Dialoguing with Timeless Text: Revisiting the MAHĀBHĀRATA - Hardcover

Balaganapathi Devarakonda ; Geetesh Nirban

9789359668192: Dialoguing with Timeless Text: Revisiting the MAHĀBHĀRATA

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9359668192 ISBN 13: 9789359668192

Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House, 2026

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The book offers a contemporary scholarly analysis of the Mahabharata and Bhagavadgītā, exploring their enduring relevance and connecting the readers with rich Indian tradition. This work stems from the SPARC project, "Yoga Consciousness in Mahābhārata and Bhagavadgītā: The Ethical Value for Societal/ Political Well Being", a collaborative initiative between the University of Delhi's Department of Philosophy and Kamala Nehru College, as coordinated by IIT Kharagpur, under Ministry of Education, Govt of India. The project, which successfully adapted to a digital format during the COVID-19 pandemic, gathered global participation, demonstrating the international relevance of the subject, and has culminated in this comprehensive volume. Presenting analytical, critical and hermeneutical reflections on ancient texts while examining their applications to contemporary issues through the lens of Yoga Consciousness and allied topics, the compilation encompasses within it the integrated awareness of personal and collective responsibilities. Distinguished scholars from various disciplines, including philosophy, history, religion, political science and environmental ethics have made contributions that examine a wide array of contemporary concerns, including ethical decision-making, leadership, justice, love, war, violence and environmentalism. The volume addresses critical themes, including epistemology, feminism and governance, while offering nuanced interpretations that bridge theoretical and practical perspectives, tradition and modernity. It contributes significantly to interdisciplinary discourses and the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) through thoughtful re-appropriation of classical Indian texts and projecting their universal and humanitarian insights, demonstrating how classical texts serve as tools to navigate through complex contemporary challenges and moral issues of the modern world. This anthology of short academic writings is a valuable resource for academics, students and anyone interested in Mahābhārata, Indian tradition, philosophy and the intersections of ethics, politics, justice and spirituality.

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About the Authors

Balaganapathi Devarakonda is Professor of Philosophy and former Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Delhi. His research interests span the Historiography of Indian Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Social and Political Philosophy, Indian Epic Studies, and Philosophical Practice. He served as the ICCR Chair for Indology and Gandhian Studies at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica (2022-2024). He is a Certified Philosophical Counsellor and board member of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA), New York. Balaganapthi Devarakonda is the founding director of the Philosophical Practitioners Association of India (PPAI) and an elected member of the Steering Committee of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP) for 2024-2028. He also serves as the Regional Director for India at the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP), Washington, DC. Currently, his work focuses on interpreting classical Indian texts-especially the Upaniṣads and Epics-as part of the Bharatiya J�āna Paramparā (Indian Knowledge Systems), treating them as living sources of philosophical reflection and contemporary relevance. He is actively involved in international research collaborations and has published on Philosophical Wellness, AI Ethics, and Indian Cultural Narratives.

Geetesh Nirban is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi. Her research focuses on Ethics, Indian Philosophy, Mahābhārata Studies, Eco-Feminism, Mindfulness, Philosophy of Religion and Cross-Cultural Philosophy. She was awarded the University Grants Commission (UGC) Raman Post-Doctoral Fellowship for research at the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, USA (2014-2015). Additionally, Geetesh Nirban was a Visiting Scholar at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (August-September 2018) and at the Confucius Research Institute in Qufu, Shandong, China (June- July 2024). As the Regional Director (India) for the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP) in Washington, D.C., she works on Cross-Cultural Philosophical Initiatives and is presently involved in research and publications based on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS).

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