He then traces the evolution of Indian culture and literature, from the Harappan period to the modern days. He examines the linguistic landscape of India and the inter-relationship among the various languages, citing important literary and philosophical texts from the Mahabharata and Dhammapada to Tholkappiyam and Silappadikaram. The fundamental concepts of ancient Indian philosophy like ashramas, gunas, varnas, rinas, karma, dharma and moksha are examined with equal attention to Vedic and non-Vedic systems of thought. The growth of visual and performing arts, poetics, philosophy, sciences and economics is highlighted; the place of India in the larger Asian context is examined and the Indian value systems based on sruti and smriti are brought to light in their contemporary relevance.The author builds his arguments on these foundations, projecting culture as the key concept in human progress.