As part of series of discussions on Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Indravijaya, Shri Shankar Shikshayatan organised a national seminar on June 29, 2024. The discussion focused on chapters on dharma and vidya.
The keynote speaker at the seminar, Prof. Shivram Sharma, Banaras Hindu University, presented his lecture based on various subjects covered under the chapter on vidya or knowledge. He pointed out that Ojhaji had explained many knowledge systems in his book. Of these vidyas, prakriti vidya and laukika vidya are related to earthly subjects while divya vidya are vedic vidya and suryaras vidya. Prakriti vidya is of two types–nigama and agama. There are 18 types of nigama vidya and 120 types of agama vidya. Divya vidya has four divisions and there are 16 sections in each division. Thus 64 divisions of divya vidya are explained.
Prof. Lalit Kumar Patel, Acharya, Department of Literature, Somnath Sanskrit University, made a presentation on eight nigamiya siddhi, eight agamiya mantrabala siddhi, eight mahaushadi balasiddhi explained in the chapter on vidya. He pointed out that the chapter also described sarpakarshini vidya which was prevalent during the Mahabharata period. In this vidya, a snake situated far away is attracted to the desired place by the power of mantra. This mantra vidya was used to attract snakes to the sarpayajna.
Dr. Satish Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Hansraj College, Delhi University, pointed out that swayamvaha was a yantra vidya. in his lecture said that Swayamvaha Vidya is a Yantra Vidya. Swayamvaha means automatic or self activating machine.
Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, Professor, Sanskrit and Oriental Studies Centre, Jawaharlal Nehru University, presided over the meeting. In his presidential address, he said that in ancient times India’s knowledge was very advanced. India has been called a vishwaguru because it offered knowledge to the whole world.
Bharatavarsha is famous not only in the field of knowledge but also in strength and valour. Many Chakravarti kings have lived in this country. Mandhata was the chief among those kings. Its reference is found in Vishnu Purana. Mandhata ruled over all the countries of America, Africa, Europe and Asia.