Affiliation: Government College Solan, H.P.
This special session explores classical Indian approaches to language and meaning as sophisticated conceptual frameworks for understanding human cognition. Moving beyond a purely technical or grammatical study, the session positions Bhāratīya linguistic thought, centered on Sphot ̣a (holistic cognition), Antaḥkaraṇa (inner cognitive architecture), and Sambandha (relational logic), as a foundation for interdisciplinary inquiry into contemporary cognitive science, AI, and philosophy of language.
The session investigates how linguistic meaning is organized, processed, and transmitted within cognitive systems. To ground these theoretical discussions, we focus on Trans-Himalayan languages (such as Kinnauri) as typologically rich case studies. These languages serve as independent linguistic-cognitive systems situated in complex multilingual and sociocultural ecologies.
Bhāratīya Cognitive-Semantic Architectures: Mapping classical constructs like Antaḥkaraṇa and Śabda–Artha onto modern mental models.
The Cognitive Cycle of Speech: Analyzing the transition from pre-verbal cognition ( Paśyantī ) to linguistic articulation ( Vaikharī ).
Trans-Himalayan Multilingual Cognition: Using typological and experimental methods to investigate diverse linguistic ecologies in the Himalayan belt.
Formalizing Knowledge Representation: Utilizing Bhāratīya notions of Sambandha for modern semantic organization and AI frameworks.
This 2-hour session will feature a foundational talk on Bhāratīya cognitive-semantic architecture, followed by invited expert perspectives and peer-reviewed paper presentations. It aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue between IKS scholars,linguists, and cognitive scientists to develop globally inclusive models of the mind.
We invite researchers in linguistics, philosophy of mind, cognitive neuro-science, and AI to join this dialogue. Whether you are interested in the philosophical roots of meaning or the experimental typologies of Himalayan languages, this session provides a platform for developing globally inclusive models of cognition.
● Extended abstract: 1000 words (for presentation consideration)
● Full paper: 8–12 pages in Springer conference template (for published proceedings)
Dr. Vivek Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Sanskrit in the Department of Higher Education, Government of Himachal Pradesh (Govt. College Solan). He holds a Ph.D. in Śāktatantra–Jyotis ̣a–Philosophy from Panjab University, Chandigarh. His research focuses on integrating Bhāratīya philosophical traditions with contemporary discussions on consciousness and cognition.