The moment I chose to write this book to outsource Odia literature, a part of my commitment as a historian impels me to seek and serve truth. The writing of history demanded a special kind of observation because all events, having slipped into the past, become hazy and indistinct except the documented traces. The undocumented events turn into memories. I learned to interpret the clues, signs and tracks through cultural memories of the past. But there is no reliable witness in the absolute sense. There is only more or less, reliable testimony.

The book, in the process, turned out to be a means of clarifying my own ideas on the subject. I discovered the humanist dimensions of historical consciousness, although my western contemporaries seem to deny-or at least, put in doubt-the principles of humanism. I have also been guided by the practice of historical reconstruction in literary studies forced by the need to understand historical materials in their own context.

I construct my propositions in two ways-by culling the signifying actions, characters, habits, aims and circumstances of writers and literary terms signifying attributes of literary works. I have followed R.S. Crane’s Critical and Historical Principles of literary History to organize my materials in succession of time, distribution in space and likeness and difference in character. I have undertaken to survey systematically he literary productions of my race through time. In all these primary units of interpretation are either works or, more commonly, authors viewed as the most immediate cause of the characteristics exhibited by their works; but the individual histories differ widely according to the fashion in which the basic principles of succession and of likeness and difference are construed.

This work has been presented in five chapters. Chapter-I (The place I come from) gives a brief account of the village the author has come from, its beautiful features, the caste structure in the village, inter caste relationship, land ownership etc. A brief attempt has been made here to throw some light on the state of the village and its level of development. In discussing an ordinary oil seller and his method of measurement, an attempt has been made to throw light on the socioeconomic position of the village and its people. It includes the picture of the rural elite who helped resolution of conflicts. The chapter-II (the author, his friends and family) is devoted to description of his parents, family, relations etc. This is a short one. Chapter III is on his professional career. The author has worked in Utkal, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Fakir Mohan Universities.

The two chapters (IV and V) relate to his days and activities in Fakir Mohan University. The chapter IV (F. M. University: Efforts for recognition) gives details about the way a university could be established at Balasore. It was at the nascent stage, and I had to bring it to a productive institution, various things were to be done, cooperation and help from several persons had to be sought and achieved. The university had to fulfil the conditions necessary for accordance of UGC recognition u/s 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956. The university had to work like a university and function as such before the UGC Committee visited for grant of recognition. The Chapter-V (Post recognition developments) gives information about how the university prepared development projects for financing by the UGC and other funding agencies. And how the funds so received were fruitfully utilized in time. Also, in this chapter, the author has described how the new campus was built and how the university had to fight evil forces who created various types of difficulties. This chapter also includes author’s post retirement days.

The volume Indian Knowledge Systems: Literary Mapping of Ethics, Ecology and Education emerges from a growing recognition of the relevance and resilience of India’s civilizational wisdom in addressing the ethical, ecological and educational challenges of the contemporary world. Rooted in an ancient yet continuously evolving intellectual tradition, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) encompass a vast spectrum of philosophical, literary, pedagogical and ecological thought articulated through texts, oral traditions and lived practices. This book seeks to explore how these knowledge systems are imaginatively and critically represented in literature, and how literary texts serve as vital sites for preserving, transmitting and reinterpreting indigenous epistemologies.Indian literary traditions ranging from the Vedas, Upanishads, epics, Puranas, classical Sanskrit drama, Bhakti and Sufi poetry, to regional and modern literatures have consistently foregrounded ethical conduct (dharma), harmonious coexistence with nature (ṛta) and holistic education (vidya). Unlike compartmentalized modern disciplines, Indian thought perceives ethics, ecology and education as interrelated and mutually sustaining domains.Education, within Indian Knowledge Systems, is envisioned as a transformative process aimed at the cultivation of character, wisdom and social harmony. The guru-siṣya tradition, dialogic learning and experiential pedagogy foregrounded in classical and folk narratives challenge utilitarian and market-driven models of education. Literary texts thus become pedagogical tools that transmit cultural memory, ethical insight and ecological awareness across generations.The essays collected in this volume adopt interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to examine how literary texts classical, folk, regional and modern map Indian Knowledge Systems in diverse contexts. Contributors engage with Sanskrit and vernacular traditions, oral narratives, postcolonial reinterpretations and contemporary literary discourses to demonstrate the continuing vitality of indigenous knowledge frameworks. By situating literature as both a mirror and a medium of Indian epistemic traditions, this volume aims to foster a deeper understanding of how IKS can inform sustainable ethics, environmental stewardship and inclusive education today.This book will be of interest to scholars, teachers, researchers, and students of literature, cultural studies, philosophy, education and environmental humanities. It also seeks to contribute meaningfully to ongoing academic and policy-level discussions on integrating Indian Knowledge Systems into higher education curricula, in line with recent national and global initiatives.We hope that this volume encourages renewed engagement with India’s literary heritage as a living repository of ethical wisdom, ecological balance, and holistic education and inspires further research into the dynamic intersections of tradition and modernity.