Svātmarāṣṭravāda: Ontological Freedom as the Foundation of Nationalist Identity
Swastik Banerjee
Abstract
This essay seeks to address the philosophical problem of how a coherent national identity may be grounded within a context marked by deep cultural and regional plurality. Drawing upon the classical debates within the Pratyabhijñā school of Kashmir Shaivism, the analysis focuses on the nature of the Self as articulated by Trika thinkers, situating this discourse within the broader framework of nationalism. By foregrounding the metaphysics of self-recognition (pratyabhijñā) and ontological freedom (svātantrya), the essay argues that the Trika doctrine of the Self offers a valuable conceptual resource for contemporary nation-building and the cultivation of cultural awareness—thereby fostering a model of national integrity that honours both unity and diversity.
Keywords: Trika, svātantrya, pratyabhijñā, consiousnsess, self, nation, unity-in-diversity.