The Discover India Podcast by Professor Pankaj Jain: Bhārat Darśan

Mahāvīra Biography Series | Dr. Pankaj Jain

The Mahāvīra Biography Series explores the life, philosophy, and civilisational impact of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, the 24th Tīrthaṅkara of the Jain tradition and one of the greatest spiritual revolutionaries of India. Through research-grounded storytelling and historical depth, this documentary series situates Mahāvīra within the broader framework of Dharma — a living civilisational ethos shaping ethics, pluralism, and spiritual traditions across India for over 2,500 years. In Episode 8, we explore:• The historical origins of the Digambara–Śvetāmbara division • Differences in monastic practices and interpretations of renunciation • Debates over scripture, canon, and authenticity • The role of geography, migration, and councils in shaping sectarian identities • Philosophical continuities despite institutional divergenceThis episode reveals how the division within Jain Dharma was not merely a split, but a complex historical process shaped by memory, migration, and interpretation. While Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions developed distinct practices and textual traditions, both continued to uphold the core teachings of Mahāvīra — Ahimsa, Aparigraha, and the pursuit of liberation. By examining this divergence with nuance and scholarly clarity, Episode 8 highlights how plurality itself has been an enduring feature of Dharma traditions in India.

About the Presenter: Dr. Pankaj Jain is Director of The India Centre and Professor & Head of Humanities & Languages at FLAME University. Author of Jainism: From Bhagwan Mahavira to Mahatma Gandhi (2025), he is a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow and internationally recognised scholar of Dharma traditions, sustainability, and Indian intellectual history.

Subscribe to continue the Mahāvīra Biography Series as we explore the evolution, diversity, and intellectual richness of Jain Dharma.#DigambaraSvetambara #JainSects #Jainism #JainHistory #Digambara #Svetambara #JainDharma #IndianPhilosophy

Earth Day, April 22, 2026, invites us to rethink how we relate to nature. Western Deep Ecology argues that all life has equal value and that wilderness must be protected. But is that enough? In many Indian traditions, nature is not separate from human life—it is sacred. Communities like the Bishnois and sacred grove traditions have protected ecosystems for centuries through dharma, everyday ethics, and lived practices.This short video explores why Dharmic Ecology offers a powerful alternative—one that integrates spirituality, community, and sustainability.#Earthday #Sustainability #DharmicEcology #DeepEcology #Environment #India #ClimateJustice

Why is there a Shiva Nataraja statue at CERN? This short explains the connection between Sanatana Dharma and modern particle physics at the world’s largest scientific laboratory. Discover how the cosmic dance of Shiva symbolises the dynamic universe studied at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

#CERN #Shiva #Nataraja #SanatanaDharma #QuantumPhysics #IndianPhilosophy #ScienceAndSpirituality #Hinduism #CosmicDance #DiscoverIndia

Late-Victorian and modernist writers have been famously preoccupied with ideas of personal and poetic discipline (or the lack thereof). How are such notions of askesis articulated within the global contexts of the twentieth century? This talk examines how two prominent twentieth-century writers—Sri Aurobindo and Rabindranath Tagore—engage with askesis in their works. Both writers were deeply fascinated by asceticism and by the figure of the ascetic. I argue that they used literary form as a space to reflect on and experiment with askesis as both figure and method. For Aurobindo, blank verse becomes a formal reflection not only of heterodox ascetic practice but also of a strategic orientation toward a transhistorical and transcultural vision of future poetry and society. For Tagore, the figure of the ascetic functions as an aesthetic cipher against which nascent political ideas and imaginaries may be tested. Drawing on Aurobindo’s The Future Poetry (1917-1920) and Tagore’s “The Ghat’s Story” (1884), Rajarshi (1887), Achalayatan (1912), and Sanyasi (1917), this talk illuminates the centrality of askesis to global twentieth-century critical thought on the theo-politics of literary form.

Bio:

Dr. Apala Das is an Assistant Professor of English at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. She received her PhD in English from the University of Toronto in 2024. Her current book project, titled In the Shadows of Discipline: Literatures of Renunciation in the Global Twentieth Century, examines selected global literary experiments of the twentieth century as instances of modernist asceticism, conceptualized as critical and creative responses to the ideological and biopolitical forces latent in asceticism. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Wallace Stevens Journal, the Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Modern Fiction Studies, Religion and Literature, and the Bloomsbury Philosophy Library’s Aesthetics and Politics in the Global South.

Mahāvīra Biography Series | Dr. Pankaj Jain

The Mahāvīra Biography Series explores the life, philosophy, and civilisational impact of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, the 24th Tīrthaṅkara of the Jain tradition and one of the greatest spiritual revolutionaries of India. Through research-grounded storytelling and historical analysis, this documentary series situates Mahāvīra within the broader framework of Dharma — a living civilisational ethos shaping ethics, knowledge systems, and spiritual traditions across India for over 2,500 years. In Episode 7, we explore:• What happened after Mahāvīra’s Nirvāṇa • The early Jain saṅgha and its organisation • The Jain councils and preservation of teachings • The formation of the Jain canon (Āgamas) • The spread of Jain Dharma across regions of India. This episode reveals how Mahāvīra’s teachings were preserved, debated, and transmitted by generations of monks, nuns, and lay communities. Far from fading after his Nirvāṇa, Jain Dharma evolved into a sophisticated intellectual and ethical tradition with rich textual, philosophical, and institutional foundations. By examining councils, oral traditions, and the eventual compilation of scriptures, Episode 7 highlights the dynamic processes through which Dharma is sustained across time.

