India’s Civilisational Ethos Rooted in Knowledge Tradition: Dattatreya Hosabale

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Jan: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday said that India’s civilisational identity is fundamentally rooted in its timeless knowledge tradition, asserting that wisdom has always been the primary source of the nation’s cultural strength, prosperity and global standing.

He was speaking at the launch of the book ‘Mantra–Viplav’ at the ongoing World Book Fair at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The book has been authored by Tarun Vijay and published by Prabhat Prakashan.

The book release ceremony was attended by Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, author Tarun Vijay and Prabhat Prakashan Chairman Prabhat Kumar.

Addressing the gathering, Hosabale said that knowledge guides human life in the right direction, but must be accompanied by devotion, humility and ethical consciousness, warning that knowledge without devotion often leads to arrogance. He recalled the vision of Maharshi Aurobindo, who had emphasised three national imperatives — compiling India’s scattered ancient knowledge systems, adapting them to contemporary societal needs, and creating new knowledge traditions for the future.

Hosabale observed that systematic distortion of India’s history and philosophical narratives has been carried out not due to ignorance but as part of a deliberate ideological agenda, creating confusion within society and weakening intellectual independence. He stated that as external ideological control over Indian thought increased, a state of “Mantra–Viplav” — ideological corruption — emerged.

Quoting classical wisdom, he cautioned that intellectual decay leads to societal collapse, asserting that corruption of thought damages not only individuals but entire nations.

Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi remarked that a section of India’s intellectual ecosystem has been influenced by what he termed the “M Factor” — Macaulay, Mughal and Marxist frameworks — which have diluted indigenous perspectives. He said the book highlights invisible ideological challenges confronting society and also provides a roadmap to counter them.

Author Tarun Vijay explained that the book draws inspiration from ancient wisdom narrated by Vidura to King Dhritarashtra, warning that when ideas themselves become corrupt, they create a destructive condition that harms rulers, citizens and the nation alike — a state defined as Mantra–Viplav. He said the book attempts to identify, confront and prevent such ideological decay.

The book comprises analytical essays focusing on intellectual, cultural and civilisational challenges, advocating the revival of India’s indigenous philosophical and knowledge traditions.