Dept MCA Indian Knowledge System (MC02094061)

Indian Knowledge System (MC02094061)

Unit-1
Introduction to IKS
 Do We Need Indian Knowledge System?
Yes, the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) holds immense value in contemporary
society and deserves recognition and integration into modern education and
practices. Here's why:

1. Holistic Approach to Knowledge

The Indian Knowledge System emphasizes a holistic understanding of life,

connecting science, philosophy, arts, and spirituality. This integration can
provide well-rounded solutions to modern challenges.

 Ayurveda for holistic health.

 Yoga and Meditation for mental well-being.
 Ecological wisdom from ancient texts like the Vedas and Upanishads.

2. Sustainability and Environmental Practices

Many practices in IKS focus on living harmoniously with nature. Concepts like
"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world as one family) and sustainable
farming techniques can inspire solutions for global environmental crises.

3. Cultural Identity and Heritage

Preserving and promoting the Indian Knowledge System helps maintain cultural
identity and heritage in an increasingly globalized world.

It fosters pride in India's rich traditions and offers unique perspectives to the
global knowledge pool.

4. Interdisciplinary Insights

The Indian Knowledge System is inherently interdisciplinary:

 Mathematics: Contributions like zero, trigonometry, and algebra.

 Astronomy: The works of Aryabhata and Bhaskara.
 Linguistics: Panini's Ashtadhyayi, one of the most comprehensive
grammar systems.

5. Modern Relevance
Many ancient concepts have proven to be ahead of their time and can be applied
today:

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 Ethical business practices in Kautilya's Arthashastra.

 Mental well-being and mindfulness from Upanishadic and Yogic
teachings.
 Alternative medicine approaches from Ayurveda.

6. Global Influence

Indian Knowledge Systems have influenced global thought for centuries. For
instance:

 Yoga is a global phenomenon.

 Indian numerical systems formed the foundation for modern
mathematics.
 Spiritual concepts from Vedanta and Buddhism are widely embraced.

7. Filling Gaps in Modern Education

Current education systems often focus on technical knowledge but neglect

moral, emotional, and spiritual development. IKS can fill this gap by offering
frameworks for ethical living, critical thinking, and personal growth.

Challenges to Integration

While the IKS is valuable, its inclusion must be done thoughtfully:

 Avoiding pseudoscience: Only validated aspects of ancient knowledge

should be promoted.
 Contextualization: Adapting IKS principles to contemporary needs
without rigid traditionalism.
 Accessibility: Ensuring the knowledge is translated and taught in a way
that is relevant and understandable.

In conclusion, the Indian Knowledge System isn't just about preserving history;
it's about leveraging the wisdom of the past to address present and future
challenges. Integrating it into education, research, and policy can enrich
individual and societal development.

 Importance of Ancient Knowledge

 Ancient knowledge is the accrued knowledge over several generations
and preserved in formal and informal means.

 Formal means include documented knowledge and informal means non

systematized knowledge which includes shared values and practices
through oral traditions.

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Identity

 The quintessential value that ancient knowledge brings to society is the

identity it provides to fellow members of the society.

 Essentially it defines the context for several aspects of the day-to-day

living of every individual.

 Therefore, preserving this knowledge and baton passing them on to the

next genera on is an important step for contemporary society.

 In the absence of this continuity, individuals lose their conviction on

several living practices.

 They lose their ability to 'meaning making' of much of the knowledge.

Eventually it challenges one's own identity and that of the society.

Culture

 Culture has several dimensions. In a direct sense, it is the manifestation

of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively by society over
me.

 From a social perspective, culture is nothing but the set of ideas,

customs, and behaviour of society.

 In other words, culture provides a sense of identity at a societal level by

providing a common medium for communication and the transaction of
ideas.
 The prevailing knowledge and the literary traditions play a significant
role in shaping the culture of the society.

 If the underlying knowledge systems are abruptly withdrawn from

society, the cultural practices will be rudely jolted.

 It may create distortions and discontinuities in societal progress.

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Received Wisdom

 Knowledge and innovation are in a continuum. Innovation and new

knowledge creation in any society is path-dependent! What it essentially
means is that the road travelled so far determines the future path.

