Reading Roundtable Session
The Samyak-jñāna Candrikā is a seminal Hindi commentary on Gommaṭasāra (10th century CE), authored by Pandit Todarmal (1719–1766), a distinguished Jain scholar who played a pivotal role in making Jain philosophical texts accessible through vernacular commentaries. In his preface (pīṭhikā), Todarmal poses a fundamental question: Why study scriptures at all? This general section (sāmānya prakaraṇa) explores intellectual and ethical challenges in scriptural study and reflects on the very purpose of writing and publishing commentaries. This Reading Roundtable invites scholars to engage with Todarmal’s dialogical approach, situating his reflections within the socio-cultural milieu of his time and examining their resonance in contemporary thought. The online session will present concise summaries of key sections, followed by expert-led discussions.
Session Chair: Prof. Shivani Bothra (California State University, Long Beach) Led by: Pragya Jain (Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur)
Panelists:
Kshitij Jain (University of Oxford)
Vishesh Kothari (University of Oxford)
Ruth Westoby (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies)
Anthony Ruda (University of Oxford)
Anahita Hoose (University of California, Los Angeles)
Samyak Modi (University of California, Riverside)
Joanna Flynn (Ghent University)
Erika Caranti (University of Turin)
Jinesh Sheth (University of Birmingham)
Anubhav Jain (SOAS)
Surbhi Jain (SOAS)
Leonardo Stockler (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo)
Date: 25 November 2025 Time: 4 PM to 6 PM GMT (London)
Zoom: Meeting ID: 825 7365 0417 Passcode: 137231
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82573650417? pwd=pLeCQdVZw3WJVnfzx02vu2RdR02Q0b.1
