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Swapnavasavadattam
Svapnavasavadattam is an English rendering of the drama Svapnavasavadattam written by Bhasa. Saradaranjan Ray has added his own Sanskrit commentary along with a Bengali translation of the original text. In the introduction, the translator offers an analysis of the features of the literary contribution of Bhasa.
Bethune School and College (Century Volume- 1849-1949)
নবদ্বীপ মহিমা (Nabadwip Mahima)
This book is perhaps the first attempt to portray the detailed history of Navadvipa. The author starts the discourse with the history of the name ‘Navadvipa’ along with a description of the relation of Navadvipa to the rest of Bengal during the ancient period. The second part of the book contains a detailed description of the scholars of Navadvipa who worked on Navya-Nyāya, Smṛti, and Tantra. In the third chapter, one finds an elaborate presentation of Sri Chaitanya’s biography along with a discussion on Vaishnava religion. Since Navadvipa was ruled by the king of Krishnagar for a long time, there is a discussion on the rulers of Krishnagar, their contribution to the Navadvipa scholarship as patrons. The author also adds a discussion on the famous musicians, eminent persons trained in English education and business persons of Navadvipa.
নদিয়ার ইতিহাস- চর্চা (Nadiyar Itihas Carca)
This book is a collection of essays on varieties of aspects of life in Nadia, presently a district in West Bengal, India. Since once upon a time Navadvipa was the main centre of Nadia, and later Krisnanagar became the capital from where the ruler ruled his kingdom including Navadvipa, much of the history of Navadvipa is closely associated with the history of Nadia. This book is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, the essays focus on the different archaeological sites found in Nadia and bring to light their historical importance. The second chapter focuses on the rivers, waterways and road transport of Nadia. In the third chapter, the essays highlight the importance of the local festivals and the contribution of logical artisans with special reference to weavers. The essays in the fourth chapter take note of the contribution of the musicians and theatre personalities of Nadia. The book ends with a chapter containing articles on different religious and political movements that took place in Nadia.
বাঙালির সারস্বত অবদান: বঙ্গে নব্যন্যায়চর্চা (Bangalir Saraswat Avadan: Bange Navyanyaya Charcha)
This is perhaps the most authentic history of Navya-Nyāya scholarship in Bengal with special emphasis on Navadvipa. In this book, the author presents a detailed description of the biographies and the works of the philosophers of Navadvipa. The author divides his work in the following chapters: 1. The Pre-Śiromaṇī age, 2.Raghunātha Śiromaṇī, 3. Bengali Commentators on Śiromaṇī, 4. The Post-Gadādhara Era, 5. Bengali Naiyāyikas in Kāśidhāma, 6. Nyaya Schools of Bengal. The author, with sufficient historical evidence, determines the time of many of the Navya-Nyāya scholars and he also proposes his views on the authorship of many of the Navya-Nyāya commentaries.
Darśana Manīṣā Categories
অধ্যাপক মধুসূদন ন্যায়াচার্য্য জন্মশতবর্ষ স্মারকগ্রন্থ (Adhyapak Madhusudan Nyayacharya Janmasatabasra Smarakgrantha)
शब्दशक्तिप्रकाशिका (Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā (Part-1))
In this book Jagadīa Tarkālaṃkāra presents a detailed analysis of various aspects of śabdapramāṇa from the perspective of Navya-Nyāya. The book starts with a critical assessment of the views of Vaiśeṣika and Mīmāṃsaka philosophers with regard to the veridicality of śabda as a pramāṇa. This is followed by a discourse on the nature of meaningful words, the nature of prākṛti, pratya, nipāta. A definition of a sentence is formulated. The relation between word and meaning in its different aspects has been presented. The book ends with a discussion on the nature and different kinds of samāsa.
शब्दशक्तिप्रकाशिका (Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā (Vol-1))
Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā is an important text written by Jagadīśa Tarkālaṃkāra containing an analysis of śabda pramāna following the Navya-Nyāya tradition. This work is a defence of many of the theses of Gaṅgeśa, the author of Tattvacintāmaṇi. In many places, the views of Bhatṛhari and Srīpatidatta, the author of Kalapa-pariśiṣta, have been critically assessed and defended. The author offers a detailed analysis of how the knowledge of the meaning of a sentence is generated through the presence of the elements like ākāṁṣkā, yogyatā and āsatti. Since the meaning of a word is defined in terms of śakti, a question arises with regard to the locus of śakti. Bhāṭṭa Mīmāṁsakas hold that śakti stays in the universal. Jagadīśa refutes this thesis of the Mīmāṁsakas. The author also refutes the thesis that the locus of śakti is the individual object, a view that is propagated by Raghunātha Śiromaṇi. Jagadīśa defends the view that combines both the insights that the locus of śakti is the individual object and the locus of śakti is the universal. In this book, Jagadīśa presents an analysis of the nature of lakṣanā. In this work we also find an analysis of how ākaṁkṣā, yogyatā and āsatti could be treated as the cause of understanding the meaning of a sentence. Jagadīśa, however, refutes the view that the knowledge of tātparya is the cause of understanding the meaning of a sentence, instead proposes the view that prakaraṇajñāna is the cause of understanding the meaning of a sentence. Thus in the present work the author, after defending śabdapramāṇa as an independent pramāṇa, offers his analysis of the ways of generating linguistic understanding.
