Book Reviews

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

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REVIEWS
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takṣaṇādinimittopādānā api gṛhasthaparivrājakäv äśramiviseṣe visiṣṭajātimati ca takṣeti rūḍhā drsyante sabdaḥ/na yatra yatra tani nimittäni tatra tatra vartante/prasiddhyabhävät. P. 204: "Was weiter gesagt worden ist, dass [nämlich] Wörter mit aus der Etymologie ableitbarer Bedeutung keiner [weiteren] Erklärung bedürften, das ist nicht [zutreffend], weil man Wörter wie "gṛhastha", "takṣan", "parivrajaka" usw. kennt. Obwohl sie [etymologische] Erklärungen haben, [nämlich] das Leben in einem Hause, den Sachverhalt des Umherwanderns, das Zimmern usw., beobachtet man, dass die Wörter "gṛhastha" und "parivrājaka" in dem Sinne eine nicht aus der Etymologie ableitbare Bedeutung haben, dass es sich um Menschen in einem bestimmten Lebensstadium handelt, und das Wort "takṣan" in dem Sinne eine solche nicht hat, dass einer gemeint ist, der einer bestimmten Kaste angehört; [aber] es ist nicht so, dass diese Wörter überall dort Anwendung finden, wo diese [etymologische] Erklärungen zutreffen, weil darüber kein allgemeines Einverständnis besteht." Jha (p. 113): "It has been argued that "words whose connotation is fixed by convention do not depend upon other considerations (as those of etymology and the like)". But that is not right. Because we find many such words as (a) 'Householder' (Gṛhastha), (b) 'Wood-cutter' (Takṣa), (c) 'Wandering Mendicant' (Parivrājaka) and the like; as a matter of fact, even all these terms have their connotations dependent upon (a) the act of living in the House, (b) the act of wood-cutting, and (c) the act of wandering about in search of food (which acts are etymologically signified by the terms); and yet they are found to have their connotations fixed by convention, as applying to persons in the two life-stages (of Householder and of Wandering Mendicant) and to a particular caste, that of the wood-cutter. But it does not follow from this that those terms are applicable anywhere and everywhere where the said conditions may be present [i.e. by merely living in a house one does not become a Householder, nor does he become a Wandering Mendicant merely by wandering about in search of alms]; because such is not the recognised connotation of the terms." In several instances the meaning of well-known terms is not known to the translator. For instance she renders upanyasya by "erklärt worden ist" (p. 212) and upanyāsa by 'Demonstration' (p. 212). Also wrong is her translation of praptau satyam by "Und [wenn] ferner [die Aussage] zutrifft" in the following passage in which she wrongly changes yuktaḥ to ayuktaḥ. P. 497.13-15: jāgratsvapnayor bhūtāni cātmānam ca jānātīmāni bhūtāny ayam aham asmiti/präptau satyam pratiṣedho yuktaḥ syän näha khalv ayam ity adi. P. 213: "Und [wenn] ferner [die Aussage] zutrifft: "Im Wachen und im Traume erkennt er sowohl den atman als auch die Wesen als: diese sind die Wesen, dies bin ich" dann wäre die Negation: näha khalv ayam... (ChU VIII, 11, 1) usw. unrichtig." Jha's translation is free but correct (pp. 473-474): "Then again, it has been asserted that "during the waking and dreaming states, the man does not know thing[s], as 'these things' nor does he know the Self, as 'I am This'." - There could be room for this denial - 'In Truth, he does not rightly know himself etc.' or (xi.1 above), - only if the contingency denied were with[in] the bounds of possibility." A prapti is a provisional and wrong conclusion.
On p. 208 gamyamanasya is translated by 'zugänglich' instead of by 'cognised'. P. 491.1819: tac chariram asya samprasadasya tristhānatayā gamyamānasya. P. 208: "Der Körper gehört diesem, dem samprasada, der dadurch zugänglich ist, dass er drei Zustände hat." Jha (p. 468): "this Body is the abode of the Being in restful sleep, who is cognised in these states (of waking, dream and deep sleep)." The samprasada is cognised as having these three states, cf. Anandagiri's explanation: jāgratsvapnasusuptakhyasthanatrayasambandhitvena (p. 492.9-10) 'as being connected with the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep."
P. 499.2: tato gurutarasya pramāṇāntarasyānupapatteḥ. P. 214-5: "denn es gibt kein davon verschiedenes stärkeres Erkenntnismittel." Jha (p. 475): "Because there is no Means of Cognition, superior to (more reliable than) the Vedic text."
Australian National University
J. W. DE JONG