 Without the continuity of thoughts, it is very difficult to make further

progress in terms of new ideas.

 The other equally important issue is the risk of reinventing the wheel.

 When the benefit of prior knowledge and the thought process is lost by
society, it will lead to reinventing the wheel, making innovation and new
knowledge creation inefficient.

 In this context, ancient knowledge plays the valuable role of 'received

wisdom' and provides a head start to a society to march on the highway
of innovation and new knowledge creation.

Economic Value

 One of the compelling arguments in support of the ancient knowledge

systems is the huge potential it offers from an economic value
standpoint.

 The emerging world order puts greater emphasis on knowledge society.

 The prevailing 'military power' will give way for 'knowledge is power'
and such nations who demonstrate the superiority of knowledge
traditions are bound to lead the rest of the world.

 Transforming knowledge into economic value has been fully formalized

with the global intellectual property rights regulations and patent laws.

 Therefore, the ancient knowledge system will be beneficial to a country

like India.

Defining Indian Knowledge System

Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) refer to the diverse, holistic, and deeply
interconnected body of traditional knowledge, practices, philosophies, and
sciences that have evolved in the Indian subcontinent over millennia.

These systems encompass a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy,

mathematics, medicine, linguistics, astronomy, architecture, arts, and
governance, rooted in India's civilizational heritage and values.

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Indian:

 The term Indian refers to the geographical, cultural, and historical

identity of the Indian subcontinent, a cradle of one of the world’s oldest
and richest civilizations.
 It represents the diversity of languages, religions, philosophies, and
traditions that have evolved over thousands of years.
 The term embodies a shared heritage of practices, beliefs, and
knowledge systems that have been nurtured within the context of Indian
culture.
 The "Indian" aspect signifies the roots, ethos, and regional specificity of
these knowledge traditions, often drawing from sacred texts like the
Vedas, Upanishads, and regional literatures, as well as oral traditions.

Knowledge:

Knowledge refers to the insights, wisdom, and understanding accumulated

through observation, experimentation, experience, and contemplation. In the
context of Indian Knowledge Systems, it is a blend of:

 Empirical Knowledge: Derived from observation and experimentation,

such as in Ayurveda (traditional medicine) or Jyotisha (astronomy).
 Philosophical Knowledge: Rooted in introspection, reasoning, and
metaphysical exploration, such as the teachings of the Upanishads or
Vedanta.
 Practical Knowledge: Solutions applied in everyday life, such as
sustainable agricultural practices, Vastu Shastra (architecture), or
performing arts.
This knowledge is both holistic and interdisciplinary, uniting material
and spiritual realms.

Systems:

Systems refer to organized, methodical frameworks for acquiring, preserving,

and transmitting knowledge.

Indian Knowledge Systems are structured methodologies that interweave

multiple disciplines to offer a cohesive worldview. Examples include:

 The Gurukul System of education, where knowledge was passed orally

from teacher to student.
 Classifications like the six schools of Indian philosophy (Darshanas) or
the four Vedas.
 Frameworks in science and arts, such as the Sushruta Samhita (medical
science) or Natya Shastra (performing arts).
These systems are adaptive, allowing for innovation while retaining their
foundational principles.

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The IKS Corpus –A Classification on Framework

• The Usefulness of a classification framework depends on three factors:
Completeness, Compactness, Inter connectedness.
• Completeness: Completeness ensures that all important components of
the lKS are included in the proposed framework. If significant omissions
are found in the classification, it makes the IKS non exhaustive and non-
representative.
• Compactness:- Compactness indicates the efficacy of the grouping of
various topics in JKS in a congruent and logical fashion. This makes the
representation simple, concise, and easy to understand and remember.
• Inter connectedness:- Inter-connectedness brings logical relationships
among the various sub-classification. The classification framework will
identify how the different components are logically connected. Thus, it
presents a unified picture of the en re knowledge.

