Indian Knowledge Systems PDF

INDIAN KNOWLEDGE Chapter 6 SYSTEMS "Situp! Awake! Prove yourself worthy of your glorious heritage. Unlock the dors of the wonderful treasure house. Make India regain her great spiritual empire" - SwamiChinmayananda LEARNING OU...

INDIAN KNOWLEDGE Chapter 6 SYSTEMS "Situp! Awake! Prove yourself worthy of your glorious heritage. Unlock the dors of the wonderful treasure house. Make India regain her great spiritual empire" - SwamiChinmayananda LEARNING OUTCOMES To examine the expanse of Indian literature and its advancements, to learn about the visionary poets, researchers and scholars of the land To discuss the philosophies of ancient Bharat, that formed the basis for the Indic thought process To examine and compare the new thought leaders and their impact on society INTRODUCTION While man was still learning to cope with climate change, protecting himself from dangers and living a minimalistic lifestyle in many other parts of the world, Bharat had scientific and spiritual minds exploring profound topics. Historic records with factual details were presented as interesting poetry. Movements of stars and other astronomical observations happening far away from us were recorded with precision. Scientific treatises in the fields of medicine, geology, chemistry and more were penned down, fitted into specific metres. Yet focus did not stray away from the rich spiritual knowledge, the path to discover God. Bharat's identity lies in its knowledge systems. Let us learn more about it. INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS SHRUTI tis observed across the planet that when the human mind is silent and focussed, it is tuned to receive divine revelations. The ancient Indian Rishis (sages) nmeditated in silence and intuitively downloaded the howledge, They orally transferred this knowledge to the Shishyas (students). This knowledge is called Sinuti, meaning 'that which is heard' or Veda, derived from the Sanskrit word Vid, 'to know. With time When the mind became clouded with desires and distractions, memory power dininished. There came aneee to document all that was learnt through the verbal tradition. For preserving and passing on the knowledge Orever Vyasa, a brilliant Rishi, compiled the knowledge into written scripts. Hence he is popularly known as Veda Vyasa Revelation: Adiscovery of truth from within oneself INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS "67 WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUTTHE VEDAS? they didn't claim bythe Rishis,considered Asthe knowledge was intuitively gainedVedas are not to Credit to torhe Authorless Mantras revealed through them. Created' by human minds. Hence be'compOsed geographic The laws of biology is common to all beings irrespective of the Universal Slarly the truth in the Vedas apply to all of us across the globe. boundaries, not. The Vedass Eternal Gravity always existed, whether it was knownto us or laws of life and universe, that are ageless. They are relevantceven today. describe eternal According to the subject matter, Rishi Veda Vyasa classified the Veda into 4 parts - Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda. He elaborated them to 4 of his disciplesto preserve andspread this Yajur Veda, During the Vedic era, it was the Rig Veda that held importance. In the later periods, the other developed, borrowing many verses from the Rig Veda and expanding on ue Vedas sknowledge Lne ena portion of the Veda is called the Vedanta and it contains the essence Or OID YOU the Veda. This part holds the treasure called Upanishads, Bharats gift of cOre KNOW2 spiritual knowledge to the world. Learning through the spirit of questioning THINKH! Ancient Indian education system probed the student to think and churn, rather than blind memorisation. It encouraged the questioning spirit of the student. The mind empowered,O O with knowledge asked meaningful questions. Didn't we enjoy the freedom to question and learn right from the past? Think. SANATANA DHARMA Sanatana Dharma is the lifestyle that is lived and preached based on the teachings of the Vedas, which is authorless, universal and eternal. Hinduism is a popular name for Sanatana Dharma. The Veda has six external Veda blocks called the Vedangas, the supportive additional study to comprehend the Vedas. Upavedas are the subsets 2 Portions 6 Limbs 4Sub Vedas inside the Vedas to explore topics of the external world. Detailed science of structural 1. Shiksha (Phonetics*) 1. Ayurveda (Science of Medicine) 2. Nirukta (Etymology) 2. Dhanurveda (Science of Archery) engineering performing fin 1. Veda Purva arts, use of weapon cratt 2. Veda Anta 3. Vyakarana (Grammar) 3. Gandharvaveda 4. Jyotisha (Astronomy) (Science of Music) medical treatises, etc comt 5. Chandas (Metre/Rhythm) 4. Sthapatya Veda under Upavedas. 