Aravindan Neelakandan: Set of 2 | A Dharmic Social History of India | Hindutva

1. A Dharmic Social History of India

How has India, a land of unparalleled diversity in ethnicity, religion, and language, preserved its social cohesion for thousands of years? How has it navigated the challenges of social stratification, exclusion, stagnation, and emancipation? Are the institutions of caste, untouchability, jathi, and varna uniquely Indian, or is there a deeper code underlying the structure of Indian society that has ensured its resilience over millennia?

This book addresses these thought-provoking questions by tracing the origins and evolution of India’s social systems, beginning with the ancient Harappan civilization and continuing to the present day. It explores the core principles, values, and worldviews that have shaped India’s social fabric, revealing how these ideas have allowed Indian society to adapt and thrive in ever-changing circumstances.

A significant focus of the book lies in the role of Indian spiritual values, particularly the concepts of yajna (sacrifice) and bhakti (devotion). These ideals are presented as powerful forces for fostering social inclusion and emancipation, transcending societal boundaries to encourage unity and transformation.

The narrative draws extensively from historical records and Hindu traditions, weaving in biographical insights of civilizational-spiritual seers. The book challenges the conventional perception of these figures as mere social reformers or rebels. Instead, it portrays them as visionaries of self-realization, whose transformative efforts revitalized society and catalyzed progress toward equality and harmony.

This comprehensive account of India’s social history provides more than a scholarly analysis; it serves as an inspiration and guide for anyone striving to foster a more peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous world. By examining the enduring principles that have sustained Indian society through the ages, the book illuminates how these lessons can resonate far beyond India’s borders.

2. Hindutva

“A Magisterial work by Neelakandan to understand what Hindutva actually is and stands for.” – Dr. Vikram Sampath “I have long admired Aravindan Neelakandan as one of the very few Indian thinkers who appreciate and acknowledge Western-derived science and modernity, while simultaneously remaining authentically grounded in Hindu tradition. There have been many books on the history of Hinduism and Hindutva, but this one is different, and significant, because it (correctly) takes a step back and identifies that our current situation is part of a global bio-psycho-sociological churn, something playing out over millennia, far beyond the lifespans of any one individual or organization or state. Aravindan, at his core, is a nature-lover and a scientist, and it is this perspective that suffuses this book and makes it special. While there is plenty of ground-breaking content within this expansive, encyclopedic book, I believe the sections on the neurobiological connections of Hindu meditative and ritual practice, which tie the history of Hinduism to the broader evolutionary inheritance of the human species, are going to be very impactful in the years to come.” – Dr Anand Venkatraman Neuroscientist