Sanatana Dharma-Core Literature

• This comprises a vast repository of knowledge starting with the Vedas,

known as Sruti .
• Although the Vedic corpus is oral in nature and is still transmitted using
oral methods, these have been later systematically documented in written
form.
• The Vedas are considered foundational by the Indian society and several
important literary works were developed later, which substantially added
to the Vedic corpus by facilitating better understanding and
implementation of the ideas presented in the Vedas.
• This literature owed its allegiance to the Vedas and extracted their
cardinal assumptions and principles from the Vedas.

Sanatana Dharma-Other Literature

• The other literature consists of works that addressed key issues of day-
to-day life such as health, wellness, science, engineering, technology
that aided societal progress and and development, aesthetics and art
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forms.
• Although they were primarily addressing a variety of issues, they still
owed their allegiance to Sanatana-dharma and acknowledged the core
assumptions laid out in the Vedas as the ultimate source for valid
knowledge and drew relevant ideas wherever it applied to their work.
• For example, the work on astronomy of Aryabhata recognizes the ideas
of what constitutes a year, and the notion of four yugas from the Vedic
corpus while proceeding with specific discussions on the mathematical
aspects.

Sanatana Dharma-Other Literature

• The other literature consists of works that addressed key issues of day-
to-day life such as health, wellness, science, engineering, technology
that aided societal progress and and development, aesthetics and art
forms.
• Although they were primarily addressing a variety of issues, they still
owed their allegiance to Sanatana-dharma and acknowledged the core
assumptions laid out in the Vedas as the ultimate source for valid
knowledge and drew relevant ideas wherever it applied to their work.
• For example, the work on astronomy of Aryabhata recognizes the ideas
of what constitutes a year, and the notion of four yugas from the Vedic
corpus while proceeding with specific discussions on the mathematical
aspects.

Other Dharmic Traditions

• Other dharmic traditions have stayed out of the Vedic framework but
have immensely contributed to IKS in the religious, philosophical, and
other domains.
• Two of them, the Buddhist and the Jain literature are noteworthy, and
they have contributed right from 500 BCE to IKS.
• While the religious and philosophical part of the literature is based on
the respective tenets of the school of thought, other literature has
applications in areas of science, technology, and other areas.

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Regional Literature

• The separation of regional languages in this figure is only included

under convenience. Ideally, it could be Sanatana-dharma.
• Indian subcontinent has a rich and diverse mix of cultural and linguistic
variations. The 8th schedule of the Indian constitution has listed 22
languages of the country.
• In each of these languages, there is a huge corpus of religious,
philosophical, and other literature.
• For example, Tamil literature has several contributions in the Sangam
period (first millennium BCE).
• Several of the works in the regional literature have drawn from the
Sanskrit resources and have either explained them in detail in the chosen
regional language or extrapolated them further with some more ideas.

Oral Traditions

• The diversity of cultural practices and regional preferences have paved

the way for oral traditions to preserve and transmit knowledge across
generations.
• These have been primarily in the form of folklore artistic endeavours,
skilful jobs, food and life practices, and health.
• The 64 Kalas mentioned in the IKS literature are mostly skill-based and
artistic chores that are orally transmitted.
• Sanskrit has been the dominant language for transacting knowledge for a
long me in India.
• Therefore, for the purpose of the book, the main sources of knowledge to
discuss various aspects of IKS are drawn from the Sanskrit literature.
• As we have already seen, the Sanatana dharma literature, the Jain and
some of the Buddhist literature are presented using Sanskrit as the
medium of language.
• The choice of a Sanskrit-based knowledge repository does not imply that
similar knowledge was not available in other regional languages in the
country.
• However, as noted earlier, the process becomes complex and unwieldy
to present all these in a single book.
• The other aspect for inclusion is that the knowledge shall be quoted,
cross-referenced, and acknowledged by the indigenous people in the
domain.
• This provides internal consistency and validation of the knowledge by
the indigenous society.

Chaturdasha Vidyasthana

• A classification framework for the Sanatana-dharma literature as we

have defined in the previous sec on is available within the resources
itself.
• In this framework, the literature 14 Introduction to Indian Knowledge
System-Concepts and Applications is systematically organised under 14
major divisions.
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• Therefore, it is referred to as "Caturdasa-Vidyasthana" (Caturdasha in

Sanskrit means fourteen).
• The components of the 14-part knowledge contain the four Vedas (and
their Upa-Vedas). the six Vedangas, Puranas, the Dharma-Sastras, Nyaya
in its detailed form and Mimamsa (both Purva and the Uttara portions).
• The Mimamsa and the Nyâya (in its expanded form) together constitute
the six darsanas.

• Vedas – The Vedas are the primordial source of knowledge in the

scheme of the Sanatana-dharma literature.
• They are also known as `Sruti as it is not authored by anyone but heard
by the seers of the Vedic lore.
• The mantras that were revealed to them were later orally passed down
the generations through a lineage of 'Guru-Sisya: The other sources of
knowledge are considered secondary to the Vedas.

• Vedangas – To benefit fully from the Vedas some complementary tools

and skills are required.
• These help to understand the exact meaning and intent of what is
presented in the Vedas and follow them based on specific instructions
provided.
• These are collectively referred to as Vedangas.

Darshana

• It is a natural quest for everyone to understand three forces that operate

and interact with one another: an individual (Jiva), the Universe (Jagat),
and a larger force governing the other two (variously referred to as
Ishvara, Brahman etc.).
• Establishing the connection between these three becomes an issue of
philosophical thinking, Darsana essentially means a philosophical
thought or view.
• There are six schools of philosophy in the Sanatana-dharma literature
and other schools outside the realm of this.

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Puranas

• Puranas contains a rich repository of ideas that seek to explain various

aspects of the Vedic thoughts using detailed stories and anecdotes.
• They present several socio-cultural ideas and practices for living.
Furthermore, they address some of the common issues that mankind
faces and provide answers using the overarching framework of the
Vedas.

Itihasas

• Itihasas, on the other hand, relate to historical events that have taken
place which can be associated with specific timelines.
• As we know, Mahabharata and Ramayana are two well-known Itihasas.
• In some sense, this literature represents the wisdom that we have accrued
through the ages.

Dharma Sastras

• Let us think for a moment about what we prac ce in our modern-day

work life.
• For example, if we need to be part of a company as an employee, we are
supposed to know the rules and norms of the organisation.
• the do's and don'ts, expectations on the part of the employer and the co-
workers, social etiqueties, our limits and entitlements and the
consequences of wrong actions.
• If this clarity is not there, there will be chaos and we will end up with
unproductive work.
• If this is the situation in an office, such norms and rules are essen al in a
society where several entities have complex interactions among them,
both in structured and unstructured ways.
• In other words, a guide to lead a dharmic life based on the principles of
the Veda is required.
• The dharmic principles engrained in the Vedic corpus are presented in
multiple formats in our knowledge traditions.
• Smritis are rule books with specific operating guidelines of how to put
the dharmic principles into action and what are the consequences of not
doing so.
• Itihasas demonstrate dharmic principles 'in action, through case studies
and real-life situations.
• Niti Shastras and Subhasitas are pearls of wisdom articulated by learned
people in the society, clearly showing the value of adhering to the
dharmic principles in life.

Historicity of IKS

Before 3000 BCE

• In modern parlance, this era is categorised as the dark ages. This
is indeed a dark age for Western civilisation since no evidence of
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any organised knowledge repository (either oral or written) is

available.
• However, in India considerable amount of work has already been
done and the resultant knowledge was orally shared among
generations of people living. The main contributions include the
Vedas, Puranas, and the Itihasa.
• Despite several a empts to date these resources, as new evidence
(such as the discovery of new underwater archaeological artifacts
in Dwaraka), and methods to date the knowledge becomes
available (such as new planetarium software) the earlier
esmations are proved to be erroneous.
• Culturally, in India, it is believed that these texts belong to
antiquity and any attempt to date them will be futile.

3000 BCE to 500 CE

• This period roughly starts with the beginning of recorded human

history as per the western context and extending as far as 500
CE, which coincides roughly with the fall of the roman empire.
• As evident from the table, while the rest of the World was
picking up the elementary skills of organised living, the Indian
counterpart has been actively creating many new and useful
knowledge for the society.
• Significant contributions were made in the areas of Linguistics,
Literature, Health and wellness, Mathematics, and code of living.
• In modern parlance, this is an indication of the vibrancy of
society and its receptiveness to new ideas and methods of
improving the quality of life.

500 CE to 1800 CE

• During this era, Indians have made significant strides in the area
of mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and spirituality.
• With strong foundations in mathematics, several allied areas
have also grown, notable among them are architecture and
technology.
• It is no wonder that some of the best temple complexes, rust-free
iron pillars in the open ground, and musical pillars in several
temples have withstood the onslaught of me and bear testimony
to these skills even today.
• In this period the supremacy of the Indians in the areas of
astronomy and mathematics continued to be strengthened as there
were continuous contributions on several aspects.

 Some unique aspects of IKS

• IKS is by and large an oral tradition by its very nature as we have
already seen. If knowledge needs to be transmitted orally, it requires a
few things. In a written tradition there is scope for being elaborate.
• Specific ideas can be taken up for a detailed discussion running to
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several pages. For example, one can have a separate discussion on the
philosophical ideas in a certain work, another can analyse from a
perspective of aesthetics and grammatical structure, a third can dwell on
religious aspects, etc.
• However, in an oral tradition, the en re knowledge is to be transmitted
orally and committed to one's memory. Therefore, it needs to be concise,
and specific.
• Moreover, it may be difficult to have one treatise for one subject say
mathematics, and another for spirituality, etc.

Nuances of an Oral Tradition

• The pattern of IKS literature shows that a single work can provide
simultaneously ideas on three streams seamlessly: Spiritual, Religious,
and Secular.
• Therefore, the charm and power of IKS lie in its multi-dimensional
perspective. Let us take the case of Bhagavad Gita as an example to
understand this aspect prevalent in IKS literature.
• A true devotee of Lord Krishna may want to read Gita as it is a matter of
religion to him.
• On the other hand, a spiritual seeker may view Gita as a spiritual text.
However, there is a third aspect to Gita, which many of us maybe not
aware of. This is the 'secular' perspective

Religious vs Material Dimensions

• Verses 7 and 8 in Chapter 4 of the Gita quintessentially brings the

dimension of Avatara Purusha.
• Whenever there is a deterioration of dharma the God takes one more
incarna on (Avatära) to uphold the dharma.
• The incarnation of God is to protect the good people, destroy the evil
ones and restore dharma in society once again.
• That is how the Avatara Purusha a concept manifests in terms of the
context, and purpose of the incarnation.

Spiritual vs Material Dimensions

• In Chapter 2 of Gita, Krishna brings into focus the no on of me. Let us

consider verse 22 in the chapter'.
• The meaning of this verse is as follows. Just as a person discard worn
piece of cloth and takes new ones, the Atman also discards old bodies
and acquires a new body, like the analogy of a shirt.
• There is a spiritual angle to it as true seekers of knowledge will deeply
contemplate it. However, if we reflect on this verse furthermore, we can
explore other interpretations.
• One such interpretation is, to be successful and sustainable organisations
need to continuously engage themselves in discarding old ideas
(mindset!) and embrace new ones.
• This is the fundamental building block of innovation and creating
competitive advantage.
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• When we interpret the verse in this manner, it reminds us of the recent

work in economics a creative destruction and innovation.
• The biggest challenge in organisations is mindset inertia. This puts
realistic limits to creating better organisations over me.
• In this verse, the need for discarding old ideas and mindset is
emphasized by describing the process of death.

 Typical Presentation Style – Sutra, Encryptions

• One aspect which makes IKS unique is the use of specific structural
aspects it a concise piece of work. Notable among them are the
following:
• A large number of them are in irrespective verses set to a metrical
structure.
• This is used of whether the work is original or a commentary on another
work.
• It is also independent of whether the subject matter is literature,
mathematics, or engineering Since the work is in prosody, it requires the
author to use minimum words and letters that conform to the metrical
structure.
• Typically, mnemonics (sutras) are employed to convey the message.
• A mnemonic is a memory mechanism and a learning technique that
facilitates informa on reten on or retrieval in human memory.

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