Hindi, hindi, hindi..

[Lars Martin Fosse]

Dear Robert Zydenbos,

it seems that our discussion has reached a kind of impasse, we are beginning
to repeat ourselves. It has also reached a temperature where I see little
hope of some kind of mutual understanding, and finally the debate now seems
to require more time than I have at my disposal. I therefore drop out of the
discussion.

One point, however: You imply that I try to protect my own paycheck. As a
matter of fact, I am not a Hindi scholar but a Sanskritist. I was a research
fellow at the university of Oslo until June this year and I am now not
employed by a university. I have nothing to gain personally from defending
the position of Hindi/Urdu. 

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse



> From 71203.2563 at CompuServe.COM 28 96 Nov EST 14:55:59
Date: 28 Nov 96 14:55:59 EST
From: Swami Gitananda <71203.2563 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: RE: public works in Ramayana

On Nov. 27, Dominique Thillaud wrote:

>        In the 80th sarga of the Ayodhyakanda, Valmiki relates the building
>of a road, specially in slokas 1-10 the clearing and levelling. Many terms
>are not very clear to me, trades, objects ans actions; few examples:
>        bhumiipradezajnaaH are geographers, geologists or surveyors ?
>        what about the viiraNastambaaH, just weeding ?
>        what are the nimnabhaagaaH, marshes or ponds (opposite to sthalaani) >?
>        and then what about bandh-, kSud- and bhid- (confine, empty, drain ?) ?
>        etc.
>I would like to know if exists a good reference explaining this passage in
>proper terms of civil engeenering.
>many thanks,

If you haven't done so already, I would recommend checking the translation of
the critical edition edited by Robert Goldman and published by Princeton. The
Ayodhyakanda is in the second volume of the series, translated by Sheldon
Pollock. It contains very useful annotations (including references to the
traditional commentators) and bibliography.

Swami Gitananda
Agama Research Centre