Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c2.10

c2.10

That *vāda* could transform society, could bring changes in the lifestyles, and quite often could also result in conversions of faith or religion are evidenced through numerous examples in this work. The concepts and categories related to *vāda* not only shaped up the course of discussions in the areas of philosophy or religion, they cast everlasting impact on the milieu and traditions of arts and aesthetics also. In Chap. 6, I have discussed some well-known masterpieces from Sanskrit literature in which *vāda* forms the structural or narrative design. There are literary pieces in which the debate becomes a major theme, whereas in others, debates are employed as a device to enrich the narrative. *Āgamaḍambaraprahasana*, *Dhuttakkhāṇa* (*Dhūrtākhyāna*), *Mudritakumudacandra*, etc. are works by philosophers composed with the intention of projecting *vāda*. *Mahiṣaśatakam* by Vāñchānātha is a poem penned with fervour and intensity by a *paṇḍit-kavi* (scholar poet). It is a poetic statement in protest in which the author enters into *vāda* with social institutions and oppressive systems.