Quest For A Proper Perspective In Vedic Interpretation

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Quest for a Proper Perspective in Vedic Interpretation" by Prof. N. M. Kansara:

The article critically examines the prevalent difficulties and divergent interpretations of the Vedas, particularly the Rigveda, and argues for a re-evaluation of scholarly approaches.

Key Issues and Criticisms Raised:

• The Yawning Gap: A significant concern is the thousand-year gap between the Vedic seers (mantra-kavis) and the earliest commentators and grammarians like Yaska and Panini. This temporal distance raises doubts about whether later commentators truly grasped the original meaning or "flavor" of the Vedas.
• External and Internal Criticisms:
  • Western Indologists: The author highlights how Western scholars, for over a century, have questioned the Vedic tradition. They point to statements from texts like the Mundakopanishad (which subordinates the Vedas to Upanishads) and the Bhagavad Gita (calling Vedic pronouncements "flowery speech" of the immature).
  • Kautsa's View: Yaska's Nirukta mentions Kautsa branding Vedic mantras as "meaningless."
  • Sayana's Ritualistic Interpretation: The ritualistic focus of the influential commentator Sayana is seen as diminishing the potential for discovering mystic or philosophical values in the Vedas.
  • Buddhist and Jain Rejection: The early rejection of Vedic authority by Buddhism and Jainism is also cited as contributing to the perception of Vedas as merely worldly and primitive.
• The Paradox of Reverence and Weakened Tradition: Louis Renou's observation of a paradox is noted: while Vedas are revered as omniscient and the source of Dharma, the philological traditions supporting them have weakened or been lost, leading to a superficial reverence.
• Authenticity of the Text: The author discusses the claim by some Indologists that the currently preserved oral tradition of the Rigveda, though orally transmitted for millennia, might be a "palimpsest," suggesting a move towards reconstructing an original "rishi-kavi" form based on assumed rhythmic regularity. This is presented as an attack on the notion of an uncorrupted text.
• Bias in Western Scholarship: A significant portion of the article is dedicated to exposing the alleged political, religious, and theological biases of many Western Indologists.
  • Missionary Intent: The founding of the Boden Professorship at Oxford is highlighted, specifically mentioning its aim to facilitate the conversion of Indians to Christianity. The works of its early holders, like H.H. Wilson, are presented as evidence of this agenda.
  • Rudolf Roth and the Sanskrit Wörterbuch: Roth's belief that a European exegete could understand the Veda better than Sayana is noted. However, Theodor Goldstücker is cited to critique the Sanskrit Wörterbuch (co-edited by Roth and Boethlingk) for its "profoundest grammatical ignorance," creating its own meanings, falsifying antiquity, and suppressing native commentaries. Goldstücker's critique of Boethlingk's inability to understand Panini is also mentioned.
  • William Dwight Whitney: Whitney's support for Roth's method, which relied on philology and "guessing" meanings from recurring words, is critiqued for its limitations when a word doesn't appear frequently enough.
  • Max Müller's Bias: Max Müller is described as a "bigoted and dogmatic Christian," with quotes suggesting a belief in the gradual education of humanity for Christianity and viewing Vedic hymns as childish and the Indian religion as doomed.
  • Sir Monier-Williams: As Wilson's successor, he explicitly stated his life's aim was to facilitate the translation of "sacred Scriptures" into Sanskrit and promote knowledge of Indian religions as a key to India's "religious needs," with the ultimate goal of Christianity's complete victory over Brahmanism.
  • Winternitz's Bias: Winternitz is also accused of theological bias for upholding the sublimity of the Old Testament without acknowledging the sublimity of texts like the Bhagavad Gita or the Nasadiya Sukta.
• Consequences of Biased Scholarship: The author argues that this "combined and organized conspiracy" has led to a widespread acceptance among educated Indians and modern scholars that the Rigveda hymns are merely sacrificial compositions of a primitive race, devoid of deeper philosophical or mystical meaning.
• Limitations of European Temperament: The article suggests that despite scholarly rigor, European studies were limited by a "temperamental mould" opposed to the Indian spirit, relying on conjectures and inexact sciences like comparative philology, mythology, and religion.
• The Way Forward:
  • Abandon Prejudices: Indians should abandon preconceived notions and approach the Vedas with a genuine desire to find truth, rather than blindly following 19th-century European scholarship.
  • New Tools and Resources: The author points to the availability of new tools and resources, including correct editions of the Rigveda, commentaries by various traditional scholars (including Dayananda Sarasvati), comprehensive indices, and critical studies by modern scholars like Anand Coomaraswamy, Shri Aurobindo, and others.
  • Holistic Approach: A call is made for integrating text-critical, exegetical, literary, linguistic, grammatical, lexicographical, historical, sociological, psychological, and parapsychological studies.
  • Importance of Traditional Interpretation: Crucially, the ancient interpretative traditions found in the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, Nighantus, Pratisakhyas, Niruktas, and Paninian grammar should be given due weight due to their chronological proximity to the Vedas.
  • Reinterpreting Yaska and Panini: Yaska's "etymologies" are to be understood not as derivations showing ignorance, but as providing equivalent sense-roots to illuminate different shades of meaning. Panini's grammar is also acknowledged as a valuable tool for interpretation.
  • Mystic Nature of the Vedas: The hymns of the Rigveda should not be seen merely as prayers for worldly benefits but as containing "riches of occult and spiritual truths" hidden within symbolic imagery, reflecting the mystic nature of the language and thought.

In essence, the article advocates for a paradigm shift in Vedic interpretation, moving away from historically biased Western approaches and embracing a more holistic, nuanced, and respectful engagement with both traditional Indian scholarship and contemporary critical studies, with a particular emphasis on recognizing the inherent mystic and philosophical depth of the Vedic texts.