Section Article

INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS IN THE VEDIC ERA: A STUDY OF LINGUISTIC PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC TRADITIONS
Author(s): Dr. Inderpal Singh

Abstract
The Vedic era represents one of the most intellectually dynamic periods in the history of the Indian subcontinent laying the foundational structures for linguistic analysis philosophical inquiry scientific exploration and cultural innovation. As India moved into 2024 with a growing emphasis on reviving indigenous knowledge systems scholars policymakers and educational institutions increasingly revisited the intellectual heritage of the Vedic period to understand its continued relevance for contemporary knowledge production. The Vedic corpus—including the Samhitas Brahmanas Aranyakas and Upanishads—offers insights into complex grammatical traditions metaphysical frameworks scientific observations ecological wisdom and social ethics. Linguistic traditions beginning with the early Vedic language paved the way for later grammatical systems culminating in the sophisticated linguistic science of Paninian grammar. Philosophical reflections recorded in the Upanishads shaped global debates on consciousness cosmology metaphysics and the human pursuit of knowledge. Scientific traditions embedded within Vedic literature include early conceptualizations of astronomy mathematics medicine architecture ecology and acoustics demonstrating that the Vedic mind engaged in sophisticated empirical and speculative reasoning.This paper examines the linguistic philosophical and scientific traditions of the Vedic era as part of India’s early knowledge systems. It analyzes how knowledge evolved in dynamic interaction with ritual practices oral pedagogy community life and cosmological imagination. The study argues that the Vedic era’s pluralistic inquiry-oriented and experiential modes of knowledge remain significant for modern education cultural identity and interdisciplinary research. By revisiting Vedic knowledge structures in light of twenty-first-century academic concerns the paper highlights their contributions to intellectual history and their potential role in shaping contemporary models of holistic ethical and sustainable knowledge production.