“The Essential Sanātana Dharma” by Śatāvadhānī Dr. R. Ganesh and Hari Ravikumar

[Nityānanda Miśra]

Dear list members

Namo Vaḥ

Here is an introduction to the must-read book “The Essential Sanātana Dharma” (Bengaluru: Prekshaa Pratishtana, 2023) by two erudite scholars: Śatāvadhānī Dr R. Ganesh and Hari Ravikumar. The book is a much-needed, concise introduction to Sanātana Dharma, or Hinduism, based on primary sources. This is one of the best English books on Hinduism that I have come across. The authors have accomplished the admirable feat of distilling the knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years and presenting its essence in a small book, which will take a few days to read but many years to absorb. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_lRFtY_Mz0

Nityānanda Miśra

[Ganesh R]

नित्यानन्दमहं वन्दे सम्मान्यं विदुषां वरम् ।

नदीष्णं भारतीयार्थे पाणिनीयागमे तथा।।

आवयोः पुस्तकस्यात्मा भवताऽऽविष्कृतो ननु।

येनाधमर्ण्यमत्यन्तं वहावः प्रणतौ सखे।।

विद्वदौदार्यमेवात्र पश्यावो भवतस्तथा।

मन्यावहे गुणप्रीतिमत्रावां भूयसीं बुध।।

अयमञ्जलिरव्याजप्रीतये भवतोऽस्तु नौ।

यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते कार्तज्ञव्यञ्जनावधौ।।

इति भवदीयौ

हरि-गणेशौ

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[Megh Kalyanasundaram]

Well said 👏 and could not agree more.

One of my go-to gifting options! 

Best,

Megh

[Himanshu Pota]

Dear Scholars,

I came across Prekshaa: A Journal of Culture and Philosophy, which has been publishing what I understand to be a fifteen-part series drawn from The Essential Sanātana Dharma by R. Ganesh and Hari Ravikumar.

I'd be grateful if anyone can point me to independent scholarly reviews of the book or the series — I haven't been able to locate any in the usual venues (Journal of Indian Philosophy, Philosophy East and West, or similar).

I raise this because "journal" and "philosophy" are not decorative words — they carry specific disciplinary expectations: peer review, engagement with existing scholarship, and argument structured to be evaluated and potentially falsified by someone who doesn't already accept its premises. I haven't been able to confirm that Prekshaa has a disclosed peer-review process, an editorial board of the kind standard philosophy journals publish, or indexing in any recognized philosophy database. If I've missed this, I'd welcome correction.

On the substance: much of what I've read of the series presents Sanātana Dharma's concepts (ṛta, ṛṇa, the sāmānya-/viśeṣa-dharma distinction, the saṃskāras) as a coherent architecture — but a philosophy journal, as distinct from a cultural or devotional publication, would be expected to argue for that architecture against the existing scholarly literature on these very concepts (Halbfass and Hacker on the modernization of dharma, Lipner and Flood on Hindu theology, the long classical debate on dharma's relation to ṛta and artha) rather than restate it. I haven't found engagement with that literature in what I've read so far.

So the question I'd put to the group: what is the professional consensus on work of this kind — devotional/cultural exposition, competently written on its own terms — appearing under the banner of a "philosophy journal"? Is there a body of opinion that this blurs a distinction worth preserving, or is that too narrow a view of what counts as philosophical writing in this space? Genuinely interested in pushback as much as agreement.

Thanks,

Himanshu

[Nagaraj Paturi]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/journal

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Google's AI Overview :

2. Academic and Professional Publications

In academic, scientific, or professional fields, a journal is a periodical publication (such as a magazine or scholarly review). These journals contain peer-reviewed research, expert articles, and specialized studies relevant to a specific industry or branch of study (e.g., The New England Journal of Medicine).

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Peer reviewed research articles engaging or connecting with the existing body of knowledge concerning the research topic being focused are only one variety of material expected to be covered by a journal.

Some journals may declare themselves to be covering only such articles; but that is not essential for a journal to be a journal.

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Nagaraj Paturi

Hyderabad, Telangana-500044

 

 

 

[Himanshu Pota]

Respected Prof. Paturi,

The Preksha Journal website states that it is publishing research. With that claim, it presents itself as a journal in the sense that the wider research community understands the term.

