Brief Presentation covering Introduction to Indian Knowledge System. This is based first two chapter of reference book, as per New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020)

1. Indian Knowledge
System
Discover the richness of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS)
and its profound impact throughout history. Explore the
unique aspects and classifications of this ancient treasure
trove.
by Haresh Patel
HP
1

2. •ॐ भूभुवः वः
•त स वतुवरे यं
•भग देव य धीम ह
• धयो यो नः चोदयात ् ॥
1.tat, 2.sa, 3.vi, 4.tur, 5.va, 6.re, 7.ṇi, 8.yaṃ
9.bhar, 10,go, 11.de, 12.va, 13.sya, 14.dhī, 15.ma, 16.hi
17.dhi, 18.yo, 19.yo, 20.naḥ, 21.pra, 22.cho, 23.da, 24.yāt.
Gayatri metre – 24 syllables, 3 padas (of 8 syllable each).
Anustubh Metre – 8,8,8
Om, Pervading the Bhu Loka (Earth, Consciousness of the Physical
Plane), Bhuvar Loka (Antariksha, The Intermediate Space,
Consciousness of Prana) and Swar Loka (Sky, Heaven,
Consciousness of the Divine Mind),
2: That Savitur (Savitri, Divine Essence of the Sun) which is
the most Adorable,
3: I Meditate on that Divine Effulgence,
4: May that Awaken our Spiritual Intelligence (Spiritual
Consciousness). hey are 1.tat, 2.sa, 3.vi, 4.tur, 5.va, 6.re, 7.ṇi, 8.yaṃ,
9.bhar, 10,go, 11.de, 12.va, 13.sya, 14.dhī, 15.ma, 16.hi, 17.dhi, 18.yo, 19.yo,
20.naḥ, 21.pra, 22.cho 23.da and 24.yāt.
2

3. Do we need Indian
Knowledge System?
A US company was awarded patent for usage of Neem Leaves as pesticide. This has
been in use in india for thousands of years, but company claimed that they have
developed an agent which keep ‘active pesticide agent’ in neem last for more than
normal two weeks period.
CSIR (Council of Science and Industrial Research) forced US Patents department to
revoke the patent granted for use of powdered turmeric for wound healing.
It is this – knowledge economy – which will drive the world and we must know what
what already exist in our system and claim the ownership.
3

4. Facts and Myths about IKS
• Western scholar dates IKS around 5000-8000
year (only!!)
• Indian Education System was destroyed about
200 years ago
• 1822 – Survey by British District Collectors
found 1 lakh school in Bengal Presidency,
Madras and Bombay Presidency had school in
every village (~ 100 population)
• 7% - 48% teacher brahmin, rest from other
caste
• Education was imparted in mother tongue,
and not in Sanskrit only.
Wootz Steel Mystery
- IKS dates civilization that are very ancient and time immorial
- Wootz Steel – known as Damascas Blade – despite several attempts by many
metallurgist, they can not replicate the properties of the wootz steel. It is believed
that Emperor Ashoka’s (300 BC) and various other Indian dynasties used Wootze Steel
- Intricate carving that is possible along with its far superior strength compared to
that of western steel makes it unique.
4

5. Importance of Indian
Ancient Knowledge
• Identity ઓળખ
• Culture સં ૃિત
• Received Wisdom ાન
• Economic Value આિથક ૂ ય
1. Identity - Festivals and Rituals, Family Structure and Hierarchy, Cuisine and Dining
Etiquette, Clothing and Attire, Art and Performance Traditions. “The value that
ancient knowledge brings to society is the identity it provides to the fellow members
of the society. It defines the context for several aspects of day to day living of every
individual. Social practice and norms have continuity as most of them are transmitted
from generation to generation through practices and supporting knowledge
repositories. It is our responsibility to pass this to our next generation”
2. Economic value – Patent granted to Insmed Inc, in USA for Pigeon pea extract or
say अरहर or અડદ ની દાળ usage for treating Diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity, and
arthero-sclerotic cardiovascular disease.
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6. Indian
Knowledge
System
a generic
phrase used
to cover
practically
everything
about India.
Indian
• Akhand Bharat (Burma to Afghanistan)
• Takshshila (now in Rawalpindi Pakistan) where Chanakya got educated
• Gandhar in Pakistan-Afghanistan border is where Panini, Famous
Sanskrit Grammarian lived and spread knowledge throughout India
Knowledge
• Insights from personal experiences with life situations
• For now, we consider only those in written format as knowledge,
despite Indian strong oral tradition
• Three area – Spiritual, Religious and Social
System
• Structured methodology and classification of knowledge
• Codification and classification of the knowledge
• Recording interconnection between part of the knowledge in the
classification framework
6

