Knowledge Preservation and Dissemination Practices in the Theerthapada Tradition: The Contributions of Vidyananda Theerthapada Swamikal

Abstract

This paper examines how Vidyananda Theerthapada Swamikal preserved and disseminated knowledge within the Theerthapada tradition, situating his work at the intersection of intellectual history and indigenous knowledge management. Using historical and textual analysis of manuscripts, publications, institutional records, and biographical sources, it traces his efforts to recover and publish rare texts, produce philosophical and pedagogical writings, and transmit learning through teaching, public discourse, and disciple training. The study argues that his promotion of women’s education, advocacy of open access to scriptural learning, and establishment of ashrams, schools, and colleges formed an early, practice-based model of inclusive knowledge governance in colonial and early postcolonial Kerala. By emphasizing preservation, accessibility, and ethical responsibility, the paper shows how a regional monastic lineage contributed to cultural continuity, social reform, and indigenous frameworks of knowledge management that remain relevant to contemporary debates on open access and knowledge equity.