Making the Argument for Sanskrit

[Klaus Karttunen]

Dear colleagues,
I rather agree with Lars Martin. It is not much use to say that 
"Indology is a field of study that offers students a rigorous 
intellectual training that is applicable to almost any of their future 
fields of study and employment", many other fields are capable of the 
same claim. The fascination of the study and the aesthetic value are 
also poor arguments. What matters is the importance of India (and South 
Asia) and the essential role of Sanskrit in understanding it. To 
cultural and religious arguments we could also add linguistics and 
history -- everywhere Sanskrit is important.

Klaus


Klaus Karttunen, Ph.D.
Professor of South Asian and Indoeuropean Studies
Institute for Asian and African Studies
PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B)
00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND

Tel +358-(0)9-191 22674
  Fax +358-(0)9-191 23100
  Email Klaus.Karttunen at helsinki.fi