About the Presenter: Dr. Pankaj Jain is Director of The India Centre and Professor & Head of Humanities & Languages at FLAME University. Author of Jainism: From Bhagwan Mahavira to Mahatma Gandhi (2025), he is a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow and internationally recognised scholar of Dharma traditions, sustainability, and Indian intellectual history.

Subscribe to continue the Mahāvīra Biography Series as we trace the evolution, preservation, and global journey of Jain Dharma.#JainHistory #JainAgamas #Mahavira #nirvana

The Mahāvīra Biography Series explores the life, philosophy, and civilisational impact of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, the 24th Tīrthaṅkara of the Jain tradition and one of the greatest spiritual revolutionaries of India.Through research-grounded storytelling and philosophical depth, this documentary series situates Mahāvīra within the broader framework of Dharma — a living civilisational ethos shaping ethics, nonviolence, and spiritual inquiry for over 2,500 years.In Episode 6, we explore:• The final moments of Mahāvīra’s earthly life and his attainment of Nirvāṇa• The Jain understanding of liberation (mokṣa) beyond rebirth• The doctrine of karma and the soul’s journey to freedom• The significance of Deepāvalī in Jain tradition• The philosophical meaning of liberation in Dharmic thoughtThis episode reveals how Mahāvīra’s Nirvāṇa was not an end, but the ultimate fulfilment of a life devoted to truth, discipline, and nonviolence. Liberation represents the complete release of the soul from karmic bondage — a state of infinite knowledge, perception, and bliss.By situating Nirvāṇa within the broader intellectual traditions of India, Episode 6 highlights how Mahāvīra’s teachings offer a profound vision of the eternal soul and its potential for absolute freedom.About the Presenter:Dr. Pankaj Jain is Director of The India Centre and Professor & Head of Humanities & Languages at FLAME University. Author of Jainism: From Bhagwan Mahavira to Mahatma Gandhi (2025), he is a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow and internationally recognised scholar of Dharma traditions, sustainability, and Indian intellectual history.Subscribe to follow the Mahāvīra Biography Series and explore the timeless wisdom of Dharma, from renunciation to liberation.#Mahavira #Nirvana #moksha #Jainkarmatheory #JainDeepavali

Is April Fool’s Day just about pranks, or does it reveal something deeper about human perception? In this 60-second #DiscoverIndia Short, Dr. Pankaj Jain connects April Fool’s Day with the Indian philosophical concept of Maya—the idea that reality can sometimes appear deceptive. Drawing from the Upanishads and Dharma traditions, this video explores how ancient Indian wisdom encourages us to look beyond appearances and seek truth.

#AprilFoolsDay #MayaPhilosophy #Upanishads #IndianPhilosophy #Dharma #Illusion #Reality #DiscoverIndia #PhilosophyShorts #IndianWisdom

A global analysis by the World Wide Fund for Nature found that the traditional Indian diet is among the most sustainable dietary patterns worldwide.

Compared with meat-heavy diets, Indian food traditions rely on grains, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and dairy — resulting in a significantly lower environmental footprint.

As we observe World Health Day, this insight becomes even more relevant. Healthy diets are not only essential for individual well-being but also for the sustainability of our planet.

In this video, Professor Pankaj Jain explains how ancient Dharma traditions emphasising balance, restraint, and respect for all living beings, can offer valuable guidance for today’s global health and environmental challenges.

#IndianDiet #Sustainability #WWFStudy #FoodSustainability #IndianFood #Dharma #PlantBasedDiet #Ecology #ClimateAction #DiscoverIndia #WorldHealthDay

What does it take to conquer the self? In this episode of the Mahāvīra Documentary Series, Dr. Pankaj Jain explores the twelve extraordinary years of tapas (austerity) undertaken by Vardhamāna after his great renunciation — a period of intense discipline that culminated in Kevala Jñāna, absolute knowledge. This episode examines:• The meaning of tapas in the Dharmic traditions• Mahāvīra’s life as an itinerant ascetic across ancient India• The psychology of restraint, silence, and meditation• The conquest of ego, attachment, and fear• The philosophical significance of Kevala Jñāna in Jain rnessplined awakening in the 6th century BCE, highlighting the śramaṇa quest for freedom from karmic bondage and the realisation of the soul’s infinite potential.

About the Presenter: Dr. Pankaj Jain is Director of The India Centre and Professor & Head of Humanities & Languages at FLAME University. Author of Jainism: From Bhagwan Mahavira to Mahatma Gandhi (2025), he is a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow and internationally recognised scholar of Dharma traditions, sustainability, and Indian intellectual history. Subscribe to continue the journey through the life and legacy of Mahāvīra.

#Tapas #KevalaJnana #Enlightenment #Meditation #KarmaTheory #Liberation #Consciousness #IndianSpirituality #WisdomTradition #SelfRealisation

Did you know the Ramayana is deeply connected with forests and ecology? Much of the epic unfolds in the forests of Dandakaranya and Panchavati, where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spend fourteen years in exile. This short explores the ecological dimension of the Ramayana and its message of dharma, harmony with nature, and respect for all life.

#Ramayana #RamNavami #Ecology #IndianEpics #Dharma #IndianCulture #EnvironmentalEthics #Ayodhya