Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited by the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, to present her research paper titled “Bhakti Mysticism in the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: An Analytical Inquiry.” The paper examined the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa through the lens of both Indian and Western theories of mysticism, engaging with…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited by the European Research Council (ERC) to serve as a panel member for the evaluation of Consolidator Grants 2025. In this capacity, she participated in panel meetings held in Brussels and organized by the European Research Council Executive Agency. The engagement provided her with a valuable opportunity to collaborate with…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited to preside over a seminar on “Sanskrit-bhāṣāyāḥ Mahattvam”, organized by the Maharashtra Rajya Sanskrit Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with Arya Samaj, Borivali. On this occasion, she also felicitated students who received prizes in the shloka recitation competition. In her address, she emphasized the continuing relevance of the Sanskrit language in…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde delivered a lecture on “Rasa Mīmāṃsā: Interpretations of Rasa Theory” at the Rasasaṃvāda workshop organized by the Chinmaya International Foundation, Kerala. In her presentation, she elucidated Bharata’s Rasa Sūtra and examined its classical interpretations by Bhaṭṭa Lollaṭa, Bhaṭṭa Śaṅkuka, Bhaṭṭa Nāyaka, and Abhinavagupta. Her lecture was well-received and appreciated by the participants.…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde graced the Mumbai Annual Convocation of Suro Bharati Sangeet Kala Kendra, held on 9th December 2025 at the Mysore Auditorium, Mumbai, as a special guest. She distributed awards to talented artists, acknowledging their dedication and excellence. Her profound knowledge, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to education infused the occasion with warmth, inspiration, and…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited by the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, to present her research paper titled “Bhakti Mysticism in the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: An Analytical Inquiry.” The paper examined the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa through the lens of both Indian and Western theories of mysticism, engaging with…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde presented a paper titled “Rasāsvāda as a Transcendental Experience: With Special Reference to Abhinavagupta” at the International Conference on Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics, held on 15–16 June 2026. The conference was organized by the Prof. Geeta Ramana Memorial Research Scholars’ Forum, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai, in collaboration with the…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde presented a scholarly paper titled “Different Editions of Valmiki Ramayana” at a conference organized by Valmiki Ashrama, Webolim, Bangalore, on 4 April 2026. In her presentation, she examined the various editions and recensions of the Valmiki Ramayana, highlighting the diversity within its textual tradition. She discussed the perspectives of different scholars on…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited to deliver a special guest lecture on “Narrative Analysis of Bhagavata Purana” at the IKS Centre, Chanakya University, Bangalore. In her lecture, she explored the vast landscape of Indian narrative literature, encompassing diverse genres such as myths, legends, fables, poetry, history, as well as performing and visual arts like music,…
Dr. Shakuntala Gawde delivered a lecture on “Rasa Mīmāṃsā: Interpretations of Rasa Theory” at the Rasasaṃvāda workshop organized by the Chinmaya International Foundation, Kerala. In her presentation, she elucidated Bharata’s Rasa Sūtra and examined its classical interpretations by Bhaṭṭa Lollaṭa, Bhaṭṭa Śaṅkuka, Bhaṭṭa Nāyaka, and Abhinavagupta. Her lecture was well-received and appreciated by the participants.…
Bhakti-Mañjarī is a unique poem composed by Mahārājā Svāti Tirunāḷ (1813- 1846) with bhakti as its central theme. With the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata Purāṇa as its basis, Bhakti-Mañjarī expounds the philosophy of bhakti through its one thousand poetic verses divided over ten śatakas set to various metres. The supremacy of bhakti over all spiritual paths, the various…
The Volume titles “Dimensions of Indo-Iranian Literary and Cultural Traditions” serves as a comprehensive exploration of the cultural, linguistic and Philosophical heritage shared by Indo-Iranian peoples. The book delves into various aspects of Indo-Iranian studies, featuring contributions from prominent scholars. Key topics include the examination of foundational texts like the Vedas, Upanisads and Zoroastrian scriptures,…
The Book Drumavicitrikaranam Plant Biotechnology in Ancient India is born out of the Curiosity to understand the extent of knowledge which ancient Indians has about the plant systems. The objective is to bring to the fore the traditionl Indian Knowledge that has been buried under the sands of time blown by the onslaught of foreign…
Chhayanirjharini is a noteworthy anthology that complies literary works translated inro Sanskrit from various languages such as English, Marathi, Gujarati and more. The anthology showcases a diverse range of poetic forms including metrical, lyrical and free hand styles offering readers a rich array of expresions. In addition to poetry, the inclusion of ptose sections featuring…
(paper published by Indic Today) Gokarṇa is situated in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Gokarṇa is considered as Dakṣīṇa Kāśī or even superior to Kāśī. Gokarṇa Mahabaleśvara i.e. Lord Śiva is the main deity of this sacred tīrtha. There is a geographical peculiarity in forming the name Gokarṇa of this place. Gaṅgāvalī and Aghanāśinī are two…
सर्प अथवा नाग ही देवता म्हणून संपूर्ण भारतात त्याचे महत्त्व आहे. साधारणपणे सौम्य व उग्र असे देवतांचे स्वरूप दिसते. दैवतशास्त्रीय तत्त्वानुसार उग्र देवतेच्या कोपापासून स्वत:चे रक्षण करण्यासाठी म्हणून देवतांचे पूजन केले जाते. हाच भाव नागपूजनामागेदेखील असावा. क्लेशकारक व कल्याणकारक अशा दोन्ही छटा नाग/सर्पपूजनामागे असल्याचे दिसते समाजशास्त्रीय दृष्टीकोनातून विचार करता असे दिसून येते की नाग म्हणजे…
Anandavardhana (9th century CE) propounded Dhvani theory in his treatise Dhvanyaloka. Word Dhvani is derived from the root dhvan means to suggest. Definition of dhvani is given as the suggested sense which gives pleasure (रमणीयव्यङ्ग्यार्थ:।). He explicitly condemns the poetry which is based on explicit sense. Figures or Rasa can be present in the poetry…
A story of Adbhuta Ramayana can be truly called as Sitayana. This narrative of Shakta orientation focusing on Sita depicts her as the avatara of Mahakali. Valmiki Ramayana elaborates the story of Rama’s birth. In Adbhuta Ramayana , Vishnu takes avatara as Rama due to a curse given by Narada to experience the pain of…