6. Kalpa (Rituals) (Science of Architecture) Phonetics : Pronunciation 68 CHAPTER -6  Knowledge Systems covers both the sciences of the material and spiritual world. it empowers Indian T'he individual with the formula for a purposeful life. So how very did it shapethe moral setting of the society n thewhole? (HE GOALS OF LIFE AS DEFINED BY THE VEDA tmotivates individuals to live gloriously, enjoying every The VedapOssible human phase of life tothe fullest, but in a virtuous waV. All aspirations are categorised intofour Purusharthas - these were the four drivers of humanlite DHARMA ARTHA MOKSHA KAMA Pursuit* of ethical Pursuit of wealth, Pursuit of ehaviour for Enjoyment of universal harmony successful career and worldly pleasures, liberation from economic prosperity engaging the senses worldly pleasures Pertorming and attachments one'sduties and Strictly based on Fulfilment of Dharma desires and Seeking knowledge responsibilities to " to find God Use of wealth for ambitions without retain balance in the righteous reasons violating Dharma Ultimate purpose society of life Artha (wealth) and Kama (enjoyment) are considered important goals of human pursuit, but Dharma is the base for it. This discourages man from unethical and impulsive behaviour. What happens when we chew abubble gum? We enjoy its taste till. When it becomes dry and tasteless, we know its time to spit it out. Similarly, our scriptures advice us to enjoy every stage of life, but not hold onto it forever. We should know when to drop all possessions and move on in the pursuit of God (Moksha). SMRUTI Sssshhh...am listening Hmmmm...let me remember Shruti that which is heard Smruti that which is remembered That which is heard or known can only be remembered The Sanskrit word 'Smruti' means "that which is remenmbered'. The Vedic knowledge imparted by the Rishi lineage was remembered, recollected and written down. The Smruti explain the philosophy of the Veda, according to the context of the time, without deviating from its source. While the Shruti literature I5 revealed through the human intellect, Smruti literature is produced by human intellect, based on their understanding of the Smruti. Kavyas, Itihasas, Puranas and Dharmashastras are the key Smruti texts. In Rishi Veda Vyasa's words., "The essence of the Vedasshould be substantiated* and endorsed by Itihasaand Purana." WHY ARE THE SMRUTI IMPORTANT? a.Practical guidance for commoner The Vedic instructions are absolute, unaltered truths. It may not be easy for all to grasp the philosophy and implement it in daily life. The incidents and anecdotes from the Itihasas and Puranas illustrate the real- Pursuit : Following8 aparticular interest Substantiate::Back up a statement with evidence INDIAN KNOWLEDGESYSTEMS "69 ite scenarios whe the Vedic teachings are applied Rama folowed his Kshatriva Dharma despite his personalpassions or pains and showed that One can uphol Dharma at all times Krishna broke the societal codes and Strategized his moves, so as to make truth win even in a hostile, unethical situation b. Portraying symbolismand nmysticisn" Astory from the urana or an incident from the epics may seem like a tascinating story tor ayoung mind. When the intellectual reasoning devekops and we probe further, the same story unfolds a deeper philosophy ponder upon. For instance, poet Kamban writes in his Ramayana that When Hanuman set Lanka on fire, the smoke rose so high that even Lord brahma's lotus turned black. It is not to be understood literally. This poetic metaphor" makes one imagine how huge Lanka was and how high the tire