The Structure of Indian Mind

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The present volume introduces various aspects of Indian mind reflected, I the way the notions of time, space, culture, civilization, and language have evolved in the indigenous thought. Covering a vast range of textual resources and cultural practices including Vedic, Pauranic, mythological, and literary texts the essays help the reader to grasp and develop an authentic perspective on the various strands of the Indian way of thinking. Encompassing a wide range of themes and constructs the volume offers not only an interesting analysis of the constructs such as Vak, Desa, Divinity, Purusa, Space, Rta, Nada, Mahabharata, but also brings out the contributions of Indian thinkers and literary personalities such as Panini, Bhartrhari, Anand K. Coomarswamy, Kalidasa, and bhakta poets like Suradasa and Tulasidasa and attends to the concerns of modern Hindu literature’s as well.

Professor Vidya Niwas Misra (1927-2004) was a renowned multidisciplinary savant, spanning with ease various fields of traditional and modern knowledge. During his long career an academician he served the academia and society in various capacities including Visiting Professor at California University, Berkeley, Washington University, Seattle, Director of K.M. Munshi Institute Agra, Visiting Professor at Banaras Hindu University, Vice Chancellor of Kashi Vidyapeeth and Sampoornanand Sanskrit Vishwa Vidyalaya, Chief Editor of Nava Bharat Times, Member Prasar Bharti Boart and Member of Rajya Sabha. He was honored with several awards and distinctions including Padma Bhusana, Moorti Devi Award, Sankar Puraskar, Bharat Bharati Samman, Maharashtra Bharati Samman, and Fellowship of Sahitya Academy. He was a prolific writer and orator. He has published over 85 books on language, linguistics, criticism, essays, and poetry. He edited Sahitya Amrit and was associated with numerous literary, Cultural and Philosophical institutions of India.

This volume is a collection of essays written in inimitable style by late Professor Vidya Niwas Misra on a variety of issues pertaining to cultural, literary, linguistic and ecological domains. In totality they bring together the essence of Indian cultural ethos and its essential conceptual and symbolic foundations. Professor Misra was an erudite scholar of Indian philosophy, culture, and language. Trained as a Sanskrit scholar at home by his uncle Pandit Muniwar Misra, at Allahabad University by Pandit Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya and at University of California, Berkeley by Prof. M.B. Emenue, he was a fine blend of tradition and modern modes of learning. His prolonged association with stalwarts like Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandan, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Sri Sachhidanan Hiranand Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya’, and Pandit Sri Narain Chaturvedi had a deep impact on his values, interest, and commitments for literature and culture. He was deeply ingrained in the Indian culture and a firm believer in open minded exploration epitomizing the Vedic seer’s vision:
Ano Bhadrah Kratavo Yantu viswatah

Professor Misra pursued many fields of scholarly inquiry including linguistics, poetics, literature, philosophy, and art. He had a reflective mind and as an eager student of Indian thought systems he was always keen in seeing linkages across different traditions. Always enthusiastic for promoting Indian learning systems he was committed to dialogue and innovative academic, cultural and literary initiatives. He worked tirelessly and took interest in organizing many institutions, projects, and scholarly programmes. I was fortunate to have many opportunities to work with him in various academic and cultural meetings, seminars and forums. He was always a source of inspiration.

Professor Misra was a famous personal essayist of Hindi and extended the tradition of Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi. During his literary career spanning almost half a century he has authored, edited, and published numerous volumes in many fields such as personal essays, poetry, dictionary, stylistics, cultural studies, linguistics, and interpretation of epics, oral (Bhojpuri) poetry, folk art, and aesthetics. His Introduction to the Descriptive Technique of Panini, published in 1964 by Motoun, Hague became a milestone in Paninian studies. Similarly his Mahabharata Ka Kavyartha was widely appreciated. It received prestigious Murti Devi and Shankar awards. His commentary on Jaideva’s Gita Govind is full of new insights and interpretations. In fact the creative genius in him got manifested in many forms and ways. His network of enterprise was a complex one and involved engagement with a variety of modes of writing including prose, poetry, criticism, theoretical analysis and editing of books, old manuscripts and journals. He in fact was an institution in himself which continuously extended whole hearted academic and social support to scholars as well as students. He was liked, admired, and loved by a big family of the lovers of literature and culture.

He wrote personal essays and more than three dozen collections of such essays are in print. They are treasure of Hindi literature. He had his own style of narration and unique cultural sensibility which combined the elements of nativity and modernity. His essays became very popular and had a wide readership. He was involved in the promotion of India culture, literature, and art in numerous ways. As a distinguished scholar he guided a number of students and scholars in different fields of studies including Sanskrit, stylistics, Indian history, and study of various Hindi dialects.

He was worried about the diminishing interest in traditional learning in India. He, therefore, seriously and passionately engaged himself in bringing Indian knowledge systems to the fore. He, in various capacities, was closely associated with a number of institutions of national importance including Sampurnanand Sanskrit University Varanasi, Sahitya Academy, Kalidas Academy, Hindi Vidyapeetha Deoghar, Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Prayag, Vishwa Hindi Sammelan Vishwa Bhojpuri Sammelan, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Bhartiya Jyanpeetha, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Prasar Bharati Board, Naimisharanya Shodh Sansthan, and the ambitious project of Encyclopedia of Hinduism. One may wonder how he was able to manage his diverse commitments and engagements and in great detail and with high degree of alertness.

In the last few years he was editing a volume on Itihas Puran and History as a part of the multi volume project on History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture run by Prof. D.P. Chattopadhyaya. He also edited Sahitya Amrit, and Hindi monthly, focused on literature and culture for a decade. During his illustrious career he had played diverse roles including Professor at Sanskrit University, Director, K.M. Munshi Institute at Agra, Vice Chancellor of Kashi Vidyapitha and Sanskrit University and Chief Editor of Nava Bharat Times a Hindi National Daily published from Delhi. He always voiced his concern for an authentic understanding of Indian society and culture from an insider’s perspective.

One gets besieged by the range of activities and concerns of Prof. Misra. In spite of bad health he continued the worship of Vagdevi Saraswati tirelessly and lived a life of scholar. For his contributions he was conferred a number of prizes and awards including Murti Devi, Shankar, Fellowship of Sahitya Acedemy (Mahattar Sadasyata), Padm Shree and Padm Bhushan, Visva Bharati and Bharat Bharati. He was also nominated as a Member of Parliament by the President of India to Rajya Sabha. He was dedicated to the cause of Sanskrit learning which remained central to his life. In recognition of his contributions Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit University had conferred the honorary degree of Mahamahopoadhyaya and Allahabad University the degree of D.Litt. Indeed he was an academician par excellence.

It gives me immense pleasure in being instrumental in presenting this volume before the scholars. It brings together Professor Misra’s works on Vedic, Tantric, literary, cultural, and linguistic themes. They encompass a wide range of concerns, time and space. The themes relate to the issues that are of Shatric as well as everyday concern of the common man. Prof. Misra’s wisdom combines the learning from text as well context and brings reader closer to the world of experience. He was a great orator and his writings are nothing but sincere effort to establish a dialogue with the reader – establishing hrdaya samvada.

The articles included in this volume deal with a wide spectrum of ideas covering many domains. With remarkable sensibility and perceptivity Prof. Misra brings out the relevance of Vedic concerns as well as modern Hindi literature. The concern for man, ecology, continuity, and connectedness are the hallmark of his arguments. He shares an essentially pan human view which is becoming rare these days. In times when diversity, fragmentation, and superficiality are in currency and darkness of hostility, conflict and was is engulfing our existence such a holistic vision is refreshing and torch bearing,
Saha navavatu
Saha nau bhunaktu
Saha viryam karvavahai
Tejasvi navadhitamustu,