How to Study Indic Shaastras-1

30 Hours

Code: VSF004

Credits: 2

L-T-P ratio: 2-0-0

Course designer: Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi

Prerequisites: None

Objectives

To enable the participants to understand the organization and methodology of
Indic sources as per their hierarchical classification

Ability for independent study of Indic shaastra texts to explore contemporary relevance
Ability to navigate Indic texts for concept search and knowledge mining applications
Ability to paraphrase Indic shaastra content to novice mainstream-educated audience

Indian world view:

Indic knowledge sources:

Aṣṭādaśa-vidyāsthānas
Darśanas
Classical literature
o History vs literature
o Rasa as the primary purpose
o Maṅgalāśaṁsana – Message/teaching promoting optimism
Technical literature
Commentarial tradition and reading the original work

Transmission methods from oral to written:

Oral tradition is the watermark for written tradition (human centric rather than
paper centric knowledge tradition)
Methods of paraphrasing a text (śruti-liṅga-vākya-prakaraṇa-samākhyā)
Interpretation of a text – Tātparya-nirṇaya (upakrama-upasaṁhāra-abhyāsa-
apūrvatā-phalam-arthavāda-upapatti)
Structural hierarchy and purpose – Sūtra – Bhāṣya – Vyākhyā – Ṭīkā – Ṭippaṇī –
Prapaňcikā – Saṅgraha – Kārikā – Vṛtti – Vārtika – Prakaraṇa – Vāda – Khaṇḍana etc.
Features in Indic sources
- Anubandha-catuṣṭaya
- Maṅgalācaraṇao
- Uddeśa-lakṣaṇa-parīkṣā
- Vāda-paddhati
- Nyāya-vākya
- Dṛṣṭānta
- Laukika-nyāya
- Śāstrīya-nyāya
- Adhikaraṇa-racanā
Discussions on etymology, grammar, apparent contradiction, mild apprehension (mandā śaṅkā)

Scientific literature:

Soft sciences – dealing with mind, soul, psychology
Hard sciences – pertain to world and worldly endeavour
Gleanings of Indic ‘scientific’ sources (Mathematics, Āyurveda, Siddhauṣadha etc.)
Tantrayukti – manuals/tools prescribing how to study the text – e.g. Tantrayukti for
Amarakoṣa, Āyurveda, Arthaśāstra, Jyotiṣa etc.

Project topics: