Essays in Indian Philosophy, Religion and Literature

The issues discussed in the essays pertain to various aspects of Indian culture. Analysis of the Vedic pantheon is juxtaposed with comparative approach to mythology (Rahul Peter Das, Paolo Magnone). Examination of different historical and textual layers of Vedic exegesis (Tatiana Y. Elizarenkova, Cezary Galewicz, Joanna Jurewicz, Sven Sellmer) is enriched by reflection on Sanskrit epics and Puranas (Horst Brinkhaus, John Brockington, Mary Brockington, Satya Vrat Shastri). Insightful pursuance of various semantic developments (Minoru hara), combined with Bhartriharis Philosophy of language and complexities and paradoxes embedded in phraseology (Claus Oetke, hideyo Ogawa) are interwoven with, on the one hand, the question of rationality and philosophic discourse as reflected in Indian dialectical tradition (Jonardon Ganeri, Shoryu Katsura, Ernst Prets) and in the Vedantic hermeneutics (Halina Marlewicz), and with, on the other, the issue of individual freedom against the soteriological background (Marzenna Jakubczak).

The section on Indian poetry and poetics is ranging from Sanskrit kavya (Klaus Karttunen, Lidia Sudyka, Anna Trynkowska) to medieval and modern Hindi poetry (Renata Czekalska, Kunwar Narain, Danuta Stasik). Historical and social considerations of the concept of democracy and the so-called 'republics' in ancient India (Albrecht Wezler) are included in the separate section on Artha-Sastra. A report on Giuseppe Tucci's collection of Sanskrit manuscripts (Francesco Sferra), accompanied by two facsimile manuscript samples, raises the question of the importance of the preservation of intellectual heritage of the humankind. Two papers deal with the problem of dating of Sanskrit philosophy treatises (Piotr Balcerowicz, Marek Mejor).

Dr. Piotr Balcerowicz is a scholar at Studia Indologiczne Instytut Orientalistyczny, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland. Currently, he is working on a project on Akalanka at Hamburg University in Germany.

Dr. Marek Mejor is Professor in the same Institute.

We are happy to present a collection of essays in disciplines that are vital to the understanding of the profusion of approaches to reality in India, with the hope that the contributions will deepen our knowledge of cultural heritage of the Indian Subcontinent and of the whole region inspired directly or indirectly by Indian culture, values, rational and religious concepts.

In the era of rapid globalisation, the importance of Indian as well as Oriental studies——stated jointly, in keeping with the maxim of ‘the cattle and bulls’: —has become more fundamental than customarily recognized it is the competence to comprehend manifold cultural phenomena and traditions, none of which are taken to be absolute or privileged, as well as the incentive to pursue basic human cognitive instinct and interpretative faculty, that lie at the core of the humanities.

Although the title explicitly refers only to Indian philosophy, religion and literature, nevertheless the volume also incorporates—in accordance with the maxim: ——the results of research in ancient and modern culture, religiosity, rationalistic attitudes, axiology, intercultural exchange of ideas, language as communicative groundwork, concepts of personality and society, the notion of freedom and liberation etc.

The issues discussed in the essays pertain to various aspects of Indian poetry and poetics, ranging from Sanskrit kavya (Klaus Karttunen, Lidia Sudyka, Anna Trynkowska) to medieval and modern Hindi poetry (Renata Czekalska, Kunwar Narain, Danuta Stasik). Analysis of personalities of personages of the Vedic pantheon is juxtaposed with comparative approach to Indian mythology (Rahul Peter Das, Paolo Magnone). Examination of different historical and textual layers of Vedic exegesis (Tatiana Y. Elizarenkova, Cezary Galewicz, Joanna Jurewicz, Sven Sellmer) is enriched by reflection on Sanskrit epics and Puranas (Horst Brinkhaus, John Brockington, Mary Brockington, Satya Vrat Shastri). Insightful pursuance of various semantic developments (Minoru Hara), combined with Bhartrhari’s philosophy of language and complexities and paradoxes embedded in phraseology (Claus Oetke,-Hideyo Ogawa) are interwoven with, on the one hand, the question of rationality and philosophic discourse as reflected in Indian dialectical tradition (Jonardon Ganeri, Shoryu Katsura, Ernst Prets) and in the Vedantic hermeneutics (Halina Marlewicz), and with, on the other, the issue of individual freedom against the soteriological background (Marzenna Jakubczak). Historical and social considerations of the concept of democracy and the so-called ‘republics’ in ancient India (Albrecht Wezler) are included in the separate section of Artha-sastra. A report on Giuseppe Tucci’s collection of Sanskrit manuscripts (Francesco Sferra), accompanied by two facsimile manuscript samples, raises the question of the importance of the preservation of intellectual heritage of the humankind. Two papers deal with the problem of dating of Sanskrit philosophical treatises (Piotr Balcerowicz, Marek Mejor).

The essays presented in the volume are the aftermath of the International Conference on Sanskrit and Related Studies to Commemorate the Centenary of the Birth of Stanislaw Schayer (8.05.1899—l.l2.l94l), an eminent Polish. Sanskritist and Buddhologist, the founder of the Oriental Institute of Warsaw University. The (Conference was held at Warsaw University, between October 7-10, 1999.

The present edition appears as Volume One of the Series Warsaw Indological Studies by the arrangement with Motilal Banarsidass Private Limited, Delhi. Our thanks are due to Messrs Jain, the Directors, for their kind co—operation.

We wish to extend our most sincere thanks to Mr. Vijay Tyagi (T&T Julida Co.) and M/S ALLcom Sp. z.o.o. (Gdynia) for their financial support, without which neither the International Conference on Sanskrit and Related Studies held in Warsaw nor the present publication would be possible.

Special thanks are due to our colleague Ms. Anna Trynkowska, who helped in the editorial work over the present volume.

It is our hope that the Essays in Indian Philosophy, Religion and Literature should one way or another contribute to a wider acknowledgement of the importance and relevance of the research on the diversity of Indian culture for the better understanding of Occidental intellectual legacy as well, and vice versa. Hopefully, also the reader will find the present volume rewarding

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