Future of Indology

The Asiatic Society is known world over as the cradle of oriental research during the last two hundred years and more, and it was therefore in the fitness of things that the Asiatic Society had organized a National Seminar on "Future of Indology" sometime in the year 2000, to commemorate the Sanskrit Year.

This Volume comprising of selected papers read at the seminar touched upon the whole gamut of Indological research in different countries including India and indicates the rich source of materials still untapped and available at the Asiatic Society's collection of manuscripts in more than 26 languages and dialects.

I hope this publication would greatly enrich our knowledge on Indology and would open new vistas on future oriental research in general and Indological studies in particular.

Dilip Coomer Ghose
General Secretary
The Asiatic Society

Kolkata
31st January, 2003

Introductory Remark

A two-day National Seminar on Future of Indology was organized by The Asiatic Society to celebrate the Sanskrit Year on January 31-Feburary 1, 2000. It was held at the Vidyasagar Hall of the Society under the Chairmanship of Professor Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury, President of the Society.

His Excellency Shri Viren J. Shah, Rajyapal of West Bengal, inaugurated the Seminar with a thought-Provoking speech stressing on the point that Indology and modern Knowledge are in fact complementary and that 'there is no contradiction between' the two.

During the two days of the Seminar 22 scholars from different parts of the country Spoke on various aspects of the theme which aroused lively interactions. At the outset the Chariman spoke on the significant part played by the Society in the development of Indological Studies. Suggestion have been made by participating scholars about the steps to be taken to make the study on Indology more meaningful. Attention has been drawn to the important role of manuscripts and utilization of manuscript materials in a fruitful development of Indological researches. It has been indicated that Tibetan and Chinese source materials can serve the cause of the future of Indology in a significant manner.

In the following pages have been reproduced nineteen such Papers as have been received in full, dealing with a variety of topics ranging from the Vedic studies to the prospects of Indology in the next millennium, including a servey of Indian studies in Russia. In the Valedictory session on February 1 Professor Biswanath Banerjee, Vice President of the Society, referred to the vast treasure of manuscripts preserved in the Society on different areas of Oriental Studies and to the rich tradition of the Asiatic Society in bringing out valuable editions unpublished texts which have always added a brighter dimension to the study of Indology. He urged on the scholars, particularly the younger ones, to come forward and to take to researches on manuscript-materials for a significant contribution to our knowledge of Indology.

It is expected that the papers presented in this collection will make an impact on interested scholars brightening the Future of Indology in a positive way.

Biswanath Banerjee

April 1,2001

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