recent controversies

[Timothy C. Cahill]

Disputants!

   I came across a nice line attributed to a Naiyaayika by the
Vaiyaakaranas:

"asmaakuunaaM naiyaayikezaam arthani taatparyam zabdani kozcintaa!"

(It seems to lose something in transliteration...)
This reminded me just a bit of the ongoing debates on the list between
scientists and Indologist/philologists. The following 'exchange' is also
supplied as a parody of a fruitless debate between the same two:

Vaiy: "Naiyaayikaah pazavah!"

Naiy: "VaiyaakaraNaas tRNavah!"

Vaiy: "tRNava iti katham?!"

Naiy: "pazava iti yatham!!"

Vaiy: "azuddham iva vakSyase."

Naiy: "mahe raNaaya cakSase."

The latter was declared the winner, which just goes to show what can
happen if you shout a Vedic mantra loud enough --and at just the right
moment.

sham,
Tim Cahill