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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.
The work examines the early history of the Marwari community its social, religious, cultural and caste identities and its commercial activities in the eastern region of India, mainly its industrial activities and cultural and political contributions. Based on surveys and references to government records, it highlights qualitites of the Marwaris that have helped them achieve success in their pioneering efforts.
The migration of a community to a specific region and its prosperous growth there, is dependent on a number of socio-economic factors that require in-depth research to understand the nuances of change and complexities of the communitys interaction with the society, economy and polity of the region. This book attempts a study on these lines with respect to the settlement and growth of the Marwari community in the northern districts of West Bengal, throwing light on different aspects of their development as an important business community in the region. Based on surveys and references to district gazetteers, government records as well as articles in newspapers and magazines, the work covers the early history of the Marwari community including its social, cultural, religious and caste identities. It goes into the nature of the Marwari peoples commercial pursuits in the districts under study: their industrial activities, and cultural and political contributions. It deals with significant changes on their part, like their switchover from money-lending to money-investing business, in order to flourish in the settled region and studies the role of the Marwari merchants and entrepreneurs in trade and commerce activities in the region, particularly in import and export. It also highlights their philanthropic nature, power of adaptability, broad outlook and other aspects that have helped them mingle with the locals and achieve success in their pioneering efforts.
The study of grammar and linguistic philosophy had its origin in the Vedic period, at least in the second millennium BCE. The Vakyapadiya of Bhartrhari, an authoritative Sanskrit text written in the fifth century CE, contains reflections on the subject matter of language and grammar, thus the philosophy of language. Interpretation of communication is one of the principal objectives of Bhrtrhari’s philosophy of language. His goal is to interpret the communication of all living things, be it a man or an animal, or a yogi or a baby. Bhartrhari represents a rich tradition of Indian philosophy of language that he inherited from Panini and Patatijali. The West, for all practical purposes, lagged behind in grammar, literary theories, philosophy of language and with the problems of meaning, even at the dawn of the twentieth century, when the Indian Grammarians made penetrating studies on the same even before the common era.
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