- Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia | Institut für Kultur und Geistesgeschichte Asiens
Austrian Academy of Sciences | Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Hollandstraße 11–13/2
1020 Wien, Österreich - +43-1 51581-6413
- Dominik A. Haas completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna in 2022. His publications, lectures, and courses ... moreDominik A. Haas completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna in 2022. His publications, lectures, and courses deal with various aspects of Sanskrit literature and the cultural and religious history of South Asia, in particular with Vedic texts, mantras, and yoga. Following an interdisciplinary approach, he combines philological and historical research with methods and insights from various fields, ranging from digital humanities to text linguistics, religious studies, and archaeoastronomy.
Haas’s first monograph