Ascetic Knowledge System in Age of AI: Integrating Indian Religious Asceticism within IKS driven Digital Epistemologies

The Indian Knowledge System is delicately stitched into the cultural, traditional, and philosophical heritage of India. It encompasses the ways of teaching, learning, knowing, propagating and applying knowledge rooted in indigenous epistemologies. In present era of technology and rapidly changing world, it is very important to be connected with one’s root. This paper integrates the rich heritage of Indian Knowledge System with that of Artificial Intelligence in special connection with ascetic teachings. The traditional knowledge system has been preserved by the numerous great religious ascetics who have transmitted the ideas, knowledge and composed many literary sources. But in digitized world, where technology is the driving force, it is important to preserve the traditional knowledge to impend one’s own identity and cultural existence. This paper explores such relations and delves into the impact of such integration on future. The paper employs qualitative methodology, following descriptive research design. The paper is ultimately relying on secondary resources, a systematic interdisciplinary analysis of historical, sociological, academic articles and textual studies have been done. The paper establishes the clear need of integrating IKS with digital epistemologies of present Indian Education system. It also emphasizes the possible impact of it in decolonizing the young Indian minds. The paper also establishes its link with NEP 2020 and portrays active use of IKS in teaching and nurturing the young blood.