Sanskrit Studies, Vol. II. Samvat 2063-64 (CE 2006-07)

Contents: Editorial. Key to transliteration. 1. Rgveda is Pre-Harappan/N. Kazanas. 2. About the charms of Atharvaveda/Tatiana Elizarenkova. 3. Schools of Vedic interpretation/G.U. Thite. 4. Dharmasastra--a natural science?/M. Krzysztof Byrski. 5. Sanskrit in China/Lokesh Chandra. 6. Emotion and values in Sanskrit Literature/K.T. Pandurangi. 7. Sanskrit sociology, Hindu women, traditions and modernity/Kapil Kapoor. 8. Sciences in Ancient India/Pankaj S. Joshi. 9. Comparative philosophy: problems, assumptions and possibilities/Bina Gupta. 10. Atomistic formulations in Indian thought/Victoria Lysenko. 11. Mahendra, the poetic emperor/R. Nagaswamy. 12. The Last Buddhist of Kashmir as recorded by Jonaraja/Walter Slaje. 13. Looking for bricks as a writing material through Epigraphic by-lanes: an enchanting evidence/Panchanan Bhoi. 14. The philosophy and aesthetics of Rasa: a note/Makarand Paranjape. 15. Romila Thapar on Sakuntala/Wagish Shukla. List of contributors. Index.

"The cultural heritage of India is marked by the Sanskrit intellectual tradition whose flowering resulted in rich literature and development of philosophy, art and the sciences. Sanskrit Studies Vol. 2 is the second issue showcasing the rich ancient heritage of Sanskrit brought out by the Centre.

This volume is a collection of articles that throws light on various aspects of the Sanskrit tradition. The scholarly writings deal with schools of interpretation of the Vedas like the Niruktas and the Itihasas and evidences and arguments for a pre-Harappan date of composition for the Rgveda. They examine atomistic doctrines in Indian thought tradition, the charms and spells that constitute the Atharvaveda, the place of the Hindu women vis-a-vis ancient Indian society and traditions, and the philosophy and the aesthetics of rasa. Throughout they cite ancient Indian epics and mythologies, religious thoughts, literary works, philosophical traditions and scientific achievements to carry out a thorough and comprehensive study of the subject. There is an interesting article on issues involved in comparative studies of philosophies of two different traditions, as of the East and the West.

The volume will appeal to students, teachers and scholars of Indology." (jacket)