FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
Vedānta-Sūtram (Volume-3) বেদান্তসূত্রম (৩য় খন্ড)
This volume is a detailed Bengali translation and explanation of the Vedānta Sūtras contained in the third chapter of the entire Vedānta Sūtras. The Bengali translation and explanation are done by Nrtyagopal Pancatirtha. In this book, one gets a detailed explanation of the futility of the mundane rituals and argues for the pañcagni vidyā as found in Chāndogya Upaniṣad. There is also discussion on how the self goes out of the physical body and enters a new body after rebirth. The second part undertakes a discussion on the nature of sādhanabhakti which is the way to attain liberation. In the third section, one gets an analysis of the nature of Śrī Hari which is the goal to reach. The fourth part presents an analysis of the nature and varieties of vidya, i.e. Haribhakti.
The Brahmasūtra – Śāṅkarabhāṣya: Bhāmatī (Volume-1) ব্রহ্মসূত্র – শাঙ্করভাষ্য ভামতী (১ম খন্ড)
This book is a detailed Bengali translation and explanation of the Bhāmatī commentary on Saṅkarāchārya’s commentary, written by Srimohan Bhattacharya. Vācaspati Miśra is the author of Bhāmatī commentary. During the course of the explanation, Srimohan Bhattacharya highlights the views held by the author of Bhāmatī as different from another commentarial tradition of Advaita Vedānta, viz. the Vivaraṇa school. The Bhāmatī commentator defends his interpretation of some of the fundamental concepts of Advaita Vedānta viz. the nature of the discourse on Brāhman, the nature of svādhyāya, refutation of Śabdaparikṣāvāda, the nature of the individual jīva, the locus of ajñāna, etc. This is a fine example of intra-school philosophical debate that could be found in many other classical Indian philosophical systems.
Darśana Manīṣā Categories
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 (Śabdśaktiprakāśikā)
Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā contains six chapters: 1. Nāmaprakaraṇa, 2. Samāsaprakaraṇa, 3. Supvibhaktiprakaraṇa, 4. Kārakaprakaraṇa, 5. Akhyātaprakaraṇa, 6. Taddhitaprakaraṇa. The present volume contains two commentaries on Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā viz. . Kriśnakānti commentary by Krisnakānta Vidyāvāgīśa and Pravbodhinī commentary by Rāmabhadra Siddhāntavāgīśa.
शब्दशक्तिप्रकाशिका (Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā (Vol-3))
The third volume of Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā contains an analysis of samāsa. The book starts with a presentation and analysis of the definition of samāsa in general. Jagadīśa distinguishes nitya samāsa from anitya samāsa. The present work contains an analysis of six kinds of samāsa, viz, 1. Dvigu, 2. Tatpuruṣa, 3. Avyaībhāva, 4. Bahubrīhi, 5. Dvandva. The author accepts another samāsa viz. Upapada. The Grammarians hold that the vigraha vākya and the samasta vākya do not have the same śakti and so the nature of understanding the meaning of the vigraha vākya does not amount to understanding the meaning of the samāsa. Jagadīśa refutes this view of the Grammarian and argues that both the vigraha vākya and the samāsa do possess the same meaning. While the traditional Pāṇinian grammar includes karmadhārāya samāsa in tatpuruṣa samāsa and dvigu samāsa in karmadhāraya samāsa, the Katantra Grammar includes dvigu samāsa in tatpuruṣa samāsa. Jagadīśa intervenes in this debate and holds that karmadhāraya and dvigu are independent samāsas and so he thinks that there are six kinds of samāsas viz. tatpuruṣa, avyaībhāva, bahubrīhi, dvandva, karmadhārāya and dvigu. In this book one finds a detailed analysis of all these six kinds of samāsa. Even if Jagadīśa does not accept upapada samāsa as an independent samāsa, still he offers an analysis of upapada samāsa on behalf of those who accept upapada samāsa.
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.
शब्दशक्तिप्रकाशिका (Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā (Vol-2))
In the second volume of Śabdaśaktiprakāśikā, Jagadīśa presents a detailed analysis of Prabhākara’s kāryānvitaśaktivāda and refutes this view. Jagadīśa defends the niravacchinna śaktivāda of the words like ākāśa etc. The view of Raghuntha Siromani with regard to the causal nexus of linguistic understanding has been refuted. Jagadisa offers an analysis of the nature of paribhāṣika śabda and argues that proper names given to individuals do not have śakti and they are to be treated as paribhāśaika śabda. Jagadīśa defends the view that śakti resides in all the three loci: the individual, the universal and the relation of samavāya that holds between an individual and the universal. Jagadīśa also refutes the Mīmāṃsaka view that the sentence has lakṣaṇā and the view of Ālaṃkārika regarding the vyāñjanā relation has been rejected. In this book, Jagadīśa offers a detailed analysis of different kinds of lakṣaṇā and in this context, one comes across a criticism of the Prabhākara thesis that the word having lakṣaṇā is not the cause of syntactic knowledge of the sentence. This book ends with an analysis of the nature of yogaruḍa śabda.
BROWSE BY LANGUAGE
Sanskrit Poetics as a Study of Aesthetic
Sanskrit Poetics as a Study of Aesthetics is a collection of lectures given by S.K.De at the University of Chicago. The book contains five chapters called 1. Introduction, 2. The Problem of Poetic Expression, 3. The Poetic Imagination, 4. Aesthetic Enjoyment and 5. Creation and Recreation. All these chapters deal with different aspects of classical Sanskrit aesthetic theories.
Rain in Indian Life and Lore
Rain in Indian Life and Lore is a collection of essays edited by Sankar Sen Gupta. All the essays contain descriptions of folk songs, and folk rituals that one finds in different parts of Indian society through the ages. Since the Vedic time till modern poets like Rabindranath rain has been a source of different kinds of emotions. The essays in the present collection engage in deciphering some of these thoughts.
A History of Sanskrit Literature सारस्बत – शतकम
A History of Sanskrit Literature by Arthur A. Macdonell is one of the earliest accounts of the History of Sanskrit Literature published in Europe. The book consists of sixteen chapters other than Bibliographical Notes and Index. The chapters focus on the life and thoughts of Ancient India as they appear in classical Sanskrit literature.
Radhakrishnan (Centenary Volume)
Radhakrishnan: Centenary Volume is edited by G. Parthasarathi and D.P.Chattopadhyaya. This book was published as part of a programme undertaken by the Government of India to pay respect to Radhakrishnan on his birth centenary. The book is divided into two parts: 1. The Philosopher and Religion and Spirit and 2. The Universalist and the World Statesman. The first part contains essays on Radhakrishnan’s understanding of Vedānta, Buddhism and religion in general. In the second part, all the essays deal with the role of Radhakrishnan as a statesman.