TOse. It is afact that Hanuman burnt Lanka, but the poetic exaggeration was Used to create the impact in one's mind. The same incident also has a meaning - Lanka, the kingdom of Gold, represents peaks of symbolic lte. Fire represents knowledge. Hanuman burnt up materialistic fire of knowledge to wake up the citizens from materialism with the their ignorance.. Encoding scientific observations inside stories The life incident of the child Dhruva from exampBe where complex astronomical observations Bhagavada Purana is a g00d were weaved into a story. Little Dhruva was denied the privilege of sitting on his by his step mother. He sought Lord Vishnu, praying for a boorn father's lap give him the highest position. Pleased with his unwavering devotion, that would Lord granted Dhruva the honour of becoming the immovable star the or Polaris. This star remains steadfast like Dhruva, in Dhruva nearly the same spot above the northern horizon allyear long. This is an inspiring story hidden astronomical detail about the polestar. with a UNIQUENESS OF SANATANA DHARMA Religion has been an inspiring force for human beings, ever since they started living as a community. Religion must be elastic enough to embrace the new urges in the community. Those philosophies which couldn't adapt to the changing demands of man naturally disappeared over time. The great civilizationssuch as the Egyptian, Greek and Roman could not cater to the new impulses of humans from within. HOW DID SANATANA DHARMA SURVIVE OVER MILLENNIA? It is because Sanatana Dharma is not just tolerant", but is accepting. It gives the freedom to choose the philosophy that suits our temperament. Under this ancient Banyan tree of Indic knowledge systems contrasting philosophies exist and thrive. The Shad Darshana (six perspectives of philosophical though are as below : Mysticism:Spiritual intuition of divine truth Metaphor :afigure of speech that is used to make acomparison Tolerant: Allowing something, despite not agreeing with it. 70" CHAPTER - 6  SHAD DARSHANA Samkhya PRESCRIBED METHOD 1 Understanding the higher power as dualistic 2 Yoga Emphasis on mind-body alignment 3 Nyaya Logical inquiry to seeking God 4 Vaisheshika Based on the scientific atomic theory to realize God 5 Mimanmsa Sincere performance of rites and rituals Vedanta Contemplation to experience divinity within weregreat spiritual masters who could interpret the scriptures such that the [here l and apply. One such historic unierstand spiritual hero was Shri Adi Shankaracharya. society of the time could EMERGENCE OF SRI ADI SHANKARACHARYA AdiShankaracharya came into existence at a time when the Hindu society was overloaded with rituals, erformed without understanding the philosophy. The confused society neededa saviour to bring back the orephilosophy of the Vedas into practice, protecting it from further decay. Adi Shankaracharya invoked theonenessinn all through the Advaita Philosophy. At the: age of eight he renounced worldly possessions and took up Sanyasa. He toured across the length and breadth of Bharat more than four times, by foot. He wrote mentaries on the Upanishads and the Mahavakyas*, which are our references even today. He compOSed rolumes of hymns and Shlokas at every place he visited. He revived temples and established customs and nractices that are followed till date. He organised his disciples into ten monastical* orders and advised ious duties based on scriptures for each GuruParmpara (lineage). i not for Adi Shankaracharya, Hindus today would be unaware of their Vedic past and precious chain of Guru Parampara would have broken. He lived for just 32 years but created a tremendous impact on Hindu civilization. THINK!! When there are multiple schools of thought, how would common public decide which thought leader to follow? Through open scholarly debates. When Adi Shankara and Mandana Misra (the exponent of Karma Kanda) had one such debate, Mandana's wife Ubhayabharati became the judge. The opponent's wife was chosen as the objective moderator. Imagine the supreme ethics of the times! EMERGENCE OF NEW BRANCHES OF SANATANA DHARMA Sanatana Dharma is like a banyan tree. It is massive and has many branches ythemselves sprout into new trees by growing new roots into the gOund. The branches could grow separate roots and stand as independent trees. Yet the branches are always connected to the mother tree. The many branches of Sanatana Dharma are Buddhism, Jainisnm, Sikhism and more. Mahavakyas: : The grand profound sayings that crisply present the essence of the Veda Monastical Setting categories of religious lineage of Sages INDIANKNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS "71  IWith rapit tevetonment öf fecty le, sometimes some core aspects of Sanatana Dharma were and forgotten Tomestablish those values, and remind us of what was needed inthe society for that time great masters emerged Highlighting these aspects, the other brarnches or religions Buddhisnm and Jainism emerged when the ritüalistic customs were at its peak. Buddhism is were hoavrefornlooundetrke toachings of Gautanma Buddha, while Jainism is based on the teachings of the Tirthankaras ihsisted upon the values of compassion and non-violence, which are ideals that were based on the These already maste Sanatana Dharma. There are many similarities between Buddhism and Jainism on grounds ,of existent and ethical rinciples. Let us explore the impact of these religions on the society. BUDDHISM AND ITS IMPACT terninolog Bon to the chief of the Shakya Din clan Suddhodana in 566 BCE, YOU Prince Siddhartha was also called Shakyamuni. Prince KNOW? Jataka tales Siddhartha, grew up in a palace, Episodes from Buddha's life and his teachings were unexposed to any SorroW the Jataka tales'. This collection has 547 stories compiled as of life. He representing incarnations of Buddha - an animal, a bird and sometimes a former hi experienced the turning point of his life when being. These are interesting stories for children to learn m he values. witnessed sickness, old-age and death for the first time. He walked out from his royal life at the age of 29 and became a monk. He meditated in the holy city of Gava and transformed into Gautama Buddha (the enlightened one). He emphasised on the value of Karma* and Ahimsa*, principles inspired from Sanatana Dharma Reincarnation* was one of the main beliefs. The endless cycles of births and by attaining lasting, unconditional happiness called Nirvana (Moksha). As deaths could be broken only emphasis is laid on strict discipline and sense control. Karma decides one's rebirth JAINISM AND ITS IMPACT Jainism came into prominence in 6th century BCE. e's enlightenment through disciplined non-violence towards allphilosophy is rooted in spiritual purity and called Tirthankaras, meaning those who attained all living creatures. There were 24 great teachers and deaths. The first Tirthankara was knowledge and navigated across the cycles of births Rishabhanatha, a king and the spiritual founder of the concepts ot Jainism, derived from the Vedic practices. It is believed that King of Avodhyaand had 100sons, of which Bharata and Rishabhanatha established the Kingdom Bahubali were the prominent ones. On understanding the temporary nature of the world, he gave up the material world and became a was Vardhamana Mahavira, who belonged to the Jnatrika clan monk. The last Tirthankara and was connected to the royal family a Magadha. He practised austerity for 12 years and attained the highest spiritual knowledge (Kaivalya). The word Jain' is derived from ]ina' or Jaina' which means the of God but placed them lower than the Jaina monk. They also Conqueror. Jainism recognised the exsten' willcontinue due to man's good or bad actions until believed that the cvcle of rebirths and deati liberation is of lainism are - right faith (Samyakdarshana) right knowledge attained. The three important corner stot (Samyakjnana), right action (Samyakchar1ti Lots of Jain religious texts called Agamas are of historic relevance. Karma : One's actions and intention behind the actions Ahimsa :Non injury to othersat physical and mental levels Reincarnation: Rebirth of the soul in a new body CHAPTER -6 72  ASSICALLITERATURE through which our forefathers expressed their thoughts and emotions were Sanskrit sCripts arlhest N Tami.The expansive work on Sanskrit grammar was written by Maharshí Panini. He was the st analvseformationof words and differences between roots and suffixes. This was the first literature to ist ona orammatical system. The first work on Tamil Grammar was Agattiyam, authored by Rishi sloraling i tis But not available to us today. Tolkappiyar, his disciple elaborated on Tamil grammar in his (astya. Tolkappiyam. the lassical Sanskrit literature was entertainment through a show of intelligent use of hixtiveof andnmetres. Natyashastra penned by Rishi Bharata is one of the earliest treatises on performing Contributions from Sanskrit wonds playwrights Ashvaghosha, Bhasa, Bana, Kalidasa, Vakpati described ans social scenario and value-systems over the times. landscapes, They also wrote biographies s of the rulers who itronisedthem. Universal messages in the form of short verses called Subhashitanis, written by many poets are relevant and available even today. thrvughtheages, OIDYOU In Gurukulas, the senior students challenged junior students to crack the meaning KNOW? to interesting Subhashitanis that were created by them (iust like riddles and puzzles). This was a healthy way to learn too. T Sangam literature penned in Tamil has an extensive coverage. Be it personal topics, dealing with hman emotions such as love, deceit, separation or national topics like heroism, war, governance, ethics, phlanthropy. SAGES AS WELL AS SCIENTISTS Sience is integrated effortlessly into our daily lives in many ways. In Bharat there was no false barrier between science and religion - even performing rituals required for one to know geometry, astronomy, trigonometry and more. The sages of ancient India were subjective scientists. Our ancients believed in interdisciplinary approach to solve real world problems - so they were well-qualified in more than one field. Let's take a glimpse at their contributions to the world. RISHI CHARAKA (1ST CENTURY BCE) Authored Charaka Samhita where he detailed the human anatomy and the different stages of treatment. He wasone of the main contributors to Ayurveda, elaborating the preparation of medicine. e was the first to precisely describe enzymes required for digestion and metabolism. He identified 20 types of disease-causing germs. dentified 360 bones of the human body, including teeth. He also identified and located human organs precisely. NISHI ISUSHRUTA (2ND CENTURY BCE) " theFather surgery who studied human anatomy by dissecting of body. vegetables toImage shows Sushruta's disciples dissecting learn techniques of surgery INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS  ihvented over 100sha) surgical instruments and explained the method of sterilizationt ie detailed 12tvpes of fractures and dislocations of bones Inventor of Rhinoplasty (the procedure for reconstruction of human nose through txpert in surgical removal of cataract* too plastic sutger RISHI KAANADA (ARoUND S00BCE) Fopularised the Naisheshika school of philosophy and authored Vaisheshika Sutras. Discovered and wrote about the smallest particles called Anu(atom) and Paramanu (Subatomic particles), describing dimension, motion and chemical reaction of atoms. RISHIVARAHAMIHIRA (AROUND 500 CE) Leading mathematician,geologist and astrologer from the Gupta period. Authored Brihat Samhita, describing comets, estimating diameters of the planets, predicting the presence of water and iron in Mars. Worked on advanced mathematical findings like the algebraic properties of zero and negative numbers. Experimented and wrote about the gravitational force that keeps bodies stuck to the surface of earth. Made observations of plants and termites indicating water. presence of underground RISHI ARYABHATA (AROUND 500 CE) Researcher of mathematics and astronomy who proposed that earth is a sphere suspended in space. rotating He produced a table of planets with their mean terms of shadows cast by and falling on Earth. positions and explained eclipses in He calculated the approximate value of pi() and is of Zero as well. credited with the introduction The first Indian satellite was named in his honour. RISHI AGASTYA AND BHOGAR (BEFORE 300 BCE) Explained the process of generating electric supply in his Agastya Samhita using an earthen pot and the precise chemicals. Described how water can be split into Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules. His student Bhogar was a specialist in alchemy*, He created the idol of Lord Muruga in Pazhani through the amalgamation* of nine herbs/ elements (Navapashanam) using a unique procedure. When milk or water is poured over this idol, it gains medicinal properties. Sterilization : Todestroy germs using steam Cataract: Alchemy:Transforming or combining elements into something new Abnormality of the eye Amalgamation :To blend more than one metal with each other 74 CHAPTER -6  NOWLEDGE HUB OF THE WORLD UNIVERSITIES Gurus the lndianculture, every step ot the learning journey is considered sacred. Students stayed with thesecular. Gurukula, servedthem, performed daily chores and received holistic education -: spiritual and the shramas servedLas universities. Our well established universities attracted students from across the world - Japan,Indonesia and West Asia. They undertook dangerous journeys to reach the Indian universities, hina, having no guarantee of admission. espite, AKSHASHILA UNIVERSITY Ocatedin Gandhara (currently in Rawalpindi District, Pakistan), it was established over 3600 years ago. fields of study were taught here- Veda, grammar, philosophy, Ayurveda, agriculture, surgery, politics, commerce, astronomy, music, dance to name a few. Takshashila had a brilliant alumni chery, warfare, Chanakya, etwork - Sanskrit grammarian Panini, Physician Charaka, Political analyst and king-maker Over 10,500 nperor Chandragupta Maurya and the list goes on. The age eligibility was set at 16 years. audents from aCross Bharat, Greece, Arabia and China studied in this university. Kabu ADAKH dsiamaba AMMU ANC KASHMIR tan IMACHAL Lahore Pakistan eUNJABRAKHANO WARYANA ARUNA New Delhi PRLOFSH Nepal PRADI RAJASTHAN O Kathmandu Bhutan Jaipur Luckoow CSAM Karachi BIHAR HARKHANDBangladeshMANIPU MADHYA GUJARAT PRADESH WEST BENGA 7RIRURA India M2ORAM Ahmedabad indore HATTISGARH Kolkata Location of Takshashila University Remains of Takshashila University NALANDA UNIVERSITY Situated in modern day Bihar, it was established by the Guptadynasty. It flourished for 600 years till12h entury. Nalanda was known for its huge residential quarters for students and teachers. It also had large ecture halls and an enormous library complex spanning 9floors. The university accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. About 20% of the applicants appearing for the entrance tests got admission nthis prestigious institute. Education was provided free of cost. Spiritual and secular subjects were both aught - Vedas, fine arts, grammar, philosophy, medicine, surgery, Nyaya (logic), Mahayana Buddhism and many more courses featured. Rishi Aryabhata and Buddhist Monk Nagarjuna were renowned Indian Alumni. Chinese scholar I-Tsing spent over 10 years in Nalanda. CHANDIGARH OTJARAKAND HARYANA NepalKathandu Aara ORADESH Bhutan wckno ASSAN EGHAIAYA N8tanda ety E Bangladesh ARKHAND TRPUFA RancwEST 9ENGA Chatogre India Kokata OHHATUSGARH NAgpur Location of Nalanda University Remains of Nalanda University INDIAN KNOWLEDGESYSTEMS "75 KANCHIUNIVERSITY Pallava's education institutes called Ghatikas flourished during the reign at Ancient (Kadamba dynasty) and his teacher Virasharman during the 8h Kanatti y a Mavurasharma n Tamil Nadu. Kanchi King during 350 CE, Kailasanatha temple, Kanchi also became a Ghatika Rajendra Chola in the 11" century studied Ghatikas continued to flourish until the times of Certuy Bengaluru Sotdod Kanea College 0f Educ iton HOSut Mysuru Kann PutuchetrounuCHERRY TAMIL NADU Coimbatore Truchlrappall Thssur Kochl Madurai Ramenaram KERALA Location of Kanchi University There were universities across the country specialising in different subjects: Sharadapeet University patronised by Emperor Lalitaditya produced vast literature in & Vairotsana - a Tibetan translator, Kumarajiva - a Buddhist scholar and translator, Thonmi Sani the inventor of the Tibetan script were associated with this institution. Vikramshila University in Bihar hosted over 1000 students and specialized in Tantrism and Vi sect of Buddhism, housing several temples within the complex. Graduates from the Vallabhi University (Saurashtrian