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10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (UTC+5.5)
Event Type: Date
Life & Works of Advaita Acharyas: Sri Madhusudana Saraswati
SPEAKERS
This talk by Dr. Niranjan Saha explores the viability of sketching a biographical detail of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī (ca. 16 th century CE, one of the seminal writers in post-Śaṃkara Advaita Vedānta philosophy) along with a survey of his works, based on the available data, which are often hagiographical in nature—while its meagre textual evidence gets precedence, we have a number of contemporary sources as well. In so doing, we will review the available data to ascertain Madhusūdana’s period; analyse the general historical, socio-political and cultural context in which he was born; draw a biographical sketch for him based on the legends and reliable evidence; point out a rough summary of his main intellectual influences; give a brief detail of the available works attributed to him; and conclude by suggesting that there is a need for reassessment, specially his place of origin, in the light of available findings (based on primary and secondary sources), which, if proved convincingly, would not only shed new light on his life and works, but also on his philosophy in terms of the Hindu tradition and wider trends in contemporary religious thought.
Speakers
Dr. Niranjan Saha
Speaker
Dr. Niranjan Saha is currently working as Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Kaliachak College (University of Gour Banga), West Bengal. He completed his Phd in 2014 from Department of Religions and Philosophies, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) on the topic 'Philosophy of Advaita Vedānta according to Madhusūdana Sarasvatī’s Gūḍhārthadīpikā'.
This talk by Dr. Niranjan Saha explores the viability of sketching a biographical detail of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī (ca. 16 th century CE, one of the seminal writers in post-Śaṃkara Advaita Vedānta philosophy) along with a survey of his works, based on the available data, which are often hagiographical in nature—while its meagre textual evidence gets precedence, we have a number of contemporary sources as well. In so doing, we will review the available data to ascertain Madhusūdana’s period; analyse the general historical, socio-political and cultural context in which he was born; draw a biographical sketch for him based on the legends and reliable evidence; point out a rough summary of his main intellectual influences; give a brief detail of the available works attributed to him; and conclude by suggesting that there is a need for reassessment, specially his place of origin, in the light of available findings (based on primary and secondary sources), which, if proved convincingly, would not only shed new light on his life and works, but also on his philosophy in terms of the Hindu tradition and wider trends in contemporary religious thought.
Speakers
Dr. Niranjan Saha
Speaker
Dr. Niranjan Saha is currently working as Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Kaliachak College (University of Gour Banga), West Bengal. He completed his Phd in 2014 from Department of Religions and Philosophies, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) on the topic 'Philosophy of Advaita Vedānta according to Madhusūdana Sarasvatī’s Gūḍhārthadīpikā'.