Project Noon

The Question of God in Shankara and Ramanuja

The Gita is a central text in Hindu traditions, and commentaries on it express a range of philosophical-theological positions. Two of the most significant commentaries are by Sankara, the founder of the Advaita or Non-Dualist system of Vedic thought and by Ramanuja, the founder of the Visistadvaita or Qualified Non-Dualist system. Their commentaries offer rich resources for the conceptualization and understanding of divine reality, the human self, being, the relationship between God and human, and the moral psychology of action and devotion.

The Hindu Self and its Muslim Neighbors

What do we learn from Rabindranath Tagore’s copious yet lesser-known writings on the Hindu-Muslim question? 

What do we learn from the fascinating interplay of Hindu-Muslim interactions in the history of Bengal? How do the behavioral patterns between the two communities fare and change over the course of history, particularly entering into the modern period? What do the Bauls, Muslim and Hindu troubadours and singers, illustrate about the limits of language and identity? How do we maintain a distinct religious identity without effacing or encrusting our sense of self?