निःश्रेयस (परम लक्ष्य की ओर)- Nihsreyasa (Towards The Ultimate Goal)

The present volume is a collection of papers on the most important theme of Indian philosophy - Nihsreyasa, the ultimate goal of human life.

Vedic view of immortality, concept of libration in the systems of Nyaya, Vaisesika, different schools of Vedanta, Mimamsa, Samkhya-Yoga, Jainism and Buddhism have all been discussed in this book. Besides, the ideas of contemporary scholars like Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Dayananda Saraswati are also presented herein.

Contributors to the volume include- Late professors K.T. Pandurangi, S.P.Singh, Rewati Raman Pandey and S. Revathy. Professors Bijayanand Kar, Godabarish Mishra, S.M. Mishra, Jaidev Vedalankar, Vijaya Rani, Chhaya Rai, K. Shriniwas, R.N. Jha, V.N. Pandurangi, Jwalant Kumar, Shashi Prabha Kumar and Lokesh Chandra have also written for the book.

Prof., Shashiprabha Kumar is presently Dean, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi and a Distinguished Fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi. Earlier she was founder Vice Chancellor at Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, Madhya Pradesh and Chairperson, Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

Prof. Shashiprabha Kumar is an acclaimed Sanskrit Scholar, well versed in classical Indian Philosophy, particularly the system of Vaisesika, which was her area for Ph.D. research at University of Delhi (1983). Her current research interests include the philosophy of Vedas and Upanisads, Vaisesika, Mimamsa and Vedanta besides Buddhism and Jainism. In her teaching career of more than four decades, she has supervised/guided fifty one students for their Post-doctoral, Ph.D. and M. Phil research at the University of Delhi and JNU.

She has received several prestigious awards, most significant of these are: "President's Certificate of Honour in Sanskrit," Government of India, New Delhi, (2014); "Honorary D.Litt." conferred by Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar, (2016); "Mahakavi Kalidasa Sanskrit Sadhana Puraskara." Department of Higher and Technical Education, Maharashtra Government, Mumbai, (2015); "Ramakrishna Sanskrit Award" from Canadian World Education Foundation, Canada, (2003) and "Shankar Puraskar" from K.K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi, (1999). Prof. Kumar has lectured extensively in India and abroad on various aspects of Indian philosophy and culture. She has thirty-five books, more than one hundred and fifty research papers/ review articles to her credit.

Her major publications are: Categories, Creation and Cognition in Vaisesika Philosophy (2019); Vedavicaravithih: Pathway of Vedic Thought (Sanskrit) (2018); Classical Vaisesika in Indian Philosophy: On knowing and What is to be Known (2013); Vasesika Darsana mein Padartha Nirupana (Second edition) (2013); Self Society and Value: Reflections on Indian Philosophical Thought (2005); Facets of Indian Philosophical Thought (1999) etc.

Prof. Kumar is founder of Nihsreyasa, a private trust for propogation of Indian Philosophy and Culture.

Preface Indian thought has essentially been value-oriented and nihsreyasa is the highest value according to all the systems of Indian philosophical tradition, except Carvaka. It is a unique concept which is unparalleled in the history of world thought and is the greatest original contribution of Indian philosophy.

Primarily, all the systems of Indian philosophy aim at analysing the nature of human existence and posit the summum bonum of life as an everlasting and unfailing way of release from its miseries. Various philosophical schools have described this concept in different forms and have also enumerated different paths for realising it. But the generic term nihsreyasa can aptly be used for the ultimate goal as conceived by all of them.

The term nihsreyasa implies both the ideal of perfection as well as the means for pursuing it. According to Indian thought the human existence and the cosmic process has an inbuilt telos or purpose for which a systematic and planned preparation expressed by the words sadhana, marga or yoga is required.

Another cognate term of nihsreyasa is parama purusartha which has attainment of excellence as its highest aim. Human existence is a psycho-physical complex animated by a spiritual principle in itself which is pregnant with immense possibilities that need to be realised in a harmonious manner. From this point of view, the concept of nihsreyasa suggests the fullest possible actualisation of all these inherent potentialities.

It has to be clarified in this regard that although the term nihsreyasa is usually understood in a spiritual context, yet it does not actually mean the exclusion of psycho-physical dimensions, since the Indian understanding of spirituality subsumes all these aspects in its fold. Therefore, even though the term nihsreyasa has a tinge of transcendence, this transcendence is not the denial of the physical or the mental, rather it is transcendence from imperfection and finitude, a progress from potentiality to actuality. The concept of nihsreyasa has to be understood in this positive sense, only then it can be posited as an ideal worth emulating.

