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In recent decades, Hindutva forces have gained more and more political influence in India, and their rhetoric continually emphasizes that India is home to ancie

In recent decades, Hindutva forces have gained more and more political influence in India, and their rhetoric continually emphasizes that India is home to ancient Vedic wisdom unparalled in the world, and that Sanskrit is some kind of super-language handed down by the gods millions of years ago (instead of a codified form for sacramental use of an ordinary language spoken just a few thousand years ago). And yet, while many Indians are swelling with patriotic pride at their country’s inheritance, actual classical philology is dying and largely done by interested foreigners. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied within India, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. Yes, of course you’ll hear urban myths about whole villages speaking Sanskrit or whatever, but this is always huge exaggeration that gets perpetuated for decades.

dr_dshiv 6y ago
> actual classical philology is dying. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. I've also heard that there is anger when non-Indian scholars study Sanskrit. Cambridge shut down their Sanskrit program, after 150 years. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-study-hinduism-and-india-face-hostile-climate https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-...
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- deepglacier 6y ago
  The reason for this anger is the fear of losing control of the narrative. By keeping the Sanskrit scriptures arcane, they can build their own narratives around it. But when scholars start studying those text, the cat will be out of the bag. They may feel that it is harmful to the Hindutva interests when scholars write about the procedure for cow sacrifice mentioned in Yajur Veda or the racism and misogyny perpetuated by Manu Smriti or the Soma drinking revelry in Rigveda. These efforts to stop others knowing these scriptures are happening since pre-historic times and even codified in Hindu Law. Dharmasutra says "If he (Sudra) listens in on a vedic recitation, his ears shall be filled with molten tin or lac; if he repeats it, his tongue should be cut off; if he commits it to memory, his body should be split."[1] Dharmasutra, written circa 600 BCE, is a book on Hindu Law and Sudra is the lowest class in the Varna system. The ban on Wendy Doniger's book in India is a case in point. References: [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snippet&q=molten%20tin%20or%20lac&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snip... [2] https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm [3] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-reasons-why-manu-smriti-was-burned-down-399546 https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-rea... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger
  - truth_be_told 6y ago
    Your post is disingenuous and ignorant. Like most people who have not studied the subject, you have gone with "sound bites" highlighting the negatives without any context thus distorting the whole discourse. In the interest of "personal edification" i suggest a study of the following; Do you know that there are many texts called "Dharmasutras" (your cherry-picked quote is from Gautama's)? Do you know how the concept of Varnas began, debated, evolved and interpreted from ancient through medieval texts? Before the later texts there was no ideology of fixed Varnas but only a mapping of the concept of "purity" to something called a "Varna" i.e. the idea of a rigid "Caste" did not exist. It was a cultural manifestation during a certain period which had unfortunately propagated and later taken as the "truth". A careful study of Hindu Dharma texts would reveal the fact that it was never a single "ideology" like Islam/Christianity but a constantly evolving system of ideas towards a better Society. I highly suggest reading Prof. Patrick Olivelles's paper "Caste and Purity: A study in the language of the Dharma literature" to really understand the issues involved. PS: Wendy Doniger is a hack. Anybody who interprets thousand year old texts from a different place and time using modern sensibilities cannot be considered a "Scholar".
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    - bluetreeroot 6y ago
      > you have gone with "sound bites" highlighting the negatives without any context thus distorting the whole discourse. Please provide some context around the following texts from Dharmasutra. 1) Criminal and Civil Law: "If he (Sudra) has sex with an Arya woman, his penis should be cut off and all his property should be confiscated." (Verse 12.1) 2) Contact with Impure Persons: "When a man touches an outcaste, a Candala, a woman who has just given birth or is menstruating, a corpse, or someone who has touched any of these, he becomes purified by bathing with his clothes on." (Verse 15.5) Note: Candala is a low caste Hindu. 3) Pollution and Remedies: "An ancestral offering is ruined if it is seen by a dog, a Candala, or an outcaste." (Verse 15.24) 4) Unfit Food: "The following are unfit to be eaten: food into which hair or an insect has fallen; what has been touched by a menstruating woman, ..." (Verse 17.9) Source: The Dharmasutras: The Law Codes of Ancient India, Oxford University Press, 1999 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability

dr_dshiv 6y ago

> actual classical philology is dying. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. I've also heard that there is anger when non-Indian scholars study Sanskrit. Cambridge shut down their Sanskrit program, after 150 years. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-study-hinduism-and-india-face-hostile-climate https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-...

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deepglacier 6y ago
The reason for this anger is the fear of losing control of the narrative. By keeping the Sanskrit scriptures arcane, they can build their own narratives around it. But when scholars start studying those text, the cat will be out of the bag. They may feel that it is harmful to the Hindutva interests when scholars write about the procedure for cow sacrifice mentioned in Yajur Veda or the racism and misogyny perpetuated by Manu Smriti or the Soma drinking revelry in Rigveda. These efforts to stop others knowing these scriptures are happening since pre-historic times and even codified in Hindu Law. Dharmasutra says "If he (Sudra) listens in on a vedic recitation, his ears shall be filled with molten tin or lac; if he repeats it, his tongue should be cut off; if he commits it to memory, his body should be split."[1] Dharmasutra, written circa 600 BCE, is a book on Hindu Law and Sudra is the lowest class in the Varna system. The ban on Wendy Doniger's book in India is a case in point. References: [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snippet&q=molten%20tin%20or%20lac&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snip... [2] https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm [3] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-reasons-why-manu-smriti-was-burned-down-399546 https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-rea... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger
- truth_be_told 6y ago
  Your post is disingenuous and ignorant. Like most people who have not studied the subject, you have gone with "sound bites" highlighting the negatives without any context thus distorting the whole discourse. In the interest of "personal edification" i suggest a study of the following; Do you know that there are many texts called "Dharmasutras" (your cherry-picked quote is from Gautama's)? Do you know how the concept of Varnas began, debated, evolved and interpreted from ancient through medieval texts? Before the later texts there was no ideology of fixed Varnas but only a mapping of the concept of "purity" to something called a "Varna" i.e. the idea of a rigid "Caste" did not exist. It was a cultural manifestation during a certain period which had unfortunately propagated and later taken as the "truth". A careful study of Hindu Dharma texts would reveal the fact that it was never a single "ideology" like Islam/Christianity but a constantly evolving system of ideas towards a better Society. I highly suggest reading Prof. Patrick Olivelles's paper "Caste and Purity: A study in the language of the Dharma literature" to really understand the issues involved. PS: Wendy Doniger is a hack. Anybody who interprets thousand year old texts from a different place and time using modern sensibilities cannot be considered a "Scholar".
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  - bluetreeroot 6y ago
    > you have gone with "sound bites" highlighting the negatives without any context thus distorting the whole discourse. Please provide some context around the following texts from Dharmasutra. 1) Criminal and Civil Law: "If he (Sudra) has sex with an Arya woman, his penis should be cut off and all his property should be confiscated." (Verse 12.1) 2) Contact with Impure Persons: "When a man touches an outcaste, a Candala, a woman who has just given birth or is menstruating, a corpse, or someone who has touched any of these, he becomes purified by bathing with his clothes on." (Verse 15.5) Note: Candala is a low caste Hindu. 3) Pollution and Remedies: "An ancestral offering is ruined if it is seen by a dog, a Candala, or an outcaste." (Verse 15.24) 4) Unfit Food: "The following are unfit to be eaten: food into which hair or an insect has fallen; what has been touched by a menstruating woman, ..." (Verse 17.9) Source: The Dharmasutras: The Law Codes of Ancient India, Oxford University Press, 1999 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability