Doniger O'Flaherty's translations (1 of 2)

[GRUENENDAHL]

I think we are gradually losing sight of the original issue. If you 
can still bear with it, please, allow me two short remarks on Dominik 
Wujastyk's latest contribution:

> I find it telling that the lines of this argument about WDO's
> translations are drawn -- as far as I can see -- along language
> boundaries.  I think (correct me if I am wrong) that most of those who
> think there is pedagogical value in WDO's translations are native
> speakers of English, while those who like her translations least are
> native speakers of German or other languages. Does this work?  Is it
> relevant?

I don't see any lines drawn along language boundaries. If I'm not 
mistaken, the question of German only came up with reference to 
Geldner's Rigveda translation. At that point we were discussing the 
accuracy of WDO's translation, not its pedagogical value.

 
> Nobody has mentioned WDO's "Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism"
> (Manchester Univ. Press, 1988) in this discussion.  Again, in my view
> a collection of diverse texts from many periods and genres of Indian
> literature which is very useful for English-speaking students, and
> well-suited for classroom discussion.  Is this book perhaps not very
> well known because of being published in England?
 

This is certainly closer to the issue than "Asceticism and eroticism 
in the mythology of Siva" mentioned in another contribution a few 
days ago. Perhaps someone else can muster enough energy and interest 
to open a discussion on this one. 
By the way, it was also published in the U.S.A.: 

University of Chicago Press 1990. ISBN 0-226-61847-1

Good luck!


Reinhold Gruenendahl
Niedersaechsische Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek
37070 Goettingen
Germany
Phone: 0551/395283