A History Of Lost Knowledge In Sanskrit Literature

The discovery of Sanskrit literature at the end of the eighteenth century was the most significant cultural event since the Renaissance. The Greeks became acquainted with the Indians after Alexander's invasion; the Arabs brought Indian science to the West during the Middle Ages; some European missionaries from the sixteenth century on gained some familiarity with the ancient language of India; and Abraham Roger translated the Sanskrit poet Bhartihari into Dutch in 1651. However, it is only now that this highly advanced knowledge is being revealed. The existence of Sanskrit literature was only vaguely known in Europe about two hundred years ago, expressed in stories about Indian wisdom. In ancient times, our modern age has discovered tales of Vimanas flying aircraft; their poems preserve glacial rivers from the Ice Age. Our Indian possessions gave us the first impetus to study Sanskrit. Warren Hastings, Governor-General, seeing the advantages of ruling the Hindus according to their laws and customs, commissioned several Brahmans to prepare a digest based on the best ancient Indian legal authorities. Early in 1776, a Persian translation of this Sanskrit compilation was published in English. The introduction provided reliable information about the ancient Indian language, literature, and specimens of the Sanskrit script. With this era's technology, a limited understanding of Vedic civilization's advanced knowledge was possible. Throughout the last 200 years, we have had revelation after revelation of the advanced Vedic civilization that once existed, and we are missing an essential episode in the history of humanity. Nevertheless, Charles Wilkins took the first steps toward introducing others to actual Sanskrit writings. Having acquired knowledge of Sanskrit at Benares at the behest of Warren Hastings, he translated in 1785 the Bhagavad-gita, or The Song of the Adorable One, and published two years later Hitopadeça, or Friendly Advice, a collection of fables.

Reproduction of the original: A History of Sanskrit Literature by Arthur A. MacDonell

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.