MIT IIKS

Contemporary Issues in Indic Knowledge Studies

DETAILS

1.1. Modern interest in Sanskrit and Vedas
  • Encounter of Europeans with Samskrit, Vedas and Indian languages
  • Philology, its lead into linguistics, ethnology/anthropology, comparative mythology,
    comparative literature, etc.
  • Early philologists of Samskrit
  • IE family, Proto Indo European, IA sub-family, Samskrit and other IE members
  • Max Muller, Macdonell and other 19th century scholars
1.2. Critique of the early modern Samskrit studies
  • Concepts of Euro-centrism, colonialism, Orientalism etc.
2.1. Samskrit in modern Indian educational institutes
  • Traditional Samskrit studies before the arrival of Europeans
  • Samskrit in modern schools
  • Advent of Indian universities
  • Introduction of Samskrit in Indian universities as a classical language
  • Departments of Samskrit in the model of departments of other Indian languages
2.2. Critique of ‘Sanskrit department’ model from Indic Knowledge Studies point of view
  • Distinction of Samskrit vis-à-vis other languages of language departments
  • Lack of focus on Indic knowledge systems
3.1. Traditional (Veda, Śāstra) and Samskrit studies during early modern period
  • Veda-pāṭhaśālās
  • Śāstra-pāṭhaśālās
  • Gurukula style education at Guru’s home

3.2. Limitations of the traditional system in terms of Indic knowledge studies:

4.1. Indian renaissance and Indic knowledge studies
  • Ārya-samāj: Ṛgvedādi-bhāṣya-bhūmikā -‘Vedas are sources of all Satya-vidyās’;
    modern sciences in Vedas
  • Svāmī Vivekānanda and his view of contemporary relevance of Indic thought
  • Śrī Aurobindo and his connecting Indic thought to contemporary understanding

4.2. Limitations of Indian renaissance movements in terms of Indic knowledge studies

5.1. National movement: Nationalism: Vedas and Samskrit as roots of Indian national culture
  • A rejuvenated interest in Vedas, Samskrit and śāstras
  • Historiography : Nationalist historiography as a counter to colonialist
    historiography
  • Use of Vedas, Samskrit, śāstras as sources of nationalist historiography, past glory,
    national pride, etc.
  • Claims of a great Indic knowledge of the past as a nationalist trend, as a method
    of national movement
6.1. Samskrit studies in independent India
  • Samskrit departments of universities to Samskrit universities, Rashtriya Samskrit
    Vidyapeethas, etc.
  • Samskrit and non-governmental initiatives: Samskrita Bharati, PPST Foundation,
    Deendayal Research Institute, etc.
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6.2. Limitations in terms of Indic knowledge studies
  • of Samskrit universities
  • of Samskrit in schools and colleges
  • of Samskrita Bharati, etc.
7.1. Western academic studies focusing on Vedas, Samskrit, etc:
  • Indology
  • Samskrit studies
  • Religious studies around Hinduism
  • South Asian studies
7.2. Critique of studies biased against India, Vedas, Samskrit etc, in Western academics
  • Issues: Neo-orientalism, historical-critical method, ‘de-romanticization’, ‘de-
    exoticization’, attempts to deny ‘Vedic’ origins, “Death of Samskrit”,
    misrepresentation, stereotyping India and Samskrit, praising poetic value to devalue
    thought contributions or knowledge/skill contributions, text book controversies and
    consequences, Swadeshi Indology and other similar movements
8. Success stories
  • The triad of ‘cleansing sciences’: 1. Yoga 2. Āyurveda 3. Vyākaraṇa
  • Arthaśāstra
  • Paňcatantra
  • Bhagavadgītā – management
  • Vedic Maths: Piṅgala, Sulba-sūtras, etc.
  • Astronomy, cosmology, etc.
  • Computational linguistics, knowledge management, etc.
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