Sadharanikaran Model of Communication: Brief Introduction

Fundamentals of the Sadharanikaran Model of Communication

-          Dr. Nirmala Mani Adhikary

Kathmandu University, Nepal

nirmalam.adhikary@gmail.com

Sadharanikaran model of communication (SMC), constructed and developed by Nirmala Mani Adhikary, is a representation of communication process from Hindu perspective. It is systematic description in diagrammatic form of a process of attaining mutual understanding, commonness or oneness among people. It illustrates how the communicating parties interact in a system (i.e., the process of sadharanikaran) for the attainment saharidayata. Sahridayata is the core concept upon which the meaning of sadharanikaran resides. It is the state of common orientation, commonality, mutual understanding or oneness. Communicating parties become sahridayas with the completion of the process of Sadharanikaran. In this light, the SMC envisions communication for communion.

Bharata’s Natyashastra and Bhartrihari’s Vakyapadiya are two principle sources for the model. Most of the concepts drawn on (for e.g., sadharanikaran, sahridayata, rasaswadana, sakshatkara, etc.) are formal concepts that are firmly established on Sanskrit poetics, aesthetics and linguistics as well as other disciplines of Hindu religious-philosophical knowledge systems. These concepts are the foundations on which the SMC is established.

In brief, following points present the outline of the SMC:

1. The structure of the model is non-linear. It incorporates the notion of two-way communication process resulting in mutual understanding of the communicating parties. Thus it is free from the limitations of linear models of communication.

2. The model illustrates how successful communication is possible in Hindu society where complex hierarchies of castes, languages, cultures and religious practices are prevalent. Sahridayata helps those communicating to pervade the unequal relationship prevailed in the society and the very process of communication is facilitated.

3. The interrelationship between the communicating parties is of crucial importance in sadharanikaran. Here, not the cause of the relationship but the relationship itself is significant. For instance, the guru-shishya relationship is always considered sacred in itself. And, unlike in case of most communication theories and models from the West, this does not emphasize on dominance by the sender. Rather, the model gives equal importance to both the communicating parties.

4. The model shows that abhivyanjana (encoding) and rasaswadana (decoding) are the fundamental activities in communication. In other words, they are decisive junctures in sadharanikaran (communication).

5. It shows that Hindu perspective on communication emphasizes more on internal or intrapersonal activity. For instance, both the processes of encoding and decoding consits of four-layer mechanism in its ideal form. Communication involves more experience within than objective rationality of the sensory organs.

6. With the provision of sandarbha (context), the model clarifies how meaning could be provided to the message even if the sender is not identified to the receiver. The intended meaning of any message can be ascertained due to the context, without determining the actual intention in the mind of the speaker just by taking contextual factors into account. Thus due to the context a text can retain its ‘objective’ meaning.

7. SMC shows that the scope of communication from Hindu perspective is broad. As envisioned in the model, communication is broader enough to deal with all of the three dimensions of life: adhibhautika (physical or mundane), adhidaivika (mental) and adhyatmika (spiritual). In social or worldly context, communication is such process by which, in ideal conditions, humans achieve sahridayata. In mental context, communication is the process of gaining true knowledge as well as similar mutual experience. But that is not the whole story; it has spiritual dimension too.

8. The goal of communication as envisioned in the model is certainly achieving commonness or mutual understanding. But, the goal would not be limited to just this extent. Just as Vedic Hinduism always emphasizes to achieve all of the purushartha chatustayas (i.e., four goals of life: artha, kama, dharma and moksha), the model also conceives communication capable of attaining all these goals. Thus, the model is in perfect consonance with Vedic Hindu World View.

Sadharanikaran as a concept/theory should not be confused with the sadharanikaran model of communication (SMC). The former, which is one of the significant theories in Sanskrit poetics and other disciplines, has its root in Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra and is identified with Bhattanayaka. Whereas, the SMC refers to a model of communication, which draws on the classical concept/theory of sadharanikaran along with other resources in order to visualize Hindu perspectives on communication, was first developed and proposed in 2003.

The meta-theoretical assumption of the model is Vedantic. Hindu way of communicating certainly emphasizes on internal or intrapersonal activity. It is comprehensible that abhivyanjana and rasaswadana are the fundamental activities in communication, and in Hindu life communication involves more experience within than objective rationality of the sensory organs. This tendency facilitates sahridayata and other concepts to be materialized practically. Thus, communication results in communion in Hindu society.

Selected Bibliography:
Adhikary, N. M. (2003). Hindu awadharanama sanchar prakriya [Communication in Hindu concept]. A dissertation presented to Purvanchal University, Nepal in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism.
Adhikary, N. M. (2007). Sancharyoga: Verbal communication as a means for attaining moksha. A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Pokhara University, Nepal in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy.
Adhikary, N. M. (2009). An introduction to sadharanikaran model of communication. Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 3(1), 69-91.
Adhikary, N. M. (2010). Sancharyoga: Approaching communication as a vidya in Hindu orthodoxy. China Media Research, 6(3), 76-84.
Adhikary, N.M. (2011). Theorizing communication: A model from Hinduism. In Y.B. Dura (Ed.), MBM anthology of communication studies (pp. 1-22). Kathmandu: Madan Bhandari Memorial College.
Adhikary, N. M. (2012). Hindu teaching on conflict and peacemaking. In L. Marsden (Ed.), Ashgate research companion on religion and conflict resolution (pp. 67-77). Farnham, Surrey (UK): Ashgate Publishing.
Adhikary, N.M. (2013). Communication theory and classical Sanskrit texts. Rural Aurora, 2, 112-125.
Adhikary, N. M. (2014). Theory and practice of communication – Bharata Muni. Bhopal: Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication.
Adhikary, N. M. (2016). Hinduism. International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy, pp. 831-838.

Danish translation of "Fundamentals of the Sadharanikaran Model of Communication"

Fundamentals of the Sadharanikaran Model of Communication

-          Dr. Nirmala Mani Adhikary

Kathmandu University, Nepal
Nirmalam.adhikary@gmail.com

Oversættelse af : Mamta Kharel

Sadharanikaran Model of Communikation (SMC) er en repræsentation af kommunikationsprocessen fra hinduistisk perspektiv. Det er en systematisk beskrivelse i diagrammatisk form af en proces til at opnå en gensidig forståelse, almindelighed eller enhed blandt mennesker. Det illustrerer, hvordan de kommunikerende parter interagerer i et system (dvs. processen af Sadharanikaran) for at opnå Saharidayata. Saharidayata er en kernekoncept, hvorpå betydning af Sadharanikaran er bosat. Det er en fælles orientering, fællestræk, gensidig forståelse eller enhed. Ved færdiggørelsen af Sadharanikaran processen bliver kommunikerende parter Sahridayas. I lyset heraf SMC forstiller en kommunikation for altergang.

Bharatas Nastyashastra og Bhartrihari’s Vakyapadiya er to grundlæggende kilder til modellen. De fleste af de begreber, der er trukket på (for eksempel sadharanikaran, sahridayata, rasawadana, sakshatkara osv.)  er formelle begreber, der er fast etableret på sanskritisk poetik, æstetik og lingvistik samt andre discipliner af hinduistiske religionsfilosofiske videnssystemer. Disse begreber er grundlaget for, at SMC er etableret.

Kort fortalt, følgende punkter præsenterer omridset af SMC:

1.       Strukturen af modellen er ikke lineær. Det indeholder begreber tovejs kommunikationsproces, der resulterer i gensidig forståelse af de kommunikationspartier. Således, er den fri for begrænsningerne af lineære kommunikationsmodeller.

2.       Modellen illustrerer, hvordan en vellykket kommunikation er mulig i hinduistisk samfund, hvor komplekse hierarkier af kaster, sprog, kulturer og religiøs praksis er fremherskende. Sahridayata hjælper de kommunikerende til at gennemsyre det ulige forhold, der hersker i samfundet, og selve processen for kommunikation lettes.

3.       Samspillet mellem de kommunikationspartier er af afgørende betydning i sadharanikaran. Her det er ikke en årsag til forholdet, men forholdet i sig selv er signifikant. For eksempel, guru- shishya forholdet er altid som helligt i sig selv. Og i modsætning til i tilfælde de fleste kommunikationsteorier og modeller fra vesten, er dette ikke lægger vægt på dominans af afsenderen. Modellen giver snarere lige stor betydning for begge kommunikationspartierne. 

4.       Modellen viser, at abhivyanjana (kodning) og rasaswadana (dekoding) er de grundlæggende aktiviteter i kommunikation. Med andre ord er de afgørende tidspunkter i sadharanikaran (Kommunikation).

5.       Det viser, at hinduistisk perspektiv på kommunikation fremhæver mere om intern eller intrapersonel aktivitet. For eksempel både processerne for kodning og afkodning består af fire lags mekanisme i sin ideelle form. Kommunikation involverer mere erfaring indvendig end objektiv rationalitet af de sensoriske organer.

6.       Ved levering af sandarbha (kontext), modellen præciserer, hvordan meningen kunne leveres til meddelelsen, selvom afsenderen ikke er identificeret til modtageren. Den tilsigtede mening af enhver besked kan konstateret på grund af konteksten uden at bestemme den egentlige hensigt i talerens sind, bare ved at tage kontekstuelle faktorer i betragtning. På grund af konteksten en tekst kan bevare sin objektiv meningen.

7.       SMC viser, at omfanget af kommunikation fra hinduistisk perspektiv er bredt. Som forudset i modellen kommunikationen er bredere nok til at håndtere alle livets tre dimensioner: adhibhautika (fysisk eller svag) adhidaivika (mental) og adhyatmika (åndelig). I social eller verdslig sammenhæng er kommunikation sådan en proces, hvormed i ideelle forhold mennesker opnår sahridayata. I mental sammenhæng kommunikation er processen med til at opnå sand viden samt lignende gensidig erfaring. Men det er ikke hele historien; den har også en åndelig dimension.

8.       Målet med kommunikation som det er tanken i modellen er helt bestemt at opnå fælleshed eller gensidig forståelse. Men målet ville ikke være begrænset til netop dette omfang. Ligesom Vedic Hinduism altid lægger vægt på at opnå alle purushartha chatustayas (dvs. fire mål for livet: artha, kama, dharma og moksha), modellen opfatter også kommunikationen, der er i stand til at nå alle disse mål. Således, modellen er i perfekt sammenhæng med Vedic Hindu World View. 

      Sadharanikaran som koncept/teori bør ikke forveksles med Sadharanikaran kommuniktionsmodellen (SMC). Den tidligere, som er en af de væsentlige teorier i sanskrit poetik og andre discipliner, har sin egen rod i Bharata Munis Natyashastra og er identificeret med Bhattanayaka. Mens SMC refererer til en model for kommunikation som trækker på det klassiske koncept/ teori af sadharanikaran sammen med andre ressourcer for at visualisere hinduiske perspektiver på kommunikation, blev først udviklet og foreslået i 2003.

      Den meta- teoretiske antagelse af modellen er Vedantic. Hindu måde at kommunikere sikkert lægger vægt på intern eller intrapersonel aktivitet. Det er forståeligt, at abhivyanjana og rasaswadana er de grundlæggende aktiviteter i kommunikation, og i hinduistiske liv kommunikation involverer mere erfaring end objektiv rationalitet i de sensoriske organer. Denne tendens letter sahridayata og andre begreber, der skal materialiseres praktisk. Således, kommunikation resulterer i fællesskab i det hinduistiske samfund.

Selected Bibliography:

Adhikary, N. M. (2003). Hindu awadharanama sanchar prakriya [Communication in Hindu concept]. A dissertation presented to Purvanchal University, Nepal in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism.

Adhikary, N. M. (2007). Sancharyoga: Verbal communication as a means for attaining moksha. A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Pokhara University, Nepal in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy.

Adhikary, N. M. (2009). An introduction to sadharanikaran model of communication. Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 3(1), 69-91.

Adhikary, N. M. (2010). Sancharyoga: Approaching communication as a vidya in Hindu orthodoxy. China Media Research, 6(3), 76-84.

Adhikary, N.M. (2011). Theorizing communication: A model from Hinduism. In Y.B. Dura (Ed.), MBM anthology of communication studies (pp. 1-22). Kathmandu: Madan Bhandari Memorial College.
Adhikary, N. M. (2012). Hindu teaching on conflict and peacemaking. In L. Marsden (Ed.), Ashgate research companion on religion and conflict resolution (pp. 67-77). Farnham, Surrey (UK): Ashgate Publishing.

Adhikary, N.M. (2013). Communication theory and classical Sanskrit texts. Rural Aurora, 2, 112-125.

Adhikary, N. M. (2014). Theory and practice of communication – Bharata Muni. Bhopal: Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication.

Adhikary, N. M. (2016). Hinduism. International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy, pp. 831-838.