region) held high-level Government in different kingdoms as the institute specialized in political sciences, statecraft, law, econ accountancy, administration, philosophy and secular subjects. Ujjaini University specialized in mathematics - accomplished scholars like Brahmagupta Bhaskaracharya taught here. Kanthalloor Shala in Kerala offered many more courses compared to Nalanda. Pushpagiri University in Kalinga, Odantapuri University in Bihar, Jagaddala University in @ Bangladesh,Somapura University in West Bengal thrived over hundreds of years. CLASSROOM DISCUSSION Why did the knowledge centres;run into ruins? Why are such Universities missing todayinthecout How can similar universities rooted in Indic Knowledge Systems clubbing modern sciences becr today? CONCLUSION Bharat was the most fascinating center of learning. Bharat was home to brilliant discoveries andthe e inventions. Trade flourished, powerful empires reigned. Every field of study was explored.Inthet of lessons let us soak in the glories the early Bharatiya empires. CHAPTER -6 *k*kkkk*kk**k* 76 CATEGORIZE THEFOLLOWING AS SHRUTIAND SMRUTI Ramavavana,Mahabharata, Rig Veda, Kathopanishad, Yajur Veda, Bhagavata Purana. Samkhva Darshana and Narada Smruti Shakta Ngama, SHRUTI SMRUTI ANSWER IN BRIEF 1 What are the 3 main characteristics of Shruti (Vedas)? 2. What does Dharma mean? Why should we study 3. What is the about it in history? connection between Shruti and Smruti? 4 What can we learn fromn Smruti? 5. Why was the emergence of Sri Adi Shankaracharya crucial for the 6 society at that time? Who is aTirthankara? Name the first Tirthankara. 7. How did the sages fromn ancient Bharat seamlessly integrate science and religion? ANSWER IN DETAIL 1 What are the four goals human aspirations can be 2 classified under? Explain with examples. What is unique about Sanatana Dharma that makes it and explain. continue over many millennia? Give exam 3 Why are Buddhism and Jainism called as ´new branches of Sanatana Dharma'? What was the need ott society? How did they solve it? 4. Why did knowledge-seekers from around the Explain in detail about any 2 ancient universitiesworld undertake dangerous journeys to reach In of India. CASE STUDY When the Hindu society was leaning totally towards Vedas for benefits), Adi Karma Kanda (performance of rituals as specified Shankaracharya believed this philosophy. He met with the foremost scholar among thecould become empty actions, over time, devoid o debates would decide whichp ritualists, Mandana Mishra In those days, s Mandana for a debate and hephilosophical thought would be agreed. Adi Shankara chose followed bythe masses Adi Shankara requ judg she was tremendously knowledgeable. She handed the twoMandana' debaters s awife garland each. asThetheone w fresh Ubhayabharati garland wilts away first would be declared the loser. That meant, the one whose body generatedee heat because of anxiety while making his his philosophy. The debate between Manadaarguments Mishraloses andto Adi the Shankara one who iscontinued tor confidentandseveral davsa compsad views and counter-views. It was witnessed by a large group of scholars. Finally, Adi Shankara demos Mandana's arguments and Mandana Mishra became Sureshwaracharya, one of the foremost disciplese Shankaracharya. 78" CHAPTER -6  What method,did ancient India use to decide which school of thoughtt to follow? What are the merits of themethod? The co-contestant's wife was chosen as judge -what does this say about the values of the society? Whydid Mandana Mishra become Adi Shankara's disciple? What impact would it have created in the masses? Rankthe following factors as least to most important to win the challenge: Knowledge, Composure, 3 Oratory &Presentation skills MARKTAE FOLLOWING ON THE OUTLINE MAP OF INDIA 1.Takshashila 2. Nalanda 3. Kanchipuram 4. Sharadapeet 5. Vikramashila 6. Vallabhi 7. Ujaini AKanthalloor:Shala (Kerala) 9. Pushpagiri (Kalinga) 10. Odantapurit (Bihar) 1.Jagaddala(Bangladesh) 12. Somapura(West Bengal) Meits Pacmetes Critical tsted wWidom and Imaubabt Mol ane 'eid, utolag seconied Defeut in dabate ,aleAdaita Shaun Vedauta pliby Tt Ove INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS " 79