Vijnaneshwara Pratishthana Trust
Disseminating the rich legacy of traditional Indian and Hindu legal jurisprudence.
Vijnaneshwara Pratishthana Trust (Pratishthana) is working for the noble cause of disseminating the rich legacy of traditional Indian / Hindu legal jurisprudence.
“Dharmāya rājā bhavati, na kāma-kāraṇāya tu”
The proper function of the Ruler is to rule according to Dharma — the law — and not to enjoy the luxuries of life.
Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, verse 3(1), ch. 90
Ancient Hindu Jurisprudence
The proud heritage of our legal tradition.
Indian / Hindu legal jurisprudence has held our civilization together for millennia, and its immense contribution and enduring relevance to present-day jurisprudence are introduced through the Concept of Dharma. The makers of the modern Indian state — the Constituent Assembly — recognized this heritage and inscribed inspiring sayings from Hindu jurisprudence on the walls of the earlier Parliament House to motivate Members of Parliament to pursue the path of Dharma. Hence, in a way, a deeper understanding of Hindu jurisprudence enables a deeper understanding of the Indian Constitution also.
The Trust itself is named after Shri Vijnaneshwara, the eminent 11th-century jurist whose Mitakshara remains the authoritative source of interpretation of Hindu personal laws across India. You may also read the sayings inscribed in the erstwhile Parliament House and more about Vijnaneshwara.
The Founder & the Trust
Founded by Justice Dr. M. Rama Jois.
Vijnaneshwara Pratishthana Trust was founded by Shri Rama Jois — former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and later Governor of Bihar and Jharkhand. The modern study centre building was inaugurated on December 31, 2004 by Hon'ble Justice Shri R. C. Lahoti, the Chief Justice of India.
A profound scholar of Dharma Shastra, our Founder was the very embodiment of simplicity and nobility, and an encyclopaedia of Bharatiya jurisprudence. The details of his life and great achievements are recorded here.
Seminars, Workshops & Themes
More than two decades of propagating the tradition.
For more than two decades, the Pratishthana has propagated the rich legacy of Indian / Hindu legal jurisprudence through seminars, workshops and training programs among all the stakeholders of the legal fraternity. Major themes of such seminars include:
- The relevancy of the ancient Indian legal system in the present democratic parliament.
- The importance of the ancient legal system to the 21st century's sociological jurisprudence.
- Mitakshara approach on polity, good governance, and people's welfare.
- Nuances and upshot of the transformation of Hindu law.
- Glimpses into the basis and practice of law and dispute resolution, with special reference to the original text of Mitakshara.
In addition, the Pratishthana has organized seminars on other legal themes and personality development courses — see the full range of workshop themes.
Dignitaries & Institutions
Eminent jurists and partner universities.
Eminent jurists — including serving and retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, practicing senior advocates, and professors of law colleges — have participated in our programs and continue to support the Trust. Some of the prominent names include:
- Justice Aravind Kumar (current Supreme Court Judge)
- Justice M. N. Venkatachalaiah (Former Chief Justice of India)
- Justice Dinesh Maheshwari (Former Supreme Court Judge)
- Justice Abdul Nazeer (Former Supreme Court Judge & Governor of Andhra Pradesh)
The Pratishthana works in association with leading universities and law colleges — including the National Law School of India, Assam University and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. See the full list of partner institutions.
The Study Centre at Martur
A modern research centre on hallowed ground.
The Pratishthana has a full-fledged Study Centre with a well-equipped library in Martur Village of Kalaburagi District, Karnataka — where Shri Vijnaneshwara lived about 900 years ago. The centre serves post-graduate and graduate students of law, and extends all-out support to research scholars working in the area of Bharatiya jurisprudence.
Governance & Joining Us
Associate with the Pratishthana.
The Pratishthana is a Public Charitable Trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, and with the Income Tax Department. It is managed by a Board of Trustees of eminent personalities, including Shri Basavaraj Ganpathrao Patil Sedam (President), Shri M. Lakshminarayana, IAS (Retd.), and Shri Ameet Kumar Deshpande, Senior Advocate. Full registration and trustee details are available.
We invite you to join hands in propagating Indian jurisprudence — by organizing seminars and lectures at your local law colleges, setting up study groups, sponsoring research scholars, or hosting programs of general interest. Such programs can be arranged in person or in online / virtual mode.