Bary, William Theodore de (eds.); A.L. Basham; R.N. Dandekar; Peter Hardy; V. Raghavan; Royal Weiler;
Sources of Indian Tradition v.1: From the Beginning to 1800
Columbia University Press, 1958, 535 pages
ISBN 0231086008, 9780231086004
topics: | india | reference | ancient
An impressive collection of translated texts from the Indian classics.
The VaisheSika sutras, written by KanAda, dates from the 4th c. BC. Time and space are among the nine substances of which all corporeal and incorporeal things are comprised. The full list: earth, water, light, air, ether (AkaSa), time, space, soul (or self), and mind.
II.2.6. "Posterior" in respect to that which is posterior, "simultaneous", "slow", "quick", such cognitions are the marks of time.
II.2.9. The name time is applicable to a cause, inasmuch as it does not exist in eternal substances and exists in non-eternal substances.
II.2.11. That which gives rise to such (cognition and usage) as "This (is remote etc.) from this," -- (the same is) the mark of space.
6. Throwing upwards, throwing downwards, contracting, expanding, and going -- these are the only five actions ... all such actions as gyrating, evacuating, quivering, flowing upwards, transverse falling, falling downwards, rising and the like, being only particular forms of going, and not forming distinct classes by themselves. - I.i.7
42. Time is the cause or basis of the production, persistence, and destruction (or cesation) of all produced things; as all these are spoken of in terms of time. 43. Space is the cause of the notions of East, West, etc. That is to say, it is that from which arise the ten notions -- of East, South-East, South, South-West, West, North-West, North, North-East, Below and Above -- with regard to one corporeal (material) object considered with reference to another material object as the starting point or limit. Specially so, as there is no other cause available for these notions. (Padarthadharmasangraha, vii.i.24, vii.ii.22) 90. Distance and proximity form the basis of the notions of "prior" and "posterior". They are of two kinds: (1) due to space, and (2) due to time. Those which are due to space afford ideas of particular directions. Those which are due to time afford ideas of age. (Padarthadharmasangraha, ix.ii.1? p.414)
[SPACE] SangAla, a householder's son, got up early, went out from Rajagaha, and, with his clothes and hair still wet from his morning ablutions, joined his hands in reverence and worshipped the several quarters of earth and sky -- east, south, west, north, above, and below. Buddha advising Sangala: "There are six dangers in roaming the streets at improper times: the man who does this is unprotected and unguarded: so are his wife and children: he incurs suspicion of having committed crime: he is the subject of rumours; in fact, he goes out to meet all kinds of trouble.
From the introduction: ... greater emphasis is placed upon the social and devotional aspects of [Hinduism], which have affected greater numbers of Hindus, than upon the philosophical speculations which have generally commanded the first attention of educated Indians and Westerners and have already been widely reproduced in translation. p. vi [AM: By 1958, we are beginning to get whiffs of change in Indology] Basavaraja, the apostate Jaina who argues for a more humanitarian view of religion: The lamb brought to the slaughter-house eats the leaf garland with which it is decorated ... the frog caught in the mouth of the snake desires to swallow the fly flying near its mouth. So is our life. The man condemned to die eats milk and ghee. ... When they see a serpent caged in stone they pour milk on it: if a real serpent comes they say, Kill. Kill. To the servant of God who could eat if served they say, Go away, Go away; but to the image of God which cannot eat they offer dishes of food. [p.216]
This book is noted for its poor ascription of authorship; perhaps it was largely collaborative. However, the preface says: "V. Raghavan of the U. Madras prepared Chapters IX, XII, and XIII". (V. Raghavan, was an "eminent scholar and recipient of various awards, including the Padma Bhushan, who was the head of the Department of Sanskrit of the University of Madras between 1955 and 1968 and author of more than 120 books and 1,200 articles. - The Hindu ) this popular religious movement began in S. india in the tamil-speaking area where saints arose from the time of the pallava rulers of kAnchi (c. 4th to 9th c.). in reclaiming [from the jainas] the kings and the people for hinduism, they went about singing their psalms to deities enshrined in different temples. from the tamil country this movement of saint-singers of philosophical and religious songs in regionsl lgs spread to the kannada-speaking area, whence the spark was ignited in maharashtra; then the hindi-speaking areas took it up and the whole of n india was aflame with this resurgent and fervent faith. this popular presentation of the teachings of the upanishads, the philosophical schools, and the puranic lore, coincided with the linguistic phenomenon of the growth of the neo-indo-aryan lgs of the north and the flowering forth of the literatures of the dravidian family of lgs in the south. p.346 The lord as lover: this mood of devotion - devotee is the beloved and yearns for the Lord as lover. Is found already in the Vedic hymns; it is quite common in devotional literature and the outpourings of the mystics; in music, there is a whole body of songs, chiefly in dance, which adore the Lord in this manner. 350
tirunAvukkarashu: vAgIsha, 7th c. AD: "master of speech" or appar, was reconverted to shaivism from jainism by his sister tilakavatI, and in turn converted the pallava king, mahendra varman. 348 jnAnasambandha: 7th c. vanquished the jains at the pAndyan capital of mathurai and reconverted the pAndyan king to shaivism. mAnikkavAchakar: "the ruby-worded saint", 8th c. - minister of the pAndyan court at mathurai, fough buddhism and revived shaivism. i am false, my heart is false, my love is false; but i, this sinner, can win thee if i weep before thee, o lord, thou who art sweet like honey, nectar, and the juice of the sugar-cane! please bless me so that i might reach thee. [from Tiruccatakam 90] nammAlvAr: most important and prolific of the AlvAr psalmists. (w:880–930 A.D ) He is not a male, He is not a female, He is not a neuter; He is not to be seen; He neither is nor is not; when He is sought, He will take the form in which He is sought, and again He will not come in such a form. It is indeed difficult to desribe the nature of the Lord. I am he whom I love, and he whom I love is I: We are two spirits dwelling in one body. If thou seest me, thou seest him, And if thou seest him, thou seest us both."* - Al-Hallaj, 1388, p.405
Chapter I: The Cosmic Order in the Vedic Hymns Chapter II: The Ritual Order in the BrĀHmanas Chapter III: The Ultimate Reality in the Upanishads
Introduction: The Background of Jainism and Buddhism Chapter IV: The Basic Doctrines of Jainism Chapter V: Cain Philosophy and Political Thought Chapter VI: TheravĀDa Buddhism Chapter VII: MahĀYĀNa Buddhism: "The Greater Vehicle" Chapter VIII: The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt and the Decline of Buddhism in India
Introduction Chapter IX: The Four Ends of Man Chapter X: Dharma, the First End of Man Chapter XI: Artha, the Second End of Man Chapter XII: KĀMa, the Third End of Man Chapter XIII: Moksha, the Fourth End of Man
Introduction Chapter XIV: The Foundations of Medieval Islam Chapter XV: The Mystics Chapter XVI: Religious Tension under the Mughals Chapter XVII: The Muslim Ruler in India Chapter XVIII: The Ideal Social Order Chapter XIX: The Importance of the Study of History
RN Dandekar: Chapters I, II, III, X, XI; Bhagavad Gita section in XIII Bhandarkar Inst Pune AL Basham: IV, V, VI, VII, VIII Oriental & Afr stud U Lond V. Raghavan: IX, XII, XIII U. Madras Peter Hardy: XIV, XV, XVII, XVIII, XIX [islamic] Oriental & Afr stud U Lond The second edition is substantially revised, with a section on Sikhism and many other details.