[INDOLOGY] Johannes Bronkhorst gone

Thu May 15 15:38:21 UTC 2025

It was Johannes' *Greater Magadha*, which was published the year before I
started my graduate studies, that inspired the focus of my PhD. Even though
the results of my study of the Brāhmaṇa texts do not agree with his theory,
I am indebted to him for influencing me to explore this topic. At the AOS,
IABS, and the World Sanskrit Conference over the years I knew him as a
gentleman scholar. I will remember with gratitude his kindness and the
wonderful excitement that came from reading his scholarship.

Warm wishes to everyone on the list,
Lauren

Lauren Bausch
Professor
Dharma Realm Buddhist University

On Thu, May 15, 2025 at 6:44 AM Philipp Maas via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Like many friends and colleagues on this list, I also want to share my
> fond and grateful memories of Johannes Bronkhorst, whom I first met in May
> 2006 at the International Seminar “Logic and Belief in Indian Philosophy”
> in Białowieża, Poland, where on a free afternoon we went on a bicycle
> excursion to explore the country side.
>
> Among his numerous ground-breaking publications, some of which have
> profoundly influenced my view on South Asia’s early cultural and
> philosophical history, figures the brief article “Indology, what is it good
> for?” (Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 161,1
> (2011)
> <https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.161.issue-1>, pp.
> 115-122), in which Johannes argued that Indology needs open democratic
> societies as much as open democratic societies need Indology. It appears
> that Johannes, in this case and others, was much ahead of his time.
>
>
> Thank you, Johannes, for having been such a great scholar and a wonderful
> person.
> __________________________
>
> PD Dr. Philipp A. Maas
> Institute of Indology and Central Asian Studies
> University of Leipzig
> ___________________________
>
> https://spp1448.academia.edu/PhilippMaas
>
>
> On Thu, 15 May 2025 at 13:14, Silvia D'Intino via INDOLOGY <
> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>
>> Indeed very hard to believe, so sad, moving to tears.
>> His vivid mind, his radiant smile, his love for sharing and discussing
>> ideas with colleagues, students and friends...
>> His immense work still has long time to go.
>> I remember a long evening conversation with him during a cruise at the
>> IVW in Austin (summer 2006).
>> Now, I like thinking of him on this real and improbable boat, full of
>> Indologists.
>> Thank you, Johannes, grazie!
>>
>> Silvia D'Intino
>> CNRS, Paris
>> Le jeudi 15 mai 2025 à 11:27:29 UTC+2, Viktoria Lysenko via INDOLOGY <
>> indology at list.indology.info> a écrit :
>>
>>
>> - все
>>
>> Dear colleagues,
>> What a great loss to Indology and to all of us who knew and loved
>> Johannes as a great scholar, wonderful person, friend, and colleague! Not
>> long ago, many of us received an impressive list of his publications for
>> the past year. What has happened, was he ill?
>> We met and became friends in 1994 in Poland, near Krakow, at an
>> unforgettable conference organized by Polish colleagues. For me it was the
>> first meeting with many famous Western Indologists whom I had always
>> admired. We collaborated and corresponded with Johannes for many years.
>> Just recently he wrote to me that he was interested in my idea of a
>> linguistic hypothesis of the origin of atomism in Greece and India, and
>> that he himself had thought of something similar, but had not gotten around
>> to it...  He always had a fresh perspective on Indological subjects,
>> inspired by whatever philosophical issues were troubling him at any given
>> moment. In this respect he reminded me of the unforgettable Wilhelm
>> Halbfass.
>> It is a great sadness that he has left us so prematuraly . Rest in peace,
>> dear Johannes!
>> Attached are the photos of the Polish conference and the Vienna
>> conference where we met some years ago.
>>
>> https://rggu.academia.edu/LysenkoVictoria
>> http://iph.ras.ru/lysenko.htm
>> --
>> Victoria Lysenko, Dsc. in Philosophy, Chief Research Fellow
>> Head, Department for Eastern philosophies
>> Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences
>> Moscow, Goncharnaya, 12/1, Moscow 109240
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------
>> Кому: Shrikant Bahulkar (shrikant.bahulkar at gmail.com);
>> Копия: Indology List (indology at list.indology.info);
>> Тема: [INDOLOGY] Johannes Bronkhorst gone;
>> 15.05.2025, 11:12, "Asko Parpola via INDOLOGY" <
>> indology at list.indology.info>:
>>
>>
>> Johannes Bronkhorst surprised us all with his decision to leave this
>> world before experiencing the troubles of old age. I remember him with
>> gratitude for his friendship, inspiring research and generosity. Goodbye,
>> Johannes!  Asko Parpola
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 15. May 2025, at 10.10, Shrikant Bahulkar via INDOLOGY <
>> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>>
>> I am very sad to read the news of Prof. Bronkhorst's sudden demise. We
>> have known each other since 1977, when he went to Pune to study Sanskrit
>> grammar traditionally with Prof. Kashinath Shastri Abhyankar. We used to
>> meet at the sessions of the World Sanskrit Conference and on other
>> occasions. He started an exchange programme with the University of Pune and
>> invited students and scholars of that university to Laussanne. He was a
>> versatile scholar and a prolific writer.
>>
>> His passing away is an irreparable loss to Indology.
>>
>> My heartfelt condolences.
>>
>> Shrikant Bahulkar
>> First Dalai Lama Chair Professor in Nalanda Studies
>> Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai
>> Senior Fellow,
>> Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
>> Oxford University, U.K.
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>> ,
>>
>>
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