Furthermore, in a YouTube video, the work published there has been described as scholarly, and that description has been endorsed by the editors.

If the publication is not intended to be regarded as a scholarly journal in the conventional academic sense, how should these claims be understood?

Such claims require strong justification. Otherwise, they are liable to create a misleading impression, particularly among people who are unfamiliar with the norms and expectations of scholarly research.

Thanks,

Himanshu

[Shashi Kiran B N]

Dear Himanshu Pota,

Thank you for your engagement with Prekshaa. I write this in my capacity as a Contributing Editor of the journal.

The primary aim of our organization is to make India's vast and rich cultural heritage accessible to all. The book you refer to--on which the online series is based--offers a gentle introduction to Sanātana-dharma based on primary sources. The authors explain their aim and method in the Preface: "We wrote this book in simple English. To the extent possible, Sanskrit words and technical terms are pushed to the end-notes. As a result, any eighteen-year-old with a decent knowledge of English should be able to read and understand what we have set out to explain here." 

This is why the tone is informal and the presentation, straightforward. However, rigour is nowhere compromised, as the exhaustive notes and references bear out. 

This brings us to your questions on "journal" and "research."

I must thank Prof. Paturi for clarifying the issue. Let me add:

As commonly understood, 

• A journal is a periodical dealing with a specific subject. 
• Research is a systematic investigation of a subject with a firm basis in pramāṇas, which is expected to be objective and verifiable. 
• Review involves a group of independent scholars who peruse a work before publication and provide critical feedback. 

Prekshaa meets all these requirements, So yes, it is a journal that publishes reviewed research. It aims to be more expository than analytical, thus functioning as a bridge between the learned and the laity. Nonetheless, it has published several essays and books in the strict analytical sense, especially on the arts, literature and aesthetics. (I must add: many of these are in Kannada.) How well the publications have fared is for the readers to decide; my commenting on it would be indecorous. 

While the academic distinction is worth preserving, the academic way is not the only way. As the great Abhinavagupta said: saṃjñāsu kevalamamī viduṣāṃ vivādāḥ.   

As a closing remark I'd say scholars, whether academic or independent, should be the keepers of tradition, not its gatekeepers.  

Thank you.

Best regards,

Shashi Kiran B N

[Himanshu Pota]

Respected Dr Shashi Kiran,

Thank you for your response.

I searched the Preksha website, but I was unable to find any information on how papers may be submitted or what review process, if any, is followed.

I am requesting this information because I would like to submit a review of the serialisation of The Essential Sanatana Dharma. More broadly, I believe that not only I, but also many other scholars who value academic rigour and open scholarly discussion, would be interested in reviewing and engaging with articles published in Preksha.

I would therefore be grateful if you could provide details regarding the submission procedure and the editorial or peer-review process.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards,

Himanshu

[Shashi Kiran B N]

Dear Himanshu Pota,

Prekshaa does not accept external submissions at this point. 

If you'd like to know about our general review process, please write to preks...@gmail.com. Please also write to us if you have any specific feedback for the authors or the publisher. 

Thank you.

Best regards,

Shashi Kiran B N 

[Himanshu Pota]

Respected Dr Shashi Kiran,

When we began this discussion, I did not have all the relevant information. Thank you for taking the time to provide it.

I would respectfully request that you review the discussion and consider whether the use of terms such as journal, philosophy, and scholarly can genuinely be justified for the material published on Prekshaa, particularly in relation to the serialisation of the book.

Professional philosophers and scholars will likely recognise the nature and limitations of the material and judge it accordingly. However, others may be misled by the terminology. They may invest considerable time, effort, and emotional energy pursuing a path that ultimately leads nowhere.

Whether in an academic setting or outside it, an intellectual inquiry remains an intellectual inquiry. It is governed by certain standards and methods; it is not merely a matter of interpretation or presentation.

Today, there is no shortage of self-described "intellectual" or "scholarly" content on YouTube and social media. Most people understand how to evaluate such material. The term journal, however, still carries a degree of academic credibility and public trust, and therefore deserves more careful use.

I am currently writing a review of the serialisation of The Essential Sanatana Dharma. I will be happy to share it with you once it is ready.

Thank you.

Himanshu

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Himanshu Pota