Institutional Development Plan

Faculty of Engineering and

Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

Dr. J R Mudakavi

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 Lecture-1

Indian Knowledge System-an introduction

• India is a country with long –surviving civilization history of 5000 - 8000 years but
indigenous sources and belief systems set it to almost time immemorial.

• By using the power of discrimination, rational thinking, and inherited divine

knowledge a rich depository of knowledge accumulated in the Indian subcontinent
and manifested in terms of traditions and practices.

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• Examples abound: Indian ‘Wootz’ steel - 17th century
Temple Architecture - 10th century
Number Systems
Mathematics Vedic times
Astronomy
Ayurveda

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• Ancient Knowledge in India was preserved and transmitted orally until a few years back.
Uninterrupted lineage of ‘Guru-Shishya’ system transmitted knowledge down the generations.

• Indian Knowledge system(IKS) is a generic phrase covering cultural and archaeological

artifacts, literature, carpentry, metal work, cultural and Social practices, languages, medicine,
architecture, metallurgy, minerology, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, town planning,
mechanical engineering, philosophy etc.

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• Indian Geographical area spanning from Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Malesia, on
the East to modern day Afghanistan in the West, Himalayas in the North to the
Indian Ocean in the South.

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• Knowledge : Arises in the form of Wisdom of Humans, obtained by personal
experiences with life situations facing problems and coming up with the means to
solve them. Other modes of knowledge by means of intense observation of
events, experimentation, conjecturing and analysis.

• Knowledge gained by a seeker is eventually transmitted systematically by way of

proposing a new theory, frame work or literary work. It pervades three domains:
Spiritual, religious and literary work addressing social & day to day activities.
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• System - A structural methodology and a clarification scheme to access the
available corpus of knowledge. Interconnection and frame work provides some
logical relationships between different parts.

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 Importance of Ancient
Knowledge

Culture

Identity
Economic Ancient Knowledge
Value

Received
Wisdom
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Culture : Manifestation of Human intellectual achievement regarded collectively
by society overtime. It is a set of ideas, customs and behavior of the society.

• Identity : Culture provides a sense of identity at a social level by providing a

common medium for communication and transaction of the ideas. The social
practices and norms have continuity from generation to generation through
practices & knowledge repositories.

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•Wisdom: Benefit of prior knowledge and thought process leads to progress.
Avoids reinventing the wheel. Provides a head start to a society to march on the
highway of innovation a new knowledge of creation.

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• Economic Value : Knowledge systems generate economic power. Superiority of
knowledge leads to intellectual property rights regulations, Patent laws etc., which will
generate wealth.

• Examples:
 US company was awarded a patent for neem products. In India every one knows

about the power of neem. But to get it cancelled by Indian . Govt was not possible.

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Das and Kohli of Univ. of Mississipi Medical center awarded patent for turmeric
paste for wound healing. CSIR fought with us and resciended the patent.

 Similarly Amla, Anar, Erand oil, Karela, Jamun, etc., are all indigeneus knowledge
base

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Sanatana Dharma - Core Literature

A vast repository of knowledge is contained in the Vedas also known as Shrutis or

Aagamas. It is oral in nature but some effort has been made in systematic
documentation of Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvana veda are
considered as foundational and several other important literary works developed

later.

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 Sanatana dharma other literature

• Address Key issues of day to day life such as health and wellness, science, engineering,
astronomy public administration, Aesthetics. Kavyas , performing arts, languages etc.

• Mathematics, astronomy, plant sciences.

• Engineering & technology - Metal working, ship building, dams and watershed management
alchemy, cosmetics & perfumes, dyes, town planning and architecture.
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• Health wellness & Psychology –Ayurveda (charka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and
Asthanga hrudaya), Rasarathna samucchaya yoga, Sankhya and Upanishads.

• Nitishastra – Elements of good behavior, ethics and morality, Panchatantra

bhartrahari’s warans, subhashitas, Rajanants.

• Public Administration – of state and public policy taxes,

Manusmristi- Governance & administration

• Aesthetics, Kavya, performing arts –Rich contribution from Kalidasa, Dandi, Bana
Bhatta, Vatsayana-(Kamasutra), Natya Shastra of Bharata.
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 Other Traditions

• Jain-Buddhist darshanas deal with the nature of the universe, mathematics, Ganitha Sara
Sangraha, 22 Indian Languages contain huge corpus religious philosophical and other Literature.

• Oral traditions Folklore artistic endeavors Skillful jobs, food and life practices and health. The
64 kalas mentioned are mostly skill based artistic chores etc. Knowledge is orally transmitted
using Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhamagadhi.

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Chaturdasha Vidyasthanas

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Most of the IKS literature is organized in 14 major divisions. These includes 4 Vedas, 6
Vedaangas, 18 puranas, 15 smritis, and 6 darshanas.

• Vedas- Primordial source of Knowledge in IKS. Also known as Shrutis because they can
be learned by the seers of Vedic lore. Originally reveled to the sages they are passed on
through Guru - Shishya lineage . Vedas do not teach how to, why and when. They are
addressed Vedic repository.
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• Vedangas- A specific body of Knowledge, practices, tools and techniques crated
by seers to preserve the Vedic practices and tools. There are six vedangas viz:
shiksha , Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas, Jyothishya and Kalpa.

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• Darshans –Establishing connection between a Jivatma, The universe and a large force
governing the two referred to as Ishwar, Brahman or Paramatma. It is a Philosophy in
sanatana dharma literature and several others out of this realm.

• Puranas & Itihasas – Puranas contain a rich depository of ideas that seek to explain Vedic
thoughts using detailed stories and an Eco dotes, Puranas relate to prehistoric events and

Itihasas relate to specific timelines. Ramayana and Mahabharata are referred to as Itihasas.

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 Dharma Shastra's and Smrutis

• Smrutis are rule books with specific operating guidelines for the conduct of yajnas, temple
installations, marriages etc. Its is a guide to lead a dharmic life. It gives clarity for sops for a
particular religious activity.

• Samhitas- Part mantras – Main portion of the Vedas.

• Brahmanas- Collection of Knowledge w.r.t to rituals and rites written in a prose e.g. to
construct altars for yajna, to eat food etc.

• Aranyakas-Explain the philosophical approach wile discussing a Yajna, Symbolism and

philosophical aspects are emphasized to be learnt from a Guru.
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 Upanishads

• Philosophical treatises dealing with the ultimate problems of life that every one
of us confronts. Learning through a Guru originally 1180 Upanishad are there but
hardly 200 of them have survived.

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 History of IKS

• Before BCE 3000 –

All the Vedas, Puranas, and Itihasas prove to be around 3000-5000 BCE but
culturally
it is believed that texts belong to antiquity and any attempt to date team will be
futile. It is known as dark age

3000-500 CE
• Beginning of European Civilization However Indian Knowledge system was well
developed in terms of Linguistics. Literature Health and well, mathematics and code
of Living. It was a vibrant society.(500-1800 CE)
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• Strong foundations in Mathematics, Architecture and Technology, etc. examples
include Temple complexes, rust free iron pillars, stone musical pillars, alchemy,
metal works etc.

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Table 1.1. Page no-18-19

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 Some Unique aspects of Oral
tradition

• Religious vs material dimensions

• Spirituals vs material dimensions
• Typical presentation style
• Expression in versus e.g.π = Circumstance = 3.1416
Diameter
• Mnemonics: sutras or formulas
• Encryption –Katapayadi system, Aryabhata System.

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Organization of the culture

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