Meetings at Delhi, Jodhpur, Varanasi, Darbhanga and Jaipur

To involve Vedic scholars from different parts of the country in promoting discussion and debate on Veda vijnana, the Shikshayatan has been organising regular programmes at various places, including Jodhpur, Jaipur and Varanasi, the three renowned centres of Vedic learning. See below for meetings in Delhi.

For meetings in Jodhpur, Varanasi, Darbhanga and Jaipur, see here

February 04, 2023

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha Memorial Seminar on Different Dimensions of Upanishad vijnana-bhashya

Shri Shankar Shikshayatan in collaboration with Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, organised Pandit Madhusudan Ojha Memorial seminar at Jodhpur on February 04,2023. Inaugurting the seminar, Prof. S.P.Vyas said Pandit Motilal Shastri had given a vivid description of loka or world in his works. One of the speakers at the seminar, Prof. Santosh Lunkad, explained how Shastriji had described quite illustratively of jnana and vijnana (knowledge and science) in his many books. Prof.Kailash Kaushal, former director of KN College, said Shastriji, in his commentaries, had presented insightful notations on individual, society and nation which were of relevance even today. The organiser of the seminar, Prof. Saroja Kaushal, noted how Shastriji had included politics, dharma-niti and vijnana in his commentaries. Other speakers presented various dimensions of the work.

January 31, 2023

National Seminar on Brahmavijnana-Vijnana-vidyut and Rishi Samman

Shri Shankar Shikshayatan organised a national seminar on Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s book, Vijnana-vidyut on January 31, 2023. The book is an important work on Brahma vijnana. The term `vidyut` means illumination. As everything becomes clear in the glare of a lightening in the sky, reading this volume will enable a reader to understand Brahma vijnana easily. The event also witnessed the presentation of Rishi Samman posthumously to  Acharya Manu Dev Bhattacharya. He passed away in 2020.

December 30,2022

National Seminar on Srimad Bhagavad Gita-vijnana bhashya

Pandit Madhusudan Ojha's commentaries on Bhagavad Gita are divided into four sections--rahasya khanda, sheershaka khanda, acharya khanda and hridaya khanda. His disciple, Pandit Motilal Shastri wrote his own commentary on Bhagavad Gita in three volumes. These volumes were Bhumika-khanda, Shri Krishna Tattva-khanda and Mulya bhashya khanda.In the first volume, Shastriji has explained the external historic form of Gita. In the second volume, Gita’s internal meaning has been explained through philosophical and scientific methods. The third volume gives a vivid explanation of an even more deeper meaning of Gita. Shastriji's disciple, Rishi Kumar Mishra, wrote in English the essence of his two gurus's commentaries in The Ultimate Dialogue.

Convened by Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, Professor, Sanskrit and indic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and convener, Shri Shankar Shikshayatan, the meeting had participation from the following speakers: Prof. Shobha Mishra, Himachal Pradesh Central University, Dharamshala, Prof. Saroj Kaushal, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Dr Avanindra Kumar Pandey, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Dr Kuldeep Kumar, Vikramjit Singh Sanatan Dharma College, Kanpur, Dr Lakshmi Mishra, Ramvachan Singh Rajkeeya College, Mhow, Uttar Pradesh, Dr Suryakant Tripathi, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Dr Mamata Mehra, Magadh University, Bodhgaya, Dr Mrityunjay Kumar Tiwari, Shri Kallaji Vaidik University, Chittorgarh, Dr N. Vaiti Subramanian, Himachal Pradesh Central University, Dharamshala, Dr Jaya Saha, Tripura University,Dr Madhav Gopal, Bharati College, Delhi and Dr Devendra Pal, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University.

August 19, 2017
Chhandasamiksha

Chhandasamiksha, a seminal work of Pandit Madhusudan Ojhaji,was the focus of a seminar organised in association with Delhi University. The main points of discussion,chaired by Prof. Sharada Sharma, Head, Department of Sanskrit, DU, were: rules of chhanda (metre) pronunciation, counting of metre, analysis of term 'meru' in Sanskrit metre and division of metre. The main speaker at the seminar was Prof. Radhavallabh Tripathi, former VC, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi.

April 29, 2017
Yajnavijnana

A national seminar on the concept of yajnavijnana was held in New Delhi. The meeting, organised in collaboration with the Indian Archaelogical Society, focussed on Pandit Madhusudan Ojha's Yajnasarasvati, a comprehensive work on the methodology of performing yajna. Several well-known scholars from different universities were invited to discuss and debate the term, yajna, in the context of adhibhautika (material world in its entirety), adhidavika (world of supraphysical energies) and adhyatmika (spiritual).

Opening the discussion, Dr Santosh Kumar Shukla presented the view that there were two fundamental types of yajna—one that is happening perpetually in nature, called prakriti yajna and another is the replication of this natural process by the humans, called kritrim yajna. He quoted Bhagwad Gita and Shatpath Brahmana to explain the concept more deeply. He said another name for yajna was Vishnu; he was therefore known as yajnonarayan prajapati, the master of all beings. He said yajna was the bridge between devatas (manifestations of supraphysical energies) and manushya (human beings).

