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Smṛti Sandarbhaḥ (Volume-2) स्मृति सन्दर्भ: (द्बितीय भाग)
Intermediate Bengali Selections
Gopinath Kaviraj’s Thoughts – Towards a Systematic Study
This book by Kalidas Bhattacharyya is a collection of Mahamahopadhyay Gopinath Kaviraj Memorial lectures delivered by Kalidas Bhattacharyya in the year 1980. Bhattacharya here explores the works of Gopinath Kaviraj written in the later years of his life. Kaviraj was an extraordinary scholar who was well-versed in both the philosophical and religious literature of India as well as the west. Above all, he was a sādhana. He was principally a Śaiva, particularly of the monistic kind, However, as Bhattacharyya claims, this Śaiva doctrine received certain innovative twists in the hands of Kaviraj and became a kind of Śaiva Dualism. Kaviraj was equally interested in Tantra, Yoga, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Gauḍiya Vaiṣnavism and also Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta. In this book, Kalidas Bhattacharyya explores the notion of Transcendence and the justification of this notion that we find in the works of Gopinath Kaviraj. He discusses the different regions of Transcendence and finally goes on to discuss the idea of Pūrṇatā or Ultimate Perfection as developed by Kaviraj.
Advaitasiddhiḥ (Volume-1) অদ্বৈতসিদ্ধি: (১ম খন্ড)
In this book, Yogendranāth Tarkasāṃkhyavedantatīrtha, the author, offers a detailed analysis of the four definitions of ignorance that one finds in the text Advaitasiddhi by Madhusudana Saraswati. The book starts with an analysis of some theories that could be viewed as impediments to the justification of Advaita-Vedānta view, viz. Kramonnativāda, poureṣeyatvavāda of the Vedas, is the fallibility of the founding fathers of philosophical schools. The book ends with an exposition of the text called Nyayamitra written by Vyāsatīrtha, a work whose fundamental ideas have been refuted by the author of Advaitasiddhi.
Jyotirindranath Granthabali (Volume-2) জ্যোতিরিন্দ্রনাথ গ্রন্থাবলী (দ্বিতীয় ভাগ)
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.
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.
মহামনিষী জগন্নাথ তর্কপঞ্চানন (Mahamanisi Jagannath Tarkapanchanan)
This is a short biography of Jagannatha Tarkapancanan written by Alok Kumar Chakravarti. This biography locates Jagannatha in the larger context of Sanskrit Studies in Bengal during the colonial period. His scholarship on different aspects of Hindu society, especially on the Smriti sastra has been explained in detail.
सिद्धान्तलक्षणम् (Siddhānta Lakṣaṇam)
The final definition of vyāpti, known as siddhāntalakṣaṇa, has been explained by Jagadīśa in this work. The final definition of vyāpti is: where pratiyogyasāmānadhikaraṇya tāsāmānādhikaraṇatyantābhāvāpratiyogitāvacchedakabhacchinam does not hold, their vyāpti stays in the same locus. Raghunātha Śiromaṇi comments on this definition of vyāpti. Jagadīṣa further explains this final definition of vyāpti.
मुक्तिबादबिचारः (Muktivādavicaraḥ)
This book is an essay on Nyāya theory of liberation. Harirāma Tarkavāgīśa, in this book, critically assesses the generally accepted definition of liberation as permanent (ātyantika) cessation (nivṛtti) of suffering (duhkha). The debate revolves around explaining the terms like ‘atyanta’ and ‘nivṛtti’. Harirama argues that the widely accepted understanding of these words fails to cover all the different kinds of liberation that philosophers talk about. Harirama proposes to describe liberation as the destruction of final suffering and the idea of finality could be understood as a universal inhering in suffering. Harirama argues that if knowledge of reality is to be regarded as the cause of liberation, then liberation is to be regarded as the permanent post-negation of sin and not of misery.
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.
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.
A Handbook to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
Ratnavali
Gopinath Kaviraj’s Thoughts – Towards a Systematic Study
This book by Kalidas Bhattacharyya is a collection of Mahamahopadhyay Gopinath Kaviraj Memorial lectures delivered by Kalidas Bhattacharyya in the year 1980. Bhattacharya here explores the works of Gopinath Kaviraj written in the later years of his life. Kaviraj was an extraordinary scholar who was well-versed in both the philosophical and religious literature of India as well as the west. Above all, he was a sādhana. He was principally a Śaiva, particularly of the monistic kind, However, as Bhattacharyya claims, this Śaiva doctrine received certain innovative twists in the hands of Kaviraj and became a kind of Śaiva Dualism. Kaviraj was equally interested in Tantra, Yoga, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Gauḍiya Vaiṣnavism and also Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta. In this book, Kalidas Bhattacharyya explores the notion of Transcendence and the justification of this notion that we find in the works of Gopinath Kaviraj. He discusses the different regions of Transcendence and finally goes on to discuss the idea of Pūrṇatā or Ultimate Perfection as developed by Kaviraj.
Contemporary Indian Literature
Bhatti-Kavyam (Canto-XII)
Bhattikavyam is a Bengali rendering along with explanatory notes in English of the twelfth canto of Bhattikavyam written by Bhartṛihari. Saradaranjan Ray, the translator and editor of the book, has added Mallinatha’s commentary to it. In the introduction, the editor/translator offers a brief analysis of the time and the significance of Bhattikavya.