7. IKS
Literary
Sanatan Dharma
Core
14 Vidyasthana
Works of several religious
leaders and philosophers
Others
Science, Engineering,
Architecture, Alchemy,
Aesthetics, Arts, Health and
wellness, Psychology, Public
Administration, Code of
Living
Other Dharmic Tradition Buddhist, Jain
Regional
Wealth of religious and
other literature in all major
Indian language
Non-literary Oral Tradition
Art forms, Health, Food and
Life practices, Folklores
Astronomy work – Aryabhatta
Charak Samhita, Sustruta Samhita – Health and wellness
Rasratna samuccyaa – Alchemy
Niti Sastra, Panchtantra
Manusmriti – Public governance
Kalidasa, Dandin, Banabhatta – Literature
Natyasastra - Bharata
7

8. 14 Vidyasthana
• Rig Ved
• Yajur Ved
• Sama Ved
• Atharva Ved
• Siksa
• Vyakaran
• Nirukta
• Chandas
• Jyotisa
• Kalpa
• Purana,
Itihaas
• Dharma
Sastra,
Smriti
• Nyaya, Vaisesika,
Yoga, Samkhya
• Purva Mimansa,
Uttara Mimansa
Ved
Vedagna
Smriti
Darsanas
Chaturdasa Vidyasthana
8

9. Unique Aspects of IKS
1 Nuances of an Oral Tradition
• Unlike written, Oral knowledge need to be concise and specific
• Multiple aspects covered in single work and covers Religious, Spiritual and
Social.
• वासांिस जीणािन यथा िवहाय, नवािन गृ ाित नरोऽपरािण । तथा शरीरािण िवहाय जीणा- य यािन संयाित नवािन देही ॥ २.२२ ॥
2 Presentation Style – Sutras
• Irrespective of domain, most verses are set to a metrical structure.
• Encrypted and codified (Value of Pi)
9

10. Aryabhatta (476-550
CE)
चतुरा धकम्शतम टगुणम् वषि ट तथा सह ाणाम्
अयुत वय व क भ यास नो वृ प रणाहः
Add four to 100, multiply by eight, and then add 62,000 to get
the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 20,000
~
~ 3.1416
(4+100) x 8 + 62000
20000
62832
20000
= 3.1416
=
10

11. गोपीभा य मधु ातः ुंगशोद ध सं धगः |
खलजी वतखाताव गलहाला रसंधरः ||
• Written in Anushtubh (अनु टुभ्) Chchandas or meter (8,8,8,8)
• O Lord anointed with the yoghurt of the milkmaids’ worship (Krishna), O savior of the fallen, O master of
Shiva, please protect me.
• Grahacāraṇibandhana by Haridatta in 683 CE
Vowels make no difference, and it is left to the author to select a particular consonant or vowel at each step.
When we number the consonants with the respective numbers from go = 3, pi = 1, bha =4 , ya = 1 , ma = 5 ,
duv = 9 and so on. you will end with the number 31415926535897932384626433832792
Why Indians would have wanted to know the value of pi, would
have been for the construction of altars for havana. Each
household was supposed to have three of them—one square,
one circular, and third semi-circular one with the condition that
the area of all the three altars be the same. This would have
made it necessary for the society to be aware of the value of pi.
Katapayadi System / कटपया द
Was first discovered by Hindus Ep II : Value of Pi, Mysteries of Hinduism
(hindufaqs.com)
11

12. Introduction to Vedas
Apauruseya
– non-human source
12

13. 14 Vidyasthana
• Rig Ved
• Yajur Ved
• Sama Ved
• Atharva Ved
• Siksa
• Vyakaran
• Nirukta
• Chandas
• Jyotisa
• Kalpa
• Purana,
Itihaas
• Dharma
Sastra,
Smriti
• Nyaya, Vaisesika,
Yoga, Samkhya
• Purva Mimansa,
Uttara Mimansa
Ved
Vedagna
Smriti
Darsanas
Chaturdasa Vidyasthana
13

14. Three Aspects of Vedas
Karma Kanda
Deals with Yajnas (Sacrifices),
rituals aimed at fulfilling worldly
desires and material goals
Emphasizes the importance of
performing one's duties (karma) in
a righteous and ethical manner.
Upasana Kanda
Emphasizes meditation, worship,
and the practice of devotion
Focuses on cultivating a deeper
spiritual connection with the
divine through rituals, prayers,
and contemplative practices
Gnan Kanda
Focuses on knowledge, wisdom,
and philosophical teachings about
the nature of reality, the self, and
the ultimate truth
Encourages to pursue self-
realization and spiritual
enlightenment through the study
14

15. Four Vedas
Rig
Oldest and biggest of all, 10553
verses
Contains prayers, praises, and
rituals centered on the worship
of gods like Indra, Agni, and
Soma
Various topics discussed include
origin of Universe
Yajur
Yaj, meaning the worship
associated with sacrifice which
is the main focus
1875 verses, consists of a
collection of melodies and
chants derived from the
Rigveda verses
Other topics discussed are
human anatomy, metals,
constellation, season, number
and geometry, grains and yogic
insights
Sama
Sama means ‘to please’, pacify
or satisfy (devatas by singing
after making offerings)
1875 verses, of which 1800 are
taking from RigVeda
Atharva
6077 verses, deals more with
the worldly things
It has details of diseases and its
cure, rites for longevity,
commerce, penancesetc.
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16. Sub-Components of
Vedas
• Samhitas
• Mantras in metrical form
• Hymn, praise of devatas
• Brahmanas
• Ritual and rites (Rites are a subset of rituals and are often associated with important life
events such as birth, initiation, marriage, and death)
• Also provides description of how to prepare altars for Yajnas
• Aranyaka
• Enquires in philosophical aspects of Yagna
• Represent Upasana kanda, and is bridge between Brahmanas and Upanishads
• Upanishads
• Common theme here is knowledge of Brahman
• Interplay between Jiva, Jagat and Isvara
• Includes 4 mahavakyas
16

