Sanatanology as Indian Knowledge System

To understand India's knowledge tradition, society, culture and its widespread influence on South East Asian countries, European scholars had established a new school named Orientalism. This school also did some good work which ultimately benefited India. But this benefit was in the same way as the arrival of railways brought a little mobility in the stagnant society of India, but the aim of the British was to use this facility of railways not in the public interest but to make their colonial empire safe, prosperous and extensive. Similarly, they also used oriental knowledge to gather comprehensive arguments and evidence in support of the colonialist perspective. Through this approach, they wanted to show that ancient India had touched spiritual heights but due to lack of development of science and technology, it gradually went towards decline. Therefore, there was a need for Christianity and Science to make them civilized and cultured, which was fulfilled with the arrival of the British. Edward Said's book Orientalism underlines this fact well. Similarly, they also used oriental knowledge to gather comprehensive arguments and evidence in support of the colonialist vision. The picture of India created by oriental knowledge is not only incomplete but is also misleading to a great extent. The reason behind this is the European people's linear and limited understanding of concepts like science, philosophy, religion, culture, history, secularism, democracy, law etc., which based on the arrogance of formal logic. On the contrary, India's outlook towards life and the world is comprehensive, complete and integrated and also embraces multi-layered diversities. Assimilating the contradictions in all the traditions here is a part of the natural process. Therefore, for a comprehensive understanding of India's knowledge tradition, society, culture etc., we need a new method and approach instead of oriental knowledge which looks at India from the Indian point of view. Sanatan is one such word which contains contradictions within itself, that is eternal and also bears the changes of the present time. This word has often been used in the sense of a sign of truth or reality. But the word Sanatan is often not seen as a method of knowing and creating this truth. In fact, Sanatan is both a knowledge and a method. Through this, truth can not only be known but it can also be created. In the presented research paper, an attempt is made to understand Sanatan Vidya (Sanatanology) as a study method.