Needless to say then, that the objective of the present volume is to dwell upon this positive connotation of nihsreyasa in Indian thought. Although the appellation nihsreyasa is of Indian vintage, yet its conception is of universal significance and perennial relevance because the quest for excellence and craving for perfection has been the eternal concern of human existence; this has been the cherished hope of entire humankind in all places and all times.

In other words, the formulation of this ideal might be different in various cultural traditions, but the core concept remains the same. Even in Indian philosophical tradition, there have been several formulations of the ultimate goal because of various metaphysical standpoints, which have been variously referred to as mukti, moksa, nirvana, kaivalya, apavarga etc., but all of these conceptions have family resemblance. Therefore, it is not intended to bulldoze the differences underlying these conceptions, rather the fundamental similarity needs to be understood and explained.

Accordingly, the volume in hand tries to delineate different depictions of the theme in various schools of Indian philosophy. Right from the Vedic conception of immortality to the viewpoints of various schools of Indian philosophy namely Purvamimamsa, Vaisesika, Nyaya, Advaita, Visuddhadvaita, Dvaita and Samkhya-Yoga have been expounded by respective scholars in these areas.

Besides, the ideal of lokasamgraha in Bhagavadgita, Jaina and Buddhistic ideas of liberation as the supreme value are discussed herein. Not only this, the Indian thought pertaining to jivanmukti and jivanmukta has also been elucidated. More significantly, inclusion of the specific views of classical Indian philosophers like Kumarila, Bhasarvajna and Padmanabha Misra as also contemporary Indian philosophers like Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi and Dayananda Saraswati have made this volume quite comprehensive.

The title of this volume is based on the nomenclature of a private trust instituted on the first of November in the year 2001 by the undersigned along with five trustee members (three personal friends and both her sons). The first programme organised by the trust was a National Seminar on the theme "The Concept of Nihsreyasa in Indian Thought" which was sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi. The seminar was held at the South Campus, University of Delhi during 2-4 November, 2001 and was attended by the luminaries of Indian philosophy from all over India and dignitaries of Delhi University.

It was gracious on part of the eminent scholars who participated in the seminar and had given their written contributions as well. It is sincerely regretted that due to pressing official engagements" and unavoidable personal reasons these could not be published earlier. But the theme of these papers is such that the matter is and will always be relevant.

Finally, I am pleased to present this volume for the discerning readers of Indian philosophy who will add value to the publication by enriching themselves from the focused material available in a single source.

This edited book entitled "Nihsreyasa: Towards the Ultimate Goal" by Pofessor Shashi Prabha Kumar is anthology of articles. The term Nihsreyasa implies both the ideal of perfection as well as the motivation for pursuing it. Professor Shashi Prabha Kumar observes that The term Nihsreyasa has a tinge of transcendence'. Therefore, even though the term Nihsreyasa has a tinge of transcendence yet this transcendence is not the denial of the mundane existence. The concept of "Nihsreyasa' has to be understood in the positive sense. Though the expression is negative yet the meaning is positive. We find that Indian saints and seers are prone to use negative expressions to convey the positive meanings. For example, Advaita which means non-dualism and Ahimsa which denotes love. Likewise, Nihsreyasa connotes the ultimate goal of life. Professor Shashi Prabha Kumar rightly says that Indian thought is value oriented. Nihsreyasa is the highest value. Man is essentially a value conscious being. Indian thought attempts to reconcile between mundane and spiritual existence. The concept of Nihsreyasa is the original contribution of Indian philosophy. The summum bonum of life is to attain Moksha. Nihsreyasa is aptly used for the ultimate goal as conceived by Indian philosophers. According to Indian philosophy, the cosmic process has an inbuilt telos or purpose. Vaisheshika Sutras teach the science of freedom (Moksha-shastra). The term Nihsreyasa is usually understood in a spiritual context.

Professor Shashi Prabha Kumar delineates the positive cannotation of Nihsreyasa. The quest for excellence for perfection has been the eternal concern of human existence. The National Seminar on the theme "The Concept of Nihsreyasa in Indian thought" was sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi. I feel greatly honoured to write the foreword of this edited book.

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