Buchbesprechungen Comptes Rendus

This document is a compilation of book reviews ("Buchbesprechungen / Comptes Rendus") written by Johannes Bronkhorst. It discusses three significant works related to Indology and Jainism:

1. Ludwig Alsdorf: Kleine Schriften. Nachtragsband (Supplementary Volume of Minor Writings)

   • This review is for a supplementary volume of Ludwig Alsdorf's collected minor writings.
   • The original "Kleine Schriften" was published in 1974, before Alsdorf's death.
   • This supplementary volume contains six articles Alsdorf wrote in the years following the original publication. These include "The impious Brahman and the pious Candāla," "Pali miscellanies," "Zwei Proben der Volksdichtung aus dem alten Magadha," "Das Bhüridatta-Jätaka. Ein antibrahmanischer Någa-Roman," and "Ardha-Magadhi."
   • The review notes minor inaccuracies in the table of contents regarding the titles of some articles.
   • It also addresses a work Alsdorf did not include in his original bibliography at his own request, believing it wasn't scholarly. The reviewer clarifies that Alsdorf was not associated with national socialism or racism, but rather a strong advocate for India's independence.
   • The review expresses reassurance for scholars who have struggled with Leumann's work on the Avaśyaka literature, highlighting a statement from Alsdorf that future work will differ from Leumann's approach, aiming to make Leumann's "high-tech philology" more accessible and didactic.

2. Ernst Leumann: Catalogue of the Papers of Ernst LEUMANN in the Institute for the Culture and History of India and Tibet, University of Hamburg

   • This review details a catalogue of the papers of Ernst Leumann, a scholar who died in 1931.
   • Leumann's extensive collection of over 550 notebooks was handed over to Walther Schubring and is now housed in Hamburg.
   • The catalogue lists 555 items, predominantly related to Jain texts, including transcriptions, extracts, translations, glossaries, and descriptions of manuscripts.
   • The catalogue is equipped with two indexes for easier access: one for names and keywords, and another indicating which manuscripts are covered in the notebooks.
   • An appendix includes Walther Schubring's systematic synopsis, which organized the notebooks.
   • Two of Ernst Leumann's own articles describing some of the items are reprinted in the catalogue.
   • The review quotes a statement from Leumann suggesting an attitude towards "corrections" that might seem less self-evident to modern scholars compared to a century ago.
   • The volume concludes with a bibliography of studies connected to the Avaśyaka commentaries.
   • A quoted remark from the catalogue suggests a methodological shift away from indigenous grammar and towards word- and etymological studies in more recent years, though Alsdorf's own work on Pali miscellanies is mentioned earlier. The reviewer also touches upon a statement that emphasizes the importance of making Leumann's complex philology more accessible.

3. Louis Renou: Choix d'études indiennes (Selected Indian Studies)

   • This review focuses on a two-volume collection of selected studies by the influential Indologist Louis Renou.
   • The selection is based on a 1997 bibliography of Renou's works, reprinting 42 of his 203 articles.
   • The articles are categorized into: Vedic and Sanskrit, Grammatical Tradition, Structure and Genre of Texts, Reading of Poetry, and History and Culture.
   • The reviewer emphasizes Renou's significance in Indology and expresses gratitude for the accessibility these volumes provide to his important articles, especially for those without access to extensive libraries.
   • The accessibility is further enhanced by three comprehensive indexes: Indian authors and texts, Sanskrit forms and words, and notions.
   • The review laments that many of Renou's articles were not included due to the editors' necessary choices.
   • A significant point highlighted is the editors' commentary on Renou's desire to integrate Indian knowledge within a "widened humanism," contrasting this with contemporary tendencies towards culturalism and the notion of "politically correct" orientalism, which sometimes frames it as a product of colonialism and racism. Renou's work is presented as having an enduring ethical and political resonance in this debate.
   • The reviewer hopes the collection will contribute to a broader view of humanism and humanity.

4. Paul Thieme: Kleine Schriften II (Minor Writings II)

   • This review discusses the second volume of Paul Thieme's collected minor writings, following an earlier volume from 1971 and a volume of "Opera Maiora."
   • Kleine Schriften II primarily contains articles published since 1970.
   • The review analyzes the development of Thieme's interests by comparing the thematic divisions of the articles in both Kleine Schriften volumes. It notes a shift from Vedic exegesis and word studies towards general and Indo-Germanic linguistics, and a decrease in articles on Indian grammar.
   • The volume includes a previously unpublished lecture from 1977, "Stand und Aufgaben der Rigveda-Philologie" (State and Tasks of Rigveda Philology), which contains methodological reflections.
   • Thieme's willingness to revise and abandon earlier positions ("Thiemes Radiergummi" - Thieme's eraser) is highlighted as a valuable trait that other scholars should emulate.
   • The review includes a puzzling note about "Ersetzung von adhi durch abhi" (replacement of adhi by abhi) in a context potentially related to Buddhist Abhidharma, referencing Buddhadeva's interpretation of "abhidharma" as a prefix signifying addition or enhancement.
   • The volume features an "Addenda und Corrigenda" section, a "Verzeichnis der behandelten Wörter" (List of Words Discussed), a "Verzeichnis der behandelten Textstellen" (List of Text Passages Discussed), and a "Namen- und Sachregister" (Name and Subject Index).

In essence, this collection of reviews by Johannes Bronkhorst provides insights into important scholarly contributions in Indology, particularly concerning the preservation and study of classical Indian texts, linguistics, and philosophical traditions, including Jainism. It also touches upon methodological considerations and the intellectual context of these studies.