In the past decade, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) have emerged as a critical area of focus in academia, with significant support from institutions such as the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC). These bodies have increasingly recognized the value of IKS, integrating it into curricula and encouraging research in this field. Even premier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have joined the fray, establishing IKS divisions within their campuses to foster interdisciplinary research and innovation rooted in traditional knowledge. The resurgence in interest has acquired momentum with the advent of New Education. Policy 2020. National Education policy, 2020 states the following (4.27, p.16) with regard to IKS -
"Knowledge of India" will include knowledge from ancient India and its contributions to modern India and its successes and challenges, and a clear sense of India's future aspirations with regard to education, health, environment, etc. These elements will be incorporated in an accurate and scientific manner..."
To achieve the accurate and scientific incorporation of IKS-related wisdom into educational curricula, it is crucial to understand the methodologies through which these texts were constructed. This includes examining the systematic frameworks and structures inherent in them. Understanding Tantrayuktis the text construction methodology of Indian Knowledge Systems and the subject matter of this book-is essential for this purpose.
It is important to note that Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Program of UGC (for training of teachers in Higher Education Institutions of India) under the list of its programs includes Indian Knowledge Systems, Further under IKS-as sub theme IV-Tantrayuktis is mentioned (Refer: https://mmc.ugc.ac.in/Home/Indian_Knowledge_System)
What is Tantrayuktis? While the Upanișadic dialogues exemplify the ideal of systematic oral expression of knowledge, Tantrayuktis, discussed in the texts of the yore, establish the norms for systematic text construction. This book is a humble effort to introduce Tantrayuktis in an accessible and practical manner, particularly for endeavors related to the study and application of IKS.
Another key question is whether traditional textual methodologies like Tantrayuktis can be adapted for structuring IKS-based research theses. Exploring how these ancient approaches to knowledge construction can enrich contemporary research methodologies is vital for bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary academic inquiry. This book delves into the application of Tantrayuktis in thesis construction with detailed discussions.
In 2009, I submitted my thesis to the University of Madras, which explored Tantrayuktis as a pan-Indian text construction methodology, specifically focusing on Tantrayuktis of Kautilya's Arthasastra and Tolkappiyam of Tamil literature. Since then, I have been actively involved in academic pursuits disseminating this approach. Through my academic journey, I have continued to delve into the nuances of Tantrayuktis, aiming to foster understanding of its applications in research methodology for Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). This book is the culmination of over a decade of exploration and engagement with Tantrayuktis. It draws upon insights gained from numerous lectures, workshops, and interactions with scholars, students, and professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Pursuit of knowledge has always been one of humankind's noblest endeavors. Rsis, seers, and seekers of knowledge in Bharat often regarded the seeking jijnasa as the cradle of intellectual and philosophical thought. Bharat was home to such great luminaries whose works reflect this Tapasya for knowledge. Starting from the Upanisads, the organization of knowledge through a methodological way gave birth to wonderful samvadas dialogues. Later, structured, discipline-based knowledge emerged as sastras.
Our Rsis, such as Bhāskaracarya, Pingala, Kanada, and many others, exemplify the meticulous and disciplined pursuit of understanding, spanning diverse domains such as mathematics, astronomy, linguistics, logic, philosophy, and more. They undeniably employed anvesanavidhi-research methodologies that culminated in texts bearing witness to their remarkable intellectual achievements. Their approach to knowledge may not align with the formats embraced by the modern research community and needs some intervention in articulation and explanation. The sastra paddhati Shastric way of presentation-preserved the knowledge for thousands of years without any loss of information and with a scope for wider interpretation.
One method was to knit the information received from various sources in such a way that it will emerge as a new knowledge which can be faithfully transmitted to the next generation. First of all, every discipline has genesis in the core darsana, i.e., philosophy, which governs the theory part of the school. This guided theory of a school is called śāstra. Every śāstric discipline has a unique methodology of inquiry, presentation, and pedagogy.
The practical approach of a sastra under the influence of darsana will lead to a tantra. Tantra is a sastra in practice. This requires much more flexibility in terms of adaptability to new ideas that emerge from practice over time and the power of keeping source knowledge intact without any loss or corruption. This is much needed in the prayoga sastras living in guru-sisya tradition, like natya, sangīta, yajna, kṛşi, vaidya-ka, etc. Even the human sciences like artha-sastra, samaja-sastra, nyaya-sastra, etc., that are dynamic in nature require certain methods to keep the source knowledge intact.
The major concerns of knowledge preservation are: how to code the knowledge in sūtra or grantha form, how to transmit the same without any loss, and how to decode the same when it is needed. This methodology is called Tantrayukti.
Yuktis are techniques of connection. The knowledge producer and seekers should know this technique of how to connect the information to consolidate the knowledge and how to disjoin the same when needed. These Tantrayuktis play a very vital role in many sastric disciplines. Many disciplines are totally dependent upon these Tantrayuktis. In old days, the scholars were considered to be experts in decoding and in interpretation of a sastric work-granthi-granthi-vibhedana-chaturah (ग्रन्थग्रन्थिविभेदनचतुरः). These Tantrayuktis are applicable to many other newly emerging knowledge systems.
By exploring and understanding the frameworks and structures inherent in them, one can understand the methodologies through which these ancient texts were constructed, which could provide a valuable input to current researchers in their quest for understanding Indian Knowledge Systems. This book explores the Tantrayukti techniques, the text construction methodology adopted in ancient Indian texts.
Vedas (1212)
Upanishads (505)
Puranas (633)
Ramayana (758)
Mahabharata (368)
Dharmasastras (166)
Goddess (514)
Bhakti (251)
Saints (1545)
Gods (1308)
Shiva (389)
Journal (181)
Fiction (61)
Vedanta (377)
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