FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
शक्तिबाद (Śaktivādaḥ)
In this book, Gadādhara Bhattāchārya presents a theory of the meaning of words. This work is divided into three chapters: 1. Sāmānyakāṇḍa, 2. Viśesakāṣḍa and 3. Pariśiṣtakāṇḍa. In Sāmānyakaṇḍa, the author undertakes a detailed analysis of vṛtti of words. Here one comes across a definition of śakti in terms of which a word denotes its meaning. The theory of anvitābhidhāna has been refuted. In the Viśeṣakaṇḍa, the author undertakes an analysis of the meaning of words denoting an individual and the meaning of the words denoting a universal. Prabhākara theory of meaning has been refuted. This chapter contains an analysis of indexicals and demonstratives. The third chapter viz. Pariśiṣtakaṇḍa contains a defence of the view that the śakti of a word lies in the individual that is qualified by the corresponding universal. Views of several Mīmāṃsaka philosophers have been critically assessed.
নদিয়া চর্চা (Nadiya Charcha)
The present work is a collection of essays on the history of Nadia. The book is divided into four chapters. The first chapter contains essays on the historical and archaeological importance of Nadia. The second chapter consists of articles focussing on the local religious, political and cultural events in Nadia. The third chapter consists of essays focussing on the sports events and cultural events in Nadia. The last chapter has essays referring to the debate concerning the birthplace of Chaitanyadeva.
Darśana Manīṣā Categories
जागदीशीव्याधिकरणम् (Jāgadīśvyādhikaraṇam)
This is a prakaraṇa text on the Nyāya theory of vyāpti written by Jagadīśa. The main theme of the work centres around the nature of vyāpti.Knowledge of vyāpti is the cause of inferential knowledge. If the definition of vyāpti is constructed in terms of avyābhicāritatva, then one could explain avyābhicāritatva in five alternative ways. And none of these alternatives is acceptable, for this understanding of vyāpti would fail to account for kevalānvayi inference. In order to remove this problem, the definition of vyāpti is reconstructed as pratiyogivṛttidharmāvacchinna-pratiyogitākabhāvarupa vyādhikaraṇadharmāvacchinnabhāva. Jagadīśa examines this new definition of vyāpti and offers his justification, refuting all the possible objections.
प्रामाण्यवाद: (Prāmāṇyavādaḥ)
In this book, Harirama Tarkavagisa critically assesses the Mīmāṃśa theory of self-luminosity of knowledge. According to Prabhākara, the knower, the object of knowledge and the knowledge itself are apprehended in one go. The Bhaṭṭa Mīmāṃsakas hold that knowledge is inferred through a property called knownness. Murāri Miśra, another Mīmāṃsaka philosopher, holds that knowledge is known in a subsequent knowledge called introspection. Harirāma, following the footsteps of Gaṅgeśa, argues that since sometimes doubt regarding the validity of knowledge arises in the third moment after the origin of knowledge, the validity of the knowledge is apprehended by something other than the totality of the causal conditions of that knowledge. Harirama further argues that there is something wrong with the thesis that knowledge is self-luminious.
The Padārthatattva-Nirūpaṇam (পদার্থতত্বনিরুপনম)
The present book, written by Raghunātha Śiramaṇi and translated and explained in Bengali by Madhusudan Bhattacharya, is an attempt to present his views on the metaphysical categories generally accepted in the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika tradition. Raghunātha, of course, refutes some of the categories accepted by earlier Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika philosophy. He even does not hesitate to accept some of the views of the Mīmāṁsā philosophy, thereby going against his own tradition.
BROWSE BY LANGUAGE
Fundamental Questions of Indian Metaphysics and Logic
Susil Kumar Maitra, in this book, offers an analysis of some of the key metaphysical and logical ideas available in classical Indian philosophy. The book is divided into two parts: I. Metaphysics and II. Logic. Under the part ‘Metaphysics’ the author discusses the Buddhist doctrine of momentariness, Nyāya theories of causality, universal, samavāya, viśeṣa, self etc. The Nyāya proofs for the existence of god and the Sāṃkhya theory of plurality of puruṣa have also been presented. The author incorporates an analysis of Jaina’s theory of saptabhaṅginaya and Saṅkarācārya’s analysis of the idea of falsity. Under the Logic part, the author presents the different theories of perception, inference, śabda, upamāna, arthāpatti and anupalabdhi. The author also includes discussions on Apoha and theories of validity.
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.
Induction Probability and Skepticism
Induction, Probability and Skepticism, authored by D.P.Chattopadhyaya, is a detailed study of the philosophical questions associated with induction. Chattopadhyaya presents several attempts made in the history of philosophy to address the problem of induction. This leads Chattopadhyaya to deal with the issue of skepticism and how different philosophers responded to skepticism.
Natural Science of the Ancient Hindus
In this book, written by Surendranath Dasgupta, one finds an analysis of some of the ideas in Natural Science as entertained in classical India. The book contains three parts: 1. Matter and Motion, 2. Theories of Cosmic Changes and 3. Genesis of Tanmāntras. This book offers an exposition of several scientific ideas as available in the classical Indian texts.
Philosophy and Religion
The present book is a collection of essays written by J.L.Mehta. The essays are attempts to understand and interpret various aspects of classical Indian philosophical, religious and cultural ethos. Being inspired by Heideggerian hermeneutics, the author tries to disclose the hidden ideas present in different ancient Indian philosophical-religious ideas. All these essays interpret the historicity of some salient ideas and bring out their significance to the modern reader.