Devolutionary/Evolutionary Paradigms

[Gene Thursby]

	Can anyone recommend 18th-19th century sources from India that
particularly well illustrate (or are pertinent to) the twin themes that
Paul Courtright noted -- the 18th-20th century "recovery" of practices
from ancient India in the service of what M. Eliade called "the prestige
of origins" or, alternatively, the introduction of innovations in service
of "reform" or "progress" without loss of the "essential genius" of Indic
culture(s).
	Of course there is an ocean of material that contributed to the
formation, development, and application of these simple paradigms in
India.  I know some of it fairly well -- e.g., most of what was produced
by the Arya Samaj, some of what was produced by figures variously
associated with the Brahmo Samaj, etc. -- but would like to take this
occasion to inquire whether someone might wish to commend any particularly
influential or eloquent document(s) that would merit current attention. 

Gene Thursby
University of Florida
<gthursby at religion.ufl.edu>