Editorial Vol 2 Issue 1

Abstract

Dev Sanskriti International Journal of Hindu Studies, published by Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, continues to serve as an academic platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners engaged in the study of Indian traditions, scriptures, and practices. Rooted in the exploration of Hindu thought, philosophy, and civilization -- the Sanatan Sanskriti and Dev Sanskriti heritage -- the journal remains committed to advancing rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship on Hindu knowledge systems and their contribution to individual and societal well-being.

This issue brings together contributions spanning devotional psychology, prenatal care traditions, integrative therapeutics, and the science of Sanskars, reflecting the breadth and depth of contemporary Hindu-studies research.

The first article, a review by Aayush Mittal and Kamal Kishore, examines the potential role of Bhakti-Yoga practices in pain management. Drawing on scriptural sources such as the \emph{Bhagavad Gita} and \emph{Narada Bhakti Sutra} alongside contemporary clinical studies, the authors propose that devotional practices -prayer, mantra chanting, and meditative absorption -may alleviate physical and mental pain through psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms, offering a scripturally grounded, hypothesis-generating framework for future research.

The second article, an original research study by Sakshi Shera and Purva Sharma, investigates the impact of Garbha Sanskar interventions on anxiety levels among pregnant women. Using Sinha's Comprehensive Anxiety Scale in a quasi-experimental design with 70 participants, the study finds significantly lower anxiety among women practicing Garbha Sanskar compared to a non-practicing group, supporting the potential of this ancient prenatal tradition as a non-pharmacological approach to maternal mental health.

The third article, a case study by Neha Rani Saini and Alka Mishra, presents an integrated yoga and Ayurveda intervention for post-stroke rehabilitation. Following a 61-year-old ischemic stroke patient through three months of combined therapy at Rishikul Ayurveda College, the authors document measurable gains in the Barthel Index, Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scores, and depression-anxiety-stress measures, suggesting that integrating traditional Indian therapeutic systems may meaningfully support stroke recovery.

The fourth article, by Prasanna Gairola, Aayush Mittal, and Kamal Kishore, proposes an evidence-based yoga therapy module for peptic ulcer management, structured around the Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy and its Pancha Kosha framework. The module addresses diet, asana, pranayama, and meditative practices across the five sheaths of being, aiming to down-regulate the brain-gut axis, rebalance the autonomic nervous system, and reduce cortisol load, offering a complementary framework alongside conventional medical treatment.

The fifth article, written in Hindi by Gayatri Kishore, offers an analytical exploration of Sanskar as the foundational source of the Indian knowledge tradition. Tracing the etymology and scriptural definitions of Sanskar across Vedic and classical sources, the article discusses the sixteen traditional sacraments and their twelve-fold contemporary adaptation as envisioned by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, presenting them as a systematic spiritual and psychological framework for cultivating virtue across the human lifespan.

We express our sincere gratitude to all the reviewers and contributors for their scholarly dedication and valuable insights that have shaped this issue.

We hope this issue sparks continued scholarly engagement in the study of Hindu thought and civilization, bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary inquiry, and inspires future generations to explore the rich heritage of Dev Sanskriti.