17. Vedas and 108
Upanishads
Rigveda (10) Aitareya
Yajur Veda (51)
Sukla (19)
• Isha, Brihadarnyk
Ksna (32)
• Katha, Taitiriya
Sama Ved (16) Kena, Chandogya
Atharva Veda (31)
Prasna
Mundaka
Mandukya
17

18. 14 Vidyasthana
• Rig Ved
• Yajur Ved
• Sama Ved
• Atharva Ved
• Siksa
• Vyakaran
• Nirukta
• Chandas
• Jyotisa
• Kalpa
• Purana,
Itihaas
• Dharma
Sastra,
Smriti
• Nyaya, Vaisesika,
Yoga, Samkhya
• Purva Mimansa,
Uttara Mimansa
Ved
Vedagna
Smriti
Darsanas
Chaturdasa Vidyasthana
18

19. Vedangna
Shiksha (Phonetics)
Proper pronunciation and
phonetics of the Vedic
hymns and mantras
Provides rules for the
correct enunciation of
Vedic sounds and accents,
ensuring the accurate
recitation and
transmission of Vedic
texts.
Vyakaran (Grammar)
Deals with the grammar
and linguistic analysis of
the Vedic texts.
Provides a systematic
study of the rules and
principles governing Vedic
language, syntax, and
semantics, ensuring the
accurate interpretation
Chandas (Metrics)
Chandas focuses on the
study of Vedic meters and
poetic structures used in
the composition of Vedic
hymns
Provides insights into the
rhythmic patterns and
musical elements
employed in Vedic
recitations.
Nirukta (Etymology)
Focuses on the etymology
and interpretation of
Vedic words, phrases, and
symbolic expressions.
Provides insights into the
symbolic meanings and
interpretations of Vedic
terms.
Kalpa (Rituals)
Deals with the ritualistic
aspects and practical
applications of Vedic
ceremonies and sacrifices.
Provides guidelines and
instructions for the
performance of Vedic
rituals, sacrifices, and
religious ceremonies
Jyotisha (Astrology)
Jyotisha focuses on Vedic
astrology and astronomy,
including the study of
celestial bodies, planetary
movements, and cosmic
influences.
Vaidic Jyotisha and
Laukika Jyotisha. Vedanga
Jyotish helps in
determining auspicious
timings and cosmic
alignments for Vedic
rituals and religious
practices.
19

20. Vedangna
Chandas (Metrics):
Chandas focuses on the
study of Vedic meters and
poetic structures used in
the composition of Vedic
hymns
Provides insights into the
rhythmic patterns and
musical elements
employed in Vedic
recitations.
20

21. ॐ भूभुवः वः
त स वतुवरे यं
भग देव य धीम ह
धयो यो नः चोदयात ् ॥
1.tat, 2.sa, 3.vi, 4.tur, 5.va, 6.re, 7.ṇi, 8.yaṃ
9.bhar, 10,go, 11.de, 12.va, 13.sya, 14.dhī, 15.ma, 16.hi
17.dhi, 18.yo, 19.yo, 20.naḥ, 21.pra, 22.cho, 23.da, 24.yāt.
Gayatri metre – 24 syllables, 3 padas (of 8 syllable each).
Anustubh Metre – 8,8,8
Om, Pervading the Bhu Loka (Earth, Consciousness of the Physical
Plane), Bhuvar Loka (Antariksha, The Intermediate Space,
Consciousness of Prana) and Swar Loka (Sky, Heaven,
Consciousness of the Divine Mind),
2: That Savitur (Savitri, Divine Essence of the Sun) which is
the most Adorable,
3: I Meditate on that Divine Effulgence,
4: May that Awaken our Spiritual Intelligence (Spiritual
Consciousness). hey are 1.tat, 2.sa, 3.vi, 4.tur, 5.va, 6.re, 7.ṇi, 8.yaṃ,
9.bhar, 10,go, 11.de, 12.va, 13.sya, 14.dhī, 15.ma, 16.hi, 17.dhi, 18.yo, 19.yo,
20.naḥ, 21.pra, 22.cho 23.da and 24.yāt.
21

22. Panca-Maha-Yajna
Bhuta Yajna: Take care of small living being around us
Manusya Yajna: Offer help to those in need
Pitr Yajna: Give away food as respect to departed souls
Deva Yajna: Express thankfulness for what god bless us
Brahma Yajna: Recite Vedic hymn, show respect to great Risis
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23. Thank You
Happy Learning…
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