Parshwanath Vidyapeeth

Parshwanath Vidyapeeth

15 Days National Workshop

On:‘Parīkṣāmukha Sūtra by Māṇikyanandī: A Text of Foundation of Jaina Logic and Epistemology’

Sponsored by Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi

Date: 22 October – 5 November 2026

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Workshop Overview

The 15-Day National Workshop on ‘Parīkṣāmukha Sūtra by Māṇikyanandī: A Text of Foundation of Jaina Logic and Epistemology’ is an academic programme dedicated to the study of Jaina Logic and Epistemology.

The workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to engage with the foundational concepts and textual traditions of Jaina philosophical thought through lectures, academic presentations and scholarly discussion.

Eligibility for Registration

The workshop is open to the following categories of participants:

  • Postgraduate students (MA/MPhil) in Philosophy, Sanskrit, Jaina Studies/Jainology.
  • PhD scholars and early-career researchers.
  • Faculty members from universities and colleges.
  • Traditional scholars (Pandits) interested in Jaina philosophy.

Workshop Details

Number of Participants 25
Number of Lectures 50
Schedule of Lectures Four lectures daily from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Medium of Instruction Hindi / English
Registration Fee NIL

Certificate

A certificate will be awarded to participants on successful completion of the course.

Important: Presentation by participants is an essential part of the curriculum.

Eligibility for Certificate: A minimum of 80% attendance is essential for receiving the certificate.

General Instructions

  1. Outstation participants, if needed, may be provided free accommodation on a first-come, first-served basis.
  2. The number of seats available in the Guest House for accommodation is 16.
  3. The medium of instruction will be Hindi/English.
  4. Photocopies of all Certificates/Degrees should be enclosed with the application form.
  5. No participant will remain absent from his/her daily lectures.
  6. The last date of registration is 30 September 2026.
  7. The registration fee is NIL.

Parshwanath Vidyapeeth

Parshwanath Vidyapeeth (PV), an eminent institute of Research in Indological studies, is well known to the academic world both within and outside India. Established in 1937, it is managed by a society registered under the Society Registration Act of 1860. Banaras Hindu University and Gujarat University recognise it as an External Research Centre for the PhD degree. It is also recognised by the Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for conducting research. To date, about 71 research scholars have obtained Ph.D. degree from Parshwanath Vidyapeeth. PV has brought out more than 200 publications, mostly PhD theses, original texts and manuscripts in Prakrit and Sanskrit with their Hindi and English translations. Its Shatavadhani Ratanachand Library has about 40 thousand books and 1500 Manuscripts on different branches of Indology. Śramana, a referred bi-lingual UGC CARE Listed quarterly research journal, is being published since 1949.Basically being a Research Institute, its total emphasis is on fundamental and result-oriented original research in different branches of Shramana Tradition as well as Indological Studies. To meet its objective, he institutes regularly organises National and International Seminars, workshops and lecture series. In 2026, we organised two National Seminars on ‘Applied Ancient Wisdom: Jain Philosophy for Transforming Education’ sponsored by ICPR and ‘Reclaiming Jaina Thought: Contribution to Indian Knowledge, Global Ethics and Social Change’ sponsored by ICSSR.

Now we are going to organise an ICPR-sponsored 15 Day National Workshop on ‘Parikshamukha Sutra by Manikyanandi: A Text of Foundation of Jaina Logic and Epistemology’ from (22nd October- 5th November, 2026).

ÀcÂrya MÂṇikyanandÍ

Indian philosophical traditions have developed highly sophisticated systems of logic and epistemology. Among them, Jain philosophy offers a distinctive and pluralistic approach through doctrines such as AnekÂntavÂda (non-absolutism) and SyÂdvÂda (conditional predication). One of the foundational texts of Jaina logic is the ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra composed by ÀcÂrya MÂṇikyanandÍ. He was a great logician and philosopher. He belonged to the Digambara tradition of Jainism and is especially remembered for his contribution to Jaina epistemology and logic (NyÂya). MÂṇikyanandÍ is generally placed around the 10th-11th century CE. According to the author of Sudaßsaṇacariu NayanandÍ, the name of his Guru was RÂmanandÍ. NayanandÍ himself was a disciple of MÂṇikyanandÍ

ParÍkîÂmukha-sūtra

ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra is the most celebrated work of MÂṇikyanandÍ. It is the only work ascribed to him. The nomenclature of ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra seems to be based on treatises like Hetumukha NyÂyamukha of Buddhist Philosophy. This text is considered a foundational manual of Jaina logic, often compared to a primer or gateway text for understanding epistemology in Jainism. It presents mainly a systematic exposition of pramÂṇa (means of valid knowledge) and explains Perception (pratyakîa) and Inference (anumÂna) prominently. It also discusses fallacies and errors in reasoning. It also serves as an introductory yet rigorous guide to logical analysis.

This work is so important that it inspired many of the Jaina Acharyas to write commentaries on it. Most notably among them are ÀcÂrya PrabhÂcandra, ÀcÂrya AnantavÍrya, BhaòòÂraka CÂrukÍrti and ÀcÂrya ŚÂntivarṇÍ who wrote the famous commentaries like: PrameyakamalamÂrtaṇḍa, PrameyaratnamÂla, Prameya-ratnamÂlaßkÂra and Prameyakaṇ®hik respectively.

Significance of the Text

  1. It is a primer of Jaina logic, comparable to introductory NyÂya texts
  2. It systematically defines knowledge, error, doubt, and inference
  3. I t acts as a bridge between canonical Jain thought and later scholastic logic
  4. It provides tools for intellectual debate (vÂda) and philosophical clarity

Epistemological Importance of ParÍkîÂmukha-sūtra

1.Classification of Knowledge: MÂṇikyanandÍ refines Jaina distinctions between types of knowledge, especially Direct (pratyakîa) and Indirect (parokîa) knowledge. He sharpens definitions in a way that engages rival schools like NyÂya and Buddhism.

2.Criteria of Validity: The text lays out what makes knowledge valid, emphasising non-contradiction and correspondence with reality, while also recognising the limits of human cognition.

3.Integration with Jaina Doctrines: It ties epistemology to key Jaina concepts like AnekÂntavÂda (many-sidedness of reality), SyÂdvÂda (Theory of Qualified Assertion) and advocates that truth is complex and can be expressed only through conditional statements. MÂṇikyanandÍ gives them a more rigorous epistemic grounding.

Objective of the Workshop

To introduce participants to the structure and content of ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra, to develop skills in reading and interpreting classical Jaina philosophical texts, to explore key concepts of Jaina epistemology and logic, to situate ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra within the broader framework of Indian philosophical traditions, to encourage comparative and critical engagement with NyÂya, Buddhist, and other systems of logic, to promote interdisciplinary research in Indian knowledge systems, to create a network of scholars interested in Jaina philosophy and classical logic, to introduce participants to the structure and methodology of ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra, to analyze Jaina theories of Validity of knowledge (PramÂṇa) and the theories of Standpoints (Naya), to understand the role of logic in defending AnekÂntavÂda and to encourage research-oriented engagement with primary sources.

Subtitles are allied aspects of the Theme and Key Areas

  1. Introduction to Jaina Epistemology (PramÂṇa Theory) and ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  2. Structure and Methodology of ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  3. Nature and types of PramÂṇa / Knowledge (JñÂna)
  4. Concept of Perception (Pratyakîa-PramÂṇa) in Jaina Philosophy according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  5. Concept of Parokîa-pramÂṇa in Jaina Philosophy according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  6. Subject of PramÂṇa according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  7. Inference (AnumÂna) and Logical Reasoning according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  8. PramÂṇa-phala according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  9. Concept of Fallacies (HetvÂbhÂsa) according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  10. AnekÂntavÂda and SyÂdvÂda according to ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra
  11. Comparative Analysis of JñÂna and Pramaṇa with NyÂya and Buddhist Logic
  12. Language, Meaning, and Ontology in Jaina Thought
  13. Relevance of Jaina Logic in Contemporary Philosophy
  14. A comparative Study of ParÍkîÂmukha-sǔtra and NyÂyaviniïcaya

Resource Persons

  1. Prof. Rajaram Shukla, Dean, Faculty of Dept. SVDV, BHU,
  2. Prof. Sachchidanand Mishra, Member Secretary, ICPR, New Delhi
  3. Prof. Dharmachand Jain, Former Head, Dept. of Sanskrit, J. N. Vyas University, Jodhpur (Raj.)
  4. Prof. Shreyansh Singhai, Former Dean, CSU, Jaipur Campus
  5. Prof. Jitendra Babulal Shah, Former Director, L D Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad
  6. Prof. Veer Sagar Jain, Dept. of Jain Darshan, L B S University, Delhi
  7. Prof. Anekant Kumar Jain, Head, Dept. of Jaina Darshan, L B S University, Delhi
  8. Dr. Yogesh Jain, Associate Professor, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Bhopal (MP)
  9. Prof. Pradyuman Shah Singh, Head- Dept. of Jaina Bauddha Darshan, SVDV, BHU
  10. Prof. K. K. Jain, Former Head- Dept. of Jaina Bauddha Darshan, SVDV, BHU
  11. Prof. Phool Chand Jain ‘Premi’, Former Director, B L Institute of Indology, Delhi
  12. Prof. Ashok Kumar Jain, Former Head- Dept. of Jaina Bauddha Darshan, SVDV, BHU
  13. Dr. Shriprakash Pandey, Coordinator of the workshop

Organising Committee Patrons

  1. Sh. D. R. Bhansali, President, Managing Committee
  2. Sh. Kunwar Vijayanand Singh, Vice President
  3. Sh. Indrabhooti Barar, Vice President
  4. Sh. Sudev Barar, Secretary
  5. Sh. Satish Chand Jain, Member
  6. Shri R C Jain, Member
  7. Shri Saurabh Jain, Member

Director of the Workshop, Co-ordinator of the Workshop, Members of Organizing Committee

  1. Prof. V. S. Shukla
  2. Dr. S. P. Pandey
  3. Dr. Om Prakash Singh
  4. Dr. Sanjay Singh
  5. Dr. Pravin Kumar Yadav Dr. Prashant Mandal
  6. Dr. Uttam Kumar Bera
  7. Sh. Rajesh Kr. Chaubey

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