Synopsis: : Philosophical Contributions of Bhaktas and Gurus to Indian Culture |
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Philosophical Contributions of Bhaktas and Gurus to Indian Culture, is the first philosophical interpretation of the Medieval Religious celebrities from sixth to first decade of 18th century. They revived Indian culture that was almost defeated by the Muslim invaders. Many works on medieval devotional literature are available, but none has given in-depth philosophical analysis of the undercurrent philosophical concepts, which are ensconced in religious language. Their interpretations are explanatory and literary that doesn’t mirror the hidden meanings (ciphers) of the realized selves who expressed their illuminations either orally or in written forms. The author with his maturity of philosophical understanding successfully cleansed the shoddy concepts in modern philosophical idioms with clarity of expression. The work in Hand is the Fruit of the author's Creative and Original reflections. He dives deep into original sources of the scriptures and brings up pristine meanings prevalent in those days. Nonetheless, the author carried forward the pristine meanings and wraps them in modern philosophical terminology. This is the merit of the book, which will arrest attention of the readers who are interested in understanding Indian culture in clear philosophical terms. The Book will cleanse dross of misunderstandings of the Indian culture, which has been distorted by the Alien scholars and the exegetes. This is a philosophical attempt that churns out the religious concepts, which are locked up in Sacred scriptures.
It resuscitates the illuminations of the Bhaktas and the Gurus. The ecstasies of the contributors are reinterpreted within the contemporary context. The paradigm of the interpretations is fashioned in the Indian Cultural paradigm. It reconciles eternity and temporality, and restores historicity of human action and societal realities, which were lost in the medieval ages.
Professor Nirbhai Singh (b. 1935) specialized in Philosophy of Religion and comparative scriptural religious traditions. He retired as Professor & Head, Department of Philosophy, Punjabi University, Patiala. He enjoys reputation as an original thinker of Philosophy of Comparative Religion and has sound understanding of the Western modern, medieval and ancient philosophies of the East and the West. His works are radical departures from the existing exegetical explanations of Indian philosophies. He has to his credit more than ten original philosophical research works of high standard. His innovative books are Bhagata Namadeva in The Guru Granth, Philosophy of Sikhism, Sikh Dynamic Vision, The Sikh Vision of Heroic Life and Death, The Philosophical Perspective on Sikh View of Martyrdom, et al.
The HRD Minister, New Delhi, twice nominated him as member of the apex Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR). He had been Senior Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (MAS), Shimla and Senior Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi. Besides, he has contributed more than fifty research papers to the leading research journals and periodicals.
He was editor of the prestigious journals : The Journal of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, and The Humanities and Sciences, Shimla He also presented research papers in the National and International Seminars/Conferences in different universities of India.
Preface
1. Prolegomenon
2. Indian Culture Through the Ages
3. Medieval Philosophy and Culture
4. Medieval Indian World-View (Weltanschauung)
5. Language Mirror of Culture and Civilization
6. Culture, Civilization, and Religion
7. Reality and Socio-Cultural Values
8. Philosophical Contributions of Bhaktas and Gurus
9. Ideologies : Indic and Semitic
10. Sikh Ideal Social Order : Secha-Khanda to Khalsa-Panth
11. Contemporary Scenario
Revisiting the Leitmotiv
Select Bibliography