Deconstructing Adhyāsa : Daya Krishna and Contemporary Indian Philosophy
Dorian Miller
Philosophy East and West July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1353/pew.2026.a995485 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Daya Krishna's interpretation of adhyāsa as "voluntary identification" challenges traditional advaitic exegesis and proposes an alternative mode of engaging philosophical texts, developed systematically in his posthumously published Towards a Theory of Structural and Transcendental Illusions (2012). |
Abstract
This paper reconstructs Daya Krishna’s four-decade “deconstructive” engagement with the advaitic concept of adhyāsa. Drawing on published writings, lectures, and live dialogues with traditional paṇḍits (saṃvād, in his terminology), it argues that Daya Krishna’s interpretation of adhyāsa as “voluntary identification” challenges traditional advaitic exegesis and proposes an alternative mode of engagement with philosophical texts. The analysis focuses on three interconnected themes: the distinction between theoretical and phenomenal knowledge, an “as-if” conception of truth, and the freedom of self-consciousness to enter into and withdraw from such voluntary identifications. In doing so, the paper sheds new light on Daya Krishna’s posthumously published and largely overlooked Towards a Theory of Structural and Transcendental Illusions (2012), in which these insights are developed in a systematic form, and reveals the broader philosophical significance of his “adhyāsa project.”