Noted Vedic scholar, Acharya Jvalant Kumar Shastri laid out the importance of yajna by pointing out that the term was used 1184 times in the Vedas, with 580 times in the Rigveda alone. He said the term, yajna, has been misunderstood and misinterpreted over the ages. He pointed out that yajna as a ritual was only one of its definitions. In her address, Dr Shashiprabha Kumar, former Vice Chancellor, Sanchi University, Bhopal, said earth or prithvi was the altar of cosmic yajna but this process of Creation happened simultaneously at various levels, within our bodies and outside.

December 11-12, 2015
Varnasamiksha

A national seminar was organised in Delhi on Varnasamiksha. The main speaker on the occasion was Prof. Jaishankar Lal Tripathi, former head of Sanskrit Department, Benaras Hindu University. The main points that emerged from the meeting were—introduction of matrika (alphabets), appraisal of syntax and nature of speech and phonetics. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Vice Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi.

November 7, 2015
Sanshayataduchhedavada

Theory of doubt or scepticism has been an important aspect of debate in the Vedic texts. Ojhaji's work in three volumes on this aspect, Sanshayataduchhedavada, therefore deserves special attention. The one-day seminar organised in Delhi, focussed on this key element of Ojhaji's work. In his address, Prof. Piyush Kant Dikshit said the way in which Ojhaji has presented diverse viewpoints to reach a reasonable conclusion to the intricate issues being examined showed his extraordinary scholarship and deep understanding of Vedic knowledge.

September 12, 2015
Syadvada

It was the Jain doctrine of syadvada which formed the basis of discussion at the third seminar organised in collaboration with the Indian Archaeological Society at New Delhi. The term syadvada means that no belief is more than partially true; all judgements are conditional, holding good only in certain conditions, circumstances, or senses, and are expressed by the word syat (may be). Ojhaji has explained this theory of doubt as the first chapter in the second part of Sanshayataduchhedavada. According to Ojhaji, it would be fallacious to have a definite view on Creation. Quoting Bhagavad Gita, he pointed out that both truth and untruth were an integral part of the universe and hence it would be misleading to give a single meaning to the term 'Creation'.

October 10, 2014
Darshapaurnamas

A notable event in this series was a seminar organised on the theme of darshapaurnamas in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan in Delhi on October 10, 2014. The meeting, chaired by Prof. Lakshmi Dhar Jha from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Delhi, saw presentation of papers and views on the subject by more than 30 experts, including Prof. Ramesh Chandra Bharadvaj, Head, Department of Sanskrit, Delhi University, and Prof. Ravindra Nagar of the Vidyapeeth.

The rules for performing certain yajna are given in the Brahmanas—Shatpath Brahmana, Aitreya Brahmana and others. The yajnas that find mention in Shatpath Brahmana are called prakriti yajna. Darshapaurnamas is a yajna which is mentioned in the first chapter of Shatpath Brahmana. Shastriji's Hindi commentary on Shatpath Brahmana was the basis of the seminar in which the focus of the discussion was—the vow of discipline, placement and removal of water, preparation of materials for oblation, concept of man as god, concept of moon as devata or deity and other important points related to performing the specific yajna. This yajna is undertaken on the days of the New Moon and Full Moon. It is mandatory to perform this yajna on both the days.

August 13-14, 2014
Sanshayataduchhedavada Part I

The second seminar on the subject was organised at New Delhi in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. Speakers from JNU, Delhi University and Vidyapeeth dealt with the subject of maya and its different meanings. Maya in the conventional sense means illusion or appearance but its true meaning is 'it is not what it seems to be'; 'it is constantly changing'. The speakers pointed out that there were three types of maya—samanyamaya (simple maya), mahamaya (great maya) and yogamaya (concept of creating maya through Yoga). Maya is the power to bind the unlimited. The maya which has no cause is samanyamaya; the one which binds ananda, vijnana, mana, prana and vak is mahamaya; and the maya from which Creation takes place is yogamaya.

September 1-3, 2012
Sanshayataduchhedavada

An important work of Brahmavijnana by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha is Sanshayataduchhedavada in three parts. His disciple, Pandit Motilal Shastri, subsequently rendered these volumes into Hindi. In these volumes, Ojhaji has comprehensively addressed the subject of Creation and its process. He has presented different theories on the subject to clarify divergent views before presenting a cogent explanation of Creation. Complex questions about parameshvar, ishvar, atma, joy and sorrow, birth and death, moksha (liberation) and upasana (worship) have been resolved in a scientific manner in these works.

A national seminar was organised on this subject, in collaboration with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University at Varanasi. Prof. Binda Prasad Mishra, Chancellor, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, in his address, said Ojhaji, in his works, had explored the meaning of the Vedas in a scientific manner. Ojhaji, he pointed out, had a unique insight into the subject and articulated his understanding from three levels of awareness—at the spiritual level, at the material level and at the supraphysical level. To understand the true meaning of the Vedas, Prof. Mishra said, it was important to understand Ojhaji's works on the subject.

Several noted scholars from Benaras Hindu University, Sampurnanand University, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi addressed the seminar. Important speakers included Prof. Vasisht Tripathi, Prof. Jayaprakash Narain Tripathi, Prof Ramkishore Tripathi and chief of Jangambari Math, Jagadguru Chandrashekhar Shivacharya.

The important points of discussion at the seminar were—abhu-abhva as the basic elements of universe and living forms of ishvar, atma and dukha.