Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c12: Epilogue
Vāda in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c12
- Language
- English
Epilogue
c12.1
<p class="small-caps">The</p> theories and practices of *vāda* as described in this book belong to antiquity, but they have not been treated as antique or mummified. The issues generated by the changing socio-political situations were taken up in traditional *vāda* discourses. This has led to paradigm shifts. For example, the consideration for *mokṣa* (salvation) has been unique in Indian intellectual discourses. In the past two centuries, the discourse on *mokṣa* did not remain confined to individual aspirations; it was also considered at social and global levels. Paṇḍit Baljinnath, a traditional scholar of Śaivism from Kashmir of twentieth century, redefines the concept of *mukti* with its varieties, and he includes *rāṣṭramukti* (liberation of the nation) as one of them in his *Svātantryadarpaṇaḥ* — an original treatise on Śaiva philosophy.
c12.2
*Vāda* served as a means for seeking democratic rights and justice. The debate of Draupadī, Vidura and Vikarṇa on one side and Duryodhana, Karṇa, etc. on the other; or the most heated debate between Śakuntalā and Duṣṣanta as described in the second chapter of this work can be cited as examples.
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The practice of Vibhajyavāda adopted by Buddha provided the framework for Anekānta — “the theory of non-one-sidedness” or “the theory of many-sidedness of reality”. It helped in nourishing the plurality in *vāda* traditions. The history of intellectual debate between the orthodox schools of Indian philosophy on one hand and the schools of Buddhist philosophy on the other created awareness and brilliance in intellection.
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The *vāda* traditions re-emerged with a wider and far more consequential outreach during the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. Swami Dayananda restructured them with all the potentiality of public debates. He also became an architect of the democracy of *vāda* in our times.
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In this scenario, the idea of *svarāj* was evolved with a dynamic conceptual framework. The prefix *sva* indicated the self and *rāj* got linked with the idea of freedom at political, social and psychological levels. The last chapter refers to Shyamji Krishna Varma, an unsung hero raising his voice against the totalitarian approaches of West and coming close to Spencer in this process. The idea of *svarāj* was to unfold in Gandhi’s criticism of Spencer and liberation of the inner soul of man. *Ātmano* *mokṣārthaṁ jagad hitāya ca* (for one's own liberation and for the welfare of the world) this saying of Swami Vivekananda became a central principle of Subhas Chandra Bose.
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In his *Svaraj in Ideas*,¹ K.C. Bhattacharyya called for developing indigenous systems of thinking and warned against blind adherence to Western thoughts and systems. It is to be noted that in recent decades discussions have been revolved again and again around this lecture by Bhattacharyya and philosophers like Kalidasa Bhattacharyya, Dayakrishna, Rajendra Prasad, Ramchandra Gandhi and S.P. Gautam commented on it. The Hindi translation of this lecture was published in *Pratiman* — a journal of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (New Delhi) with critical comments. A seminar on it was conducted at the IIAS in 2014.
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¹ Delivered as a lecture in 1929, published in *Vishvabharati Journal*, XX: 103-14 in 1954, and reprinted in 1984 in *Indian Philosophical Quarterly* XI.4.
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Bhagwan Das, one of the modern Indian philosophers, had emphasized the need to understand the idea of *svarāj* in the context of social, moral and organizational frameworks. Ambikadatta Sharma rightly suggests that Bhattacharyya's postulations should be considered in the context of the hermeneutics of the idea of *svarāj* presented by Bhagwan Das (1869–1958) and R.D. Ranade (1886–1957) as well as its linkage with Vedic concept of *svarāñjyam* and *vairājyam*.