Elements of Indic Knowledge Systems & Heritage

ABOUT THE BOOK:-

In the midst of a renaissance in Indic Knowledge Systems & Heritage (IKS&H), we see innumerable sources - both digital and print, providing us with copious information, facts, and trivia on IKS&H. However, a conceptual understanding of the basics is hard to come by. In this book, we present SaMIKSHa - Śrīraṅga Model of Indian Knowledge Systems and Heritage, a systematic framework for understanding the basic building blocks of IKS&H. Join us in this book voyage of 256 pages, 64 chapters, 64 illustrations, and more than 70 curiosity boxes and activities that takes you through a unique educational experience…

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The story of Indic civilization starts with the pursuit of happiness and the role of sensory-motor experience in it. While probing the source of this joy, ancient Indian ṛṣis delve deep into the laboratories of human existence and discover a new state – one that provides happiness of very large magnitudes. However, this discovery presents a strange conundrum: the sensory joys we are all familiar with, prevent progress into the new treasure house. Humans are unwilling to leave the bird in the hand for the golden bird deep in the cave. How do the ṛṣis respond? The key to the solution emerges from the ṛṣis’ discovery of the laws of cyclicity in nature. Harnessing the tailwinds of prakṛti behind them, the ṛṣis take humanity on a voyage to happiness deep within – the ātma-sukha, without having to forsake indriya sukha. With this as the foundation, ṛṣis develop systematic frameworks brick-by-brick to build the grand edifice that we know today as the Indic civilization. The story of their achievements weaves through grand temples, scholarly universities, vibrant festivals, delightful cuisine, mesmerizing arts, and finally, the civilizational state called bhārata. Its prized scientific and artistic advancements, including yoga, āyurveda, mathematics, astronomy, vedas, purāṇas, itihāsas, kāvyas, śāstras, citra, śilpa alike, are all products of this quest for happiness, rather than a mere passive curiosity about the external world…