Saraswati: Atomic Scientists reconfirm location (Dr. Wujastyk)

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, Vishal Agarwal wrote:

> To collect data for concordances and publish critical texts is one
> thing, and to interpret data (which is what history is most about) is
> another. Dr. Kosambi's flaws lie in using his pre-conceived notions to
> distort data and derive marxist interpretations of history.

I agree that Marxist historians can sometimes be dull because of their
dogmatism, but Kosambi's writings on numistmatics and cultural history
generally are by no means dull.  He was an extraordinarily interesting
writer, and there is much to be learned from his researches.  I am not
aware of him distorting data, although I do not always agree with his
deductions.  But I referred, in fact, to his editions of Bhartrhari, as an
example of excellent scholarship which arose out of a deep engagement with
the methods of textual criticism and editorial technique, not from his
work as a mathematician.  Your comments about "collecting data for
concordances...critical texts" rather understates Kosambi's great work on
Bhartrihari manuscripts; I wonder if you have done this kind of editorial
work yourself?  It is very tough indeed.

> However, since you have banned discussion on the works of Eminent
> Historians,

This is not true.  I have banned discussion of the AIT, that's all, simply
because the topic has been discussed at g r e a t length several times
already, and those postings are available in the INDOLOGY archive, and
because futher discussion of the topic rapidly seems to become rancorous.

--
Dominik Wujastyk
Founder, INDOLOGY list.