New Delhi: The India Habitat Centre (IHC) and the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) successfully hosted the 7th lecture of their ongoing Study Circle series recently.
The session, held at the India Habitat Centre, featured Prof. Rajnish Kumar Mishra, Dean, School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies (SSIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University, who delivered an insightful lecture on “Kashmir Shaiva Darshana: Bharat’s Cosmic World-View.”
In his welcome address, Prof. K.G. Suresh, Director of IHC and Convenor & Chair of the series, highlighted the role of the Bharat Bodh Kendra at IHC in deepening public understanding of Indian cultures and civilisations.
He described Kashmir Shaivism as a vital pillar of Indian philosophical thought, noting its historical glory and continued relevance.
Prof. Bindu Puri, Co-Convenor of the series and faculty at the Centre for Philosophy, JNU, set the context for the discussion. She contrasted the harmonious relationship between humans and nature in Indian philosophical traditions with the instrumental view of nature prevalent in Western modernity.
Prof. Puri explained that Kashmir Shaivism does not seek to abolish the individual “I”, but to expand it beyond the limited boundaries of body and personal biography. True liberation, she noted, lies in pratyabhijñā (recognition), where the self realises its identity with the single, dynamic consciousness that pulsates through the entire universe.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Rajnish Kumar Mishra presented Kashmir Shaivism (also known as Trika Darśana) as a profoundly non-anthropocentric worldview. He emphasised its unique integration of śāstra (scriptural knowledge) and sādhanā (spiritual practice), while cautioning against the uncritical application of Western philosophical binaries such as āstika–nāstika to the Indian tradition.
Dr. Raj Nehru, OSD to the Chief Minister of Haryana and Chief Guest, offered an interdisciplinary perspective. He drew connections between key Kashmiri Shaiva concepts from Pratyabhijñā and Spanda literature with contemporary ideas in quantum physics and modern management.
Dr. Nehru argued that aligning with inner consciousness enables the cultivation of an “observer mind,” unlocking intuitive wisdom and deeper decision-making capabilities.
The lecture was well attended by scholars, students, and enthusiasts of Indian philosophy and culture.
