Hindu philosophical undertones in formulating library science into a scientific discipline by S R Ranganathan

Dr S R Ranganathan was instrumental in evolving library science by propounding fundamental ideas and concepts based on the principles of accountability, transparency, equity, inclusiveness, responsiveness, tolerance, etc., resonating with the righteousness, religiosity, and spirituality echoed in Hindu philosophy and Indian classics. His works based on the ethos formed the founding stones for erecting the pillars of library science and library profession. The article traces some of the spiritual andphilosophical aspects especially of Upanishads, Ramayana, Sreemad Bhagawat Gita that influenced Ranganathan in formulating laws, principles and theories which gave the status of a scientific discipline to the Library Science. This paper is a bye product of a research project on 'Ranganathan and Indology and Orientalia' supported by the Centre for Informatics Research and Development. Studies on knowledge organization under Indological subjects and development of depth classification for Indology and Orientalia are the objectives of the projects.