FW: Some questions for the list

[Michael Witzel]

On Wed, 30 Oct 2002, John Brockington wrote,
asking for"Stefan Detrez" <stefandetrez at hotmail.com>

> > 1) To what extent was Magadha 'hinduized' in the 5th C. BC?

Good question, though rarely asked.I have been collecting materials on
this point for the past few years. See the summary in HOS-Opera Minora 2,
1997:

"The Development of the Vedic Canon and its Schools: The Social and
Political Milieu." In: Inside the Texts, Beyond the Texts. New Approaches
to the Study of the Vedas. Harvard Oriental Series. Opera Minora, vol. 2.
Cambridge 1997, 257-345

pdf at: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwbib.htm (no. 66)

More to come in March 2003 (in German).

> > 2) Are there non-Buddhist Pali texts? Are there non-Buddhist Magadhi texts?
> > If so, which are they?

As far as I know, apart from most of Ashoka's inscriptions, there is only
one inscription in Magadhi, see O. v. Hinueber, Ueberblick... (Wien 1986 &
new ed. of last year).

((Pali is of course not = Magadhi, but based on a western dialect))


> > 3) How is the new hypothesis of the Buddha being native to Orissa received
> > in the Indological community?

With silence, as far as I see, also by Ashoka, since he put up a pillar at
(Rummin-dei, S. Nepal):  hida Buddhe jaate...

Cheers, MW
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Michael Witzel                       witzel at fas.harvard.edu
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