socio-religious aspects of the Jain community along with its way of life, social identity, organizational features such as sects, castes, kinship, family and marriage, food, festivals and pilgrimage, Jain associations, and status of contemporary Jain women. The economic and political status of the Jains, their inter-ethnic relations, and the Jains’ historical and civilizational contribution to Indian culture and society are also vividly addressed. It navigates scholars and researchers to a wide range of areas in Jain studies for further researches.
The Krama School of the Trika Saivism of Kashmir, more familiar as Kalikrama in the contemporary parlance, has turned out to be the most crucial among the monistic Saiva traditions of medieval Kashmir after the Pratyabhijna school, a scenario people could hardly envisage six decades back when it first came to the notice of modern scholarship. The doctrine of Kalikrama, lit. sequential order of consciousness deities called Kalis, constitutes the most pivotal aspect of this school marked by a synchronous resonance between the esoteric/Tantric and cognitive/metaphysical undercurrents of the system.
In order to delve deeper into the doctrine of Kalikrama the present monograph does some loud thinking in three important areas: (a) the role of cognitivization in the ultimate realization; (b) the theoretical background of the mystical experience built around the consciousness deity(ies); and (c) the inconclusiveness of the hidden meaning posing an epistemological barrier in the study of an esoteric Tantric tradition. In all these areas one cannot miss the imprints of Abhinavagupta’s profound contribution. As such, the present study journeys into three directions: (1) a short genealogy of modern Krama studies; (2) the epistemology of the esoteric internalization embodied in the doctrine of Kalikrama; and (3) the role played by Abhinavagupta as its foremost architect. As such, the present study needs be construed as a small step towards discovering the intrinsic epistemological ethos of an esoteric Tantric tradition.
Swami Vivekananda speaks of two types of Karma-Yoga: work for work’s sake and work for God’s sake in this volume. Work for work’s sake means that one works selflessly, without worrying about the existence of God or any other metaphysical doctrine. Work for God’s sake is the normal way in which most of the saints have pursued their spiritual journey.
Karma-Yoga, a highly reflective and spiritual volume, is the reproduction of eight illuminating lectures that Swami Vivekananda delivered during December 1895 to January 1896 in New York.
The contents of this volume calls for repeated reading, comprehension, contemplation and is highly useful to be reflected on. Here Swami Vivekananda is speaking of two types of Karma-Yoga: work for work’s sake and work for God’s sake. Work for work’s sake means that one works selflessly, without worrying about the existence of God or any other metaphysical doctrine. Work for God’s sake is the normal way in which most of the saints have pursued their spiritual journey. And it is the suggested way for any spiritual aspirant.
This book reminds and invites us to redefine our approach to work and directs us to absorb the most ideal and desirable way of doing it irrespective of what we are and in what position we are.
The Madhuravijayam (Sanskrit: मधुराविजयम्), meaning “The Victory of Madurai”, is a fourteenth-century CE Sanskrit poem written by the poet Gangadevi. It is also named the Vīra Kamparaya Caritam by the poet. Gangadevi, also known as Gangambika, was a poetess in the Vijayanagara Empire during the fourteenth century and chronicled the story of the victory of her husband, Kumara Kampana, son of Bukka Raya I, over the Muslims in Madurai, in the form of a poem. The poem celebrates the victory of the Vijayanagara Empire’s crown prince, Kamparaya, over Madurai. In addition to battle scenes a wash with blood, gore and plenty of poetic fantasy, the poetess describes how her husband Kampa passes the time between wars with his multitude of beautiful wives.
This edition is prepared to highlight that it is composed by a woman and it is the first woman writing in Sanskrit recognized by scholars and comprises of the original Sanskrit text with a new English translation. It forms the 4th volume under the series: Women Writings in Sanskrit Literature. The historical value of this work is discussed along with the introduction of this work. The authoress, instead of drawing the subject matter from the well-known Puranas (as is usual with the generality of Sanskrit poets), has chosen the biography of her royal consort as fit subject to exhibit her remarkable poetical talents.
The work is in the form of a classical kavya conforming to the rules laid down in the treatises on poetics and contains the usual lengthy description of the seasons, the twilight, the rising of the moon and other necessary topics. The authoress writes in the Vaidarbhi style.
इस पुस्तक में हरिवंशराय बच्चन की मूल मधुशाला की प्रेरणा का पुनर्जागरण किया गया है, जिसमें प्रोफेसर बलराम सिंह ने अपनी वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि से सामाजिक बहुरसता को आधार मानकर उसकी गुत्थियों को हाला के माध्यम से सुलझाने का एक अप्रत्याशित प्रयास किया है। प्रो॰ सिंह की दूरदृष्टि में एक ओर भारतीय ग्रामीण अंचल और दूसरी ओर अमेरिका की आधुनिक ज्ञानधानी व सांस्कृतिक गढ़, बोस्टन, रहा है, जिसकी छाप मधुशाला छन्दों पर स्वाभाविक रूप से निखरती दिखती है। आपने कोरोना महामारी से लेकर जीवन-दर्शन तक को शिक्षा-दीक्षा, स्त्री-पुरुष, देश और सत्ता, ज्ञान-विज्ञान, व प्रकृति-दर्शन जैसे विषयों में पिरोते हुए एक आधुनिक छवि प्रस्तुत की है। ऐसे काल में ऐसी रचना की प्रासंगिकता निश्चित सिद्ध होगी।
Mahāmudrā and Atiyoga are particular forms of Buddhist spirituality: Mahāmudrā, the ‘Great Seal’, is considered by Tibetan teachers to be the essence of both the short path and the final instructions that conclude the gradual common and esoteric paths of Buddhist doctrines; Atiyoga or ‘Extreme Union’ represents the Buddhist Dzogchen or ‘Great Completeness’ doctrine.
This volume comprises commentaries on and the transliteration of some ancient Tibetan texts, authored by Buddhist mystics and Tāntric teachers of Mahāmudrā and Atiyoga.
Translated from the Italian, the book is based on oral instructions received by the author from Tibetan teachers. It discusses the insights of the sacred texts and the commentaries on them with respect to the nature of consciousness and phenomenal existence, meditation on guru and deity, Tāntric sexuality, and the introduction to and realization of non-dual awareness.
Simple to understand, the commentaries explain the many meanings of the texts and the symbols and images used. They motivate readers to observe for themselves and personally experience the significance of the traditions and the application of their methods of practice.
The volume will be useful to all students and scholars of Buddhist studies, particularly of the Buddhist Tàntric tradition, and of Tibetan religion and culture.
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study organized some decades ago a seminar on management and organization of Indian universities, with the University of Mysore, in Mysore. These are being republished again because the topics are very relevant today although the knitty gritty of numbers and other data statistics has certainly changed; quantitatively this is true but qualitatively the issues remain the same despite the new educational policies and commissions. The essentials of various conflicts within the system, because of a fragmented approach, continue to disrupt the implementation of new educational ideas, policies and commissions. It is a truism to state that educational needs are imperative and their problems need to be dealt with urgently. And yet today, apart from quantitative expansion, we remain substantially where we were at the time of India’s Independence, as far as management and organization of Indian universities are concerned.
There is an increasing need for a practical and detailed consideration of the problem of higher education in the context of its organizational framework. The problems of basic reforms which involve curricula, examinations, research quality and scope of facilities, faculty and student unrest, the problems of denominational institutions, medium of instruction, etc. are also of immediate relevance. One of the major areas in this context is the governance of Indian universities. The pattern of university administration has become obsolete and has never received the kind of specialized consideration and planning. Rules, regulations, techniques and red tape have hampered the real purpose of university education.
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