Dear friends,

I am pleased to announce the publication of Self, Sacrifice, and Cosmos: Vedic Thought, Ritual, and Philosophy, ed. Lauren M. Bausch (Delhi: Primus Books, 2019). 'Contributions range widely across critical topics in early, middle, and late Vedic texts and their commentaries, as well as classical themes in contemporary Sanskrit literature. Essays elucidate the explanations and arguments found in Brāhmaṇa texts, the historical and ecological development of Vedic ritual, concepts and underlying messages in Vedic texts, anachronisms in commentarial exegesis, and literary devices in narrative. From a variety of philological, philosophical, ritual, gender, and literary approaches, these articles shed new light on our understanding of these seminal texts of Indian religion and philosophy. This book is dedicated to the life and work of Professor G.U. Thite.'

In addition to a biography of Prof. Thite, the volume features eleven articles by eminent scholars:

1. Timothy Lubin, 'Brāhmaṇa as Commentary'

2. Joanna Jurewicz, 'The Consistency of Vedic Argument'

3. Ganesh Umakant Thite, 'The Role of Brāhmaṇa-texts in the Development of Vedic Ritual'

4. Stephanie W. Jamison, 'Vedic Ritual: The Sacralization of the Mundane and the Domestication of the Sacred'

5. Joel P. Brereton, 'The Heavenly Sea'

6. Lauren M. Bausch, 'Pratiṣṭhā in the Brāhmaṇas and Āraṇyakas'

7. Jarrod Whitaker, 'Women, Weapons, and Words: Gender and Sexuality in the Ṛgveda’s "Weapons Hymn" (6.75)'

8. Caley Charles Smith, 'How is a Vehicular Homicide like the Sacrifice?'

9. Robert P. Goldman, 'Creating Context: Ādiśaṅkarācārya’s Reading of Three Ākhyāyikās of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad'

10. Jan E.M. Houben, 'Ecology of Ritual Innovation in Ancient India: Textual and Contextual Evidence'

11. Laurie L. Patton, 'Sanskrit as Personality Development: Emotion and Dialogue in the 20th Twentieth Century Writings of Kshama Rao'

It was an honor to edit this fabulous collection of papers, which I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have.

With best wishes,

Lauren

Lauren Bausch
Assistant Professor
Dharma Realm Buddhist University