10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (IST)
The Nation As The Divine Mother: A Śākta Reading of Vande Mataram
SPEAKERS
The talk shall discuss Vande Mataram through the philosophical lens of the Śākta tradition, exploring its vision of the Motherland as the Divine Mother. It shall examine the interrelationship of Vīra Bhakti, and Śaraṇāgati, showing how these culminate in a sacred call to action. The discussion shall further explore the idea of the nation as an extension of the Self, demonstrating how Vande Mataram transcends political nationalism to present a spiritual vision in which service to the Motherland becomes an expression of self-realisation and divine consciousness.
Speakers
Dr. Swastik Banerjee
Dr. Swastik Banerjee is a scholar-practitioner specialising in Kashmir Śaivism, Tantra, and Indian philosophy. He completed his Ph.D. at the Department of Philosophy, University of Calcutta, as an Independent Scholar, with a dissertation on the concept of Self in the Anuttara Trika philosophy of Kṣemarāja. A recipient of the University Research Fellowship (University of Calcutta), the Ishwar Ashram Trust Fellowship, and the Kashmir Saiva Institute Fellowship, he secured First Rank in the M.A. programme in Philosophy at the University of Madras. He has received Pūrṇadīkṣā in Śrīvidyā and Mahāsāmrājya Sadāmnāya Dīkṣā in the Vidyā Krama (Kālī Kula of Bengal), integrating traditional initiatory practice with academic research. He has presented papers at national and international conferences, delivered lectures on Indian philosophy and Tantra, and authored the script for Cidānandavilāsa: Recognition of the Divinity Within, a dance-theatre production supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. His work explores the intersection of traditional Sanskrit intellectual traditions, lived Tantric practice, and contemporary philosophical inquiry.