is the Gita dishonest?

[Michael Witzel]

Just as Dominik was surprised that  basic Indological research on the Gita
has hardly been mentioned,  I am surprised to see  that no one, as far as I
remember, has mentioned that some of the paradoxes in the text may also be
explained by pointing out the several text layers in the Gita.

This really is an old hat - orientalist, colonialist eh?-,  but which older
"Hindu" text does not have  such layers? To interpret the Upanisads or the
Gita as a unitary text is about as bad as doing the same thing with the
Hebrew Bible, based on the various Christian or Mormon points of view.
(Valid for a Christian/Mormon but telling us little about the authors'
intent of the Hebrew Bible).

In addition, some 75 years ago, FO Schrader has pointed to the Kashmiri
version which is a few dozen Slokas shorter than the Vulgate... which, of
course, raised a storm of protest in India (not in Kashmir!).

The last detailed critical & historical discussion of the Gita is by M.
Jezic, of a few years ago (in a paper in  English),  [I think in an Indian
festschrift ; must check the data], and note the even more detailed one  by

                        Malinar, Angelika.
                        Rajavidya : das koenigliche Wissen um Herrschaft
und Verzicht ;
                                           Studien zur Bhagavadgita /
Angelika Malinar.
                                        Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 1996.
                                            xii, 505 p. ; 25 cm.

                                           (Purana research publications,
Tuebingen, ISSN 0931-9158 ; v. 5)

This has been reviewed in IIJ,  by JW de Jong I believe, a few years ago...

So, perhaps instead of all those inappropriate comparisons with quantum
physics or what not, a little reading of the Skt. text with an open mind
and an eye to its textual layers would do an INDOLOOGY List good.

At least, I thought it was one for Indological Studies, not for
broadcasting religious or personal philosophical persuasions, for which we
have many other lists...

MW.
========================================================
Michael Witzel
Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University
2 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138, USA

ph. 1- 617-496 2990 (also messages)
home page:  http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm

Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies:  http://www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs