Acharya Karan V – Literature is a major or primary parameter of any country or civilization’s culture and overall progress including spiritual. Hereby the real meaning of the word literature shouldn’t be constrained to poetries, stories, plays and other fictional or non fictional work, but in a way it includes the intellectual progress taken as a whole in various forms, directions and dimensions.

Dimension of Spirituality
It is undeniable to say that if someone wants to explore various dimensions of knowledge gathered by a specific culture or civilization, the best way is through its respective literature i.e. social, political, cultural, economic, art, poetry and medicinal subjects can be discovered with the help of literature exploration. Even the complex subject or spirituality also accepts literature as its one dimension. But this intensive study shouldn’t be in the boundaries of only written text or tangible material but even the verbal flow of knowledge since ages via speeches, poetries, stories etc. should be prominently considered in this exploration to get an exact picture of the said civilization. Since inception of the humankind the art of communication travelled from sign language to various sounds and then inventing early language scripts to popular manuscripts.

These available manuscripts play a pivotal role in describing the history of any society and transferring knowledge from one era to another since ages. These manuscripts had various stages upon which it developed from early rock inscriptions to leaf writing (betula utilis) to metal slate writings on bronze, silver and gold sheets to fancy colourful papers to nowadays digital writings etc. All these constitute a dimension through which one has to undergo intense study in order to get familiar with the intellect & spiritual progress of the people of that specific era.

Flow of Spiritual Knowledge in India
In India the entire human civilization since inception, cultures & social paradigms are highly influenced by the sense of spirituality or spiritual knowledge. It has been an integral part of everyday living since ages. Earlier these thoughts or depth knowledge were transferred verbally in the family or group through small poems, songs, stories and speeches. Later after the development of manuscripts these were inscribed on various available modes including bhoj patras and tamr patras etc.

Usually while understanding the spiritual knowledge or following the spirituality path we only depend upon the knowledge inscribed in written form, the text material present before us. This may not be a correct approach while exploring the spiritual knowledge in India, as in this context writing hasn’t been the favourite approach or part of methodologies for teaching or learning since ages. Here practical sensing and verbal communication remained on the priority while transferring knowledge on any subject. Early alternatives for paper weren’t as durable even the metal plates were further melted for some other purpose or plates like silver or gold were sacrificed due to their metal value or greed of some individuals. This sacred knowledge was transferred verbally from one person to another, in the families etc.

Another major aspect is that this land has been invaded by several rulers and tribes from the west and all over the world hence so many original manuscripts or knowledge tabloids were destroyed in such invasions or crusades. Therefore while pursuing spirituality we need to consider all these issues in order to understand the real and metaphorical significance of each part of spirituality as subject. Here in India, it is a strong belief that spirituality flows in our conscious, unconscious and subconscious mind, thoughts, every breath, in our blood, flesh, knowingly and unknowingly. We can ignore its presence but we cannot deny it.