Saṃvāda: What is it in Philosophy?

       Saṃvāda is an ancient notion in Indian Philosophy. It is delicate to give the exact translation of the word ‘saṃvāda’, especially to translate it into a different culture and tradition. Yet, the general rendering of saṃvāda in English is ‘dialogue’ or ‘conversation’. This ancient term is found in the Upaniṣads. As a matter of fact, most of the Upaniṣadic texts are in the form of a dialogue; between master and disciple, or between father and son. Furthermore, the term is explicitly used in the Bhagavat Gītā. In essence the whole of the Bhagavat Gītā is in dialogue form. The word “saṃvāda” is found three times in the Gitā. 

      The term saṃvāda is the combination of ‘saṃ’ and ‘vāda’. The former is a pre-verb which means agreement or conjunction. The Latin equivalent for saṃ is ‘cum’ and is also found in English words like con-versation and con-junction. The latter refers to discussion or debate. Hence, the term saṃvāda can be understood as ‘dialogue’, although the term has a deeper meaning. 

        It is a ‘me-other’ or ‘self-other’ encounter. ‘The other’ in saṃvāda is not a mere hearer or listener but a pūrva-pakṣin (an interlocutor in a dialogue). Encountering ‘the other’ highlights new, different, hidden-between-the-lines aspects of oneself. In other words, it leads to an encounter with one’s own ‘inner other’. Thus in saṃvāda by meeting ‘the other’ one meets oneself anew. At another instance, in the same vein, It can be interpreted  as dialogical encounter, open discussion and even biting debate. It is a live dialogue where pūrva-pakṣins and siddhāntins (who hold their view as final and conclusive) both question each other in a dialogue.  The real  Saṃvāda can bring out the manifold aspects of truth. Thus all our endevours of Life and Truth should be based on Samvada.