Chattampi Swamikal, Viewed Through Modern Discourses on Knowledge and Freedom.

Abstract

Chattampi Swamikal's Vedadikara Nirupanam, written in the late 19th century with modern research techniques, effectively argues that anyone can access, learn, teach, and interpret the Vedas. He critically examined the nature and content of the Vedas and even criticized revered saints like Adi Sankara for their indefensible views on the matter. Swamikal was the first major Indian saint to use prose for intellectual discourse, yet another step toward making knowledge more accessible to the masses. If he had chosen to write in Sanskrit poetry, which he was capable of, the knowledge would have remained inaccessible to most people. He understood that it was time to conduct intellectual discussions in a more everyday style and adopted this approach. This editorial note introduces the topic and gives an overview of the papers included in the issue that explore Chattampi Swamikal's wisdom from diverse perspectives, focusing on the freedom of knowledge, as supported by the modern open access movement.