NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/alt/hindu/147

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Subject: Re: Interpolations and Scriptures
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From: [e-mail] (Meenan Vishnu)
Subject: Re: Interpolations and Scriptures (Re: Forgeries of Hindu Scriptures)
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Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 20:03:23 GMT

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Girish) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (anand hudli) writes:
>>
>>[.......]
>> Although research done by western scholars in Vedic literature is
>> commendable, most of them had prejudices about Hinduism and India.
>> Let me quote from the introductory remarks of the book titled
>> Yajur Veda by Devi Chand, Munshiram Manoharlal Publsihers, 1980.
>>
>> "... Yet all the scholars from the west could not remain free
>>      from prejudices and could not always maintain objectivity
>>      in their writings. Some of them,.., aimed at perpetuating
>>      colonial rule in India while others expected to convert
>>      Indians to Christianity through their writings on Oriental
>>      subjects. "
>>[........]
>
>
>       Yes, while Muslim invaders did their best to convert Hindus with
>       their swords, European Christian scholars like Max Muller did
>       their worst to convert Hindus with their pens. There was enough
>       scope for maliciously motivated translations by Christian scholars
>       to give Hinduism a bad name. British officials and statesmen made
>       no secret of their intensions to convert 'heathen' Hindudom to
>       Christianity. Following are a few excerpts from Max Muller's letters
>       which gives clear idea of his intensions:
>
>       In his letter dated December 16, 1838, Max Muller wrote to the then
>       Secretary of State of Bharat, the Duke of Argyll: "The ancient
>       religion of India is doomed and if Christianity does not step in
>       whose fault will it be?"
>
>       His another letter to the Secretary of State echoes the same unholy
>       ambition: "India has been conquered once, but India must be conquered
>       again and that second conquest should be a conquest by education."
>
>       Max Muller completed a translation of Vedas in 1866. At this juncture,
>       he confided to his dear wife his very very dear aim of seeing all
>       Hindudom swallowed up by Christianity. He wrote in the letter
>       addressed to her:
>
>       "I hope I shall finish that work and I fill convinced that though
>       I shall not live to see it, this edition of mine and the translation
>       of the Vedas will, hereafter, tell to a great extent on the fate of
>       India on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the
>       root of their religion and to show them what the root is, I feel
                                                                  ^^^^^^
>       sure, is the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>       during the last 3000 years."
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I think Max Muller's achieved his objectives.  Since his translations of
Vedas, there had been a growing awareness among Hindus that Vedas are
nothing more than a babbling of primitive men.  This awareness made
great impact in the South where Hindus (including me) think of themselves
and their religion as nothing to do with the Vedas.

Vedas are generally impure for they prescribe the spilling of blood
of animals.  They prescribe bestiality practices (eg Aswa medha yaaga).
They even prescribed purusha medha yaaga.

Many people (Sri Aurobindo for example) tried his best to re-interpret
the Vedas by giving new meanings to animal sacrifice etc.  But his
attempts miserably failed (see Secrets of Vedas) as he could not
explain every verse using his new interpretations.

I do not know of Max  Muller, but at the moment there are quite a few
Westerners who have sincerely devoted their time to learn Indian
works on spirituality and I am yet to see one who speak high of Vedas.
Even the Indian sages condemned Vedic practices from time to time.

>
>       Reference: Originally from "Letters on India" by Maria Graham,
>       reprinted in "World Vedic Heritage".
>
>
>       -- Girish.


Meenan Vishnu