Gadādhara’s Theory of Objectivity Viṣayatāvāda (Part-Two)
In this book, Sibajiban Bhattacharyya offers a detailed analysis of the text called Viṣayatāvāda, written by Gadādhara. After explaining the traditional Navya-Nyāya theory of objectivity, the author presents the later Navya-Nyāya theory of objecthood where it has been argued that objecthood cannot be cognition itself. Gadādhara’s theory of relation has been analyzed in terms of objecthood of qualified cognition. A detailed analysis of the ideas of qualificandness, qualificandumness, predicatehood could be found in this book.
সংস্কৃত কলেজ পত্রিকা (Sanskrit College Patrika)
ध्ब्मसजन्यभावयो: कार्यकारणभावरहस्यम् (Dhvaṃsa- Janyabhāvayoḥ Kārya-Kāraṇabhāvarahasyam)
In this essay, Harirama Tarkavagisa undertakes an analysis of the nature of the causal relationship between a positive effect and destruction. The author examines the nature of the inference viz. Dhvaṃsa is due to vināśa. If one takes into consideration this inference, there must be a hetu here and the hetu could be said to have an upadhi viz. Bhāvatva. Harirama, in this context, presents different ways of formulating the causal relation. The author ends this essay by concluding that the positive effect (janyabhāva) could be said to be the cause of destruction (dhvaṃsa) through the relation of pratiyogitva.
Societies and Cultures
Societies and Cultures is a collection of eight essays dealing with several aspects of man’s existence and his place in society. D.P.Chattopadhyaya, in this book, explores the various dimensions of man and his evaluation of the society that he lives in. The chapters in the book throw light on the issues that are central to the philosophy of history like the objectivity of history, the paradox of violence, the relation between ethics and religion etc.
Philosophical Foundation of Bengal Vaisnavism
In this book, written by Sudhir Chandra Chakrabarti, one finds a detailed exploration of the philosophical ideas as found in the Vaiṣṇava philosophical school of Bengal. The philosophy of achintyabhedābheda has been explained. The nature of bhakti as the means of attaining the ultimate goal of human life viz. Love for God has been elucidated. The aesthetic significance of the conception of Krṣṇa as the embodiment of all rāsas have been presented. The fifteen chapters in the book are 1. The attitude towards epistemology, 2. The psychological basis of knowledge and the nature of the error, 3. A synoptic view of Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 4. Jīva Goswamin’s conception of Bhagavat, 5. The Bhagavat as the Ground of Jīva-śakti and Māya-śakti, 6. The doctrine of Causation in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 7. Kriṣṇa and His incarnations, 8. Bhakti, the means of God-Realisation, 9. The supreme realisation, 10. Bengal Vaiṣṇavism and Kierkegaard’s Existentialism, 11. The Place of Ethics in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 12. Acintya-Bhedābheda, 13. Rāsa (Relish), 14. Christianity and Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 15. Conclusion.
Individuals and Societies: A Methodological Inquiry
Modern Polity and Vedanta
In this book, Satkari Mookerjee, the author, relates the basic insights of Vedānta with the social and political situation in India. The author presents his views in five chapters: 1. Present-day Crisis in Education, 2. Democracy in India, 3. The Religion of the Hindus, 4. The Individual (jīva) and the Absolute (Brahman), 5. The Influence of Vedānta on Life. The author draws our attention to how the Vedānta philosophy has a lasting influence on Hindu social organization.
Rashvihary Das on Advaitism
This book has two parts. In the first part, Das elucidates the main arguments offered by Suresvara in his Naiskarmasiddhi. Suresvara, being a direct disciple of Saṅkara, is one of the most authentic representatives of Advaitism. This leads Das to explain the main arguments of Suresvara, which actually would present the main contentions of the Advaita position. In the second part, Das offers his understanding of avidyā, one of the central themes of Advaita philosophy.
On the Dramatic System of The Hindus
Of the Dramatic System of the Hindus is a short treatise on the salient features of classical Sanskrit Drama. Horace Hayman Wilson divides the book into eight chapters starting with a description of the authorities of the Hindu dramatic system and ending with a description of the scientific apparatus.