Gentoo studies

[Shrisha Rao]

On Thu, 20 May 1999, Michael Witzel wrote:

> >> Shrisha Rao wrote:
>
> >>I still must point out that "Western scholarship" of
> >> Indic studies is often as guilty of the same sins, ...
> >>  For instance, there are elaborate rules of philology,
> >> linguistics, etc., in regard to the Vedas which have been around for ages
> >> and are part of the classical Vedic tradition, which are conveniently
> >> ignored by people propounding "Western scholarship" (which of course
> >>         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >> includes many Indians as well) of the Vedas, and said people may also be
> >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >> rightly accused of not knowing what they're talking about .
> >> >>>

> Which  "elaborate rules of philology, linguistics, etc., in regard to the
> Vedas"
> are you referring to ??
>
> Otherwise  the above statement is empty ...

All the elaborate output of the nirukta-s, the pUrva-mImAMsA sUtra-s,
etc., which is conveniently ignored by "Western" scholarship.  Why do you
think the classical period of study of the Vedas is 12 years?  Also at
`itihAsapurANAbhyAM veda samupabR^iMhayet', etc.  The argument that the
itihAsa, etc., came later is not convincing because there are references
to them in the Vedas themselves (in the Yajur Veda).  The grammar of
Panini, etc., is an aspect of the classical study of the Vedas, not a
later canonization of grammar for post-Vedic works as assumed (a concept
stated by Patanjali, and accepted by Sayana also in his comm. on the RV --
`na vA antareNa vyAkaraNaM kR^itastaddhitA vA shakyA vij~nAtuM,
tasmAdadhyeyaM vyAkaraNam.h'), yet there are fruitless discussions on what
some particular "epithet" in the Rg Veda means, to the exclusion of these
ideas.  I have yet to come across any "Western" scholar who understands
the notion of apaurushheyatva (not to require that they *accept* it, you
understand, but just to correctly grasp what the notion is), although the
wordage expended in its favor from the pUrva-mImAMsaka-s onwards is not
small, and several classical scholars have pointed out that it originates
in the RV itself.  It usually is dismissed in a few lines which misstate
the concept, and no attempt is made to clarify its origin or significance.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

> Michael Witzel                          Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies