A Theory Of Polytheism
This essay is based on the first chapter of the book Of God and Gods by Jan Assmann, titled ‘Understanding Polytheism’.
January 10, 2023 Ashay Naik
The Upodghāta (introduction) Of Śaṅkara’s Īśā Upaniṣad Bhāṣya
In Gītā-Bhāṣya, Śaṅkara says performance of dharmic actions without hankering after its rewards leads to sattva-śuddhi making us eligible for ātma–jñāna, otherwise śabda of Upaniṣads do have any effect on us
September 20, 2022 Ashay Naik
An Introduction To The Kāvyaśāstra Tradition
For readers unfamiliar with the kāvyaśāstra tradition this essay is a brief summary of its concepts and history.
August 3, 2022 Ashay Naik
The Pancatantra As A Nitishastra
The nīti lies in its very narratives and it is the rasa evoked by these narratives that makes the nīti leap out of the text and take hold of the reader.
November 16, 2021 Ashay Naik
The Practice Of Nose-Cutting In The Ancient World
Śūrpaṇakhā’s nose was cut off by Lakṣmaṇa as a merciful option when she made an attempt on Sītā’s life. That was the prevalent norm – in India and across the world. Had she been a man, he could have killed her.
October 6, 2021 Ashay Naik
Bhagavad Gītā: Reconciling The Interpretations Of Tilak And Śaṅkara
Rescuing the Gītā from getting lost in the airy-fairy world of esoteric systems, whether jñāna or bhakti or yoga, and restoring its importance as a worldly text dealing with worldly problems for worldly people, is only the beginning.
January 22, 2021 Ashay Naik
Purvapaksa & Uttarapaksa: An illustration from Ādi Śaṅkara’s Gita Bhashyam
Prologue Bharatiyas appear to have regained their familiarity with the terms pūrvapakṣa and uttarapakṣa but I don’t think many of them would be aware of what was actually involved in this process. What issues were…
April 28, 2020 Ashay Naik
