[split] The Vedas - Historical accuracy of interpretations

[Lije]

(03-Jul-2011, 11:23 PM)arvindiyer Wrote: A cursory look at Puranic fragments like the Vishnu Sahasranama is replete with snapshots of how Brahminism co-opted Upanishadism (by conveniently redefining Brahmin as 'Brahman-knower')and Bhagavatism (by conveniently self-anointing Brahmins as the foremost Bhagavan-worshippers) as Dr. Kamath describes at length in his series, to come up with a chimerical please-all solution.

I don't know if linguistic analysis of this sort, where they used AI to identify multiple authors for the Bible, is possible with Sanskrit, but if it is that would be cool.

[arvindiyer]

(04-Jul-2011, 01:07 AM)Lije Wrote: I don't know if linguistic analysis of this sort, where they used AI to identify multiple authors for the Bible, is possible with Sanskrit, but if it is that would be cool.

The possibilities of computational stylistics for addressing authorship questions are tantalizing, but far from mainstream despite its application to Shakespeare's work that received wide coverage. Textual criticism as a discipline seems quite mainstream in Biblical scholarship as can be seen in this very instructive BBC documentary series.

Speaking of applying this technique to a text like the Bhagavad Gita, there are several considerations and challenges. First off, the strict adherence to Chhandas (BG is mostly in anuṣṭup interspersed with some verses in triṣṭubh) may have an effect of homogenizing styles, concealing author differences and precluding the use of certain standard computational stylistic tools such as analyses of sentence lengths. However it maybe possible to 'train classifiers' to label verses as 'Bhagavatic/Puranic', 'Upanishadic' or 'Vedic' based on certain tell-tale words and usages. It does not help that most publicized scholarship in these disciplines seems to be in apologetic circles or funded by partisan organizations.

[TTCUSM]

(04-Jul-2011, 01:07 AM)Lije Wrote:

(03-Jul-2011, 11:23 PM)arvindiyer Wrote: A cursory look at Puranic fragments like the Vishnu Sahasranama is replete with snapshots of how Brahminism co-opted Upanishadism (by conveniently redefining Brahmin as 'Brahman-knower')and Bhagavatism (by conveniently self-anointing Brahmins as the foremost Bhagavan-worshippers) as Dr. Kamath describes at length in his series, to come up with a chimerical please-all solution.

I don't know if linguistic analysis of this sort, where they used AI to identify multiple authors for the Bible, is possible with Sanskrit, but if it is that would be cool.

The Vedas themselves admit that they were written by multiple authors.
IIRC, there's a text called the Anukramani which lists the authors of each Vedic hymn.

[arvindiyer]

(04-Jul-2011, 10:14 PM)TTCUSM Wrote: The Vedas themselves admit that they were written by multiple authors.
IIRC, there's a text called the Anukramani which lists the authors of each Vedic hymn.

Does this roster of authors comprise of a mix of historical and legendary figures? What is the scholarly consensus on the dating of this roster and those named therein? Also, is admission of multiple authorship also an admission of multiplicity of opinion in the Vedic establishment and a fossil-record of redactions motivated by the arguments of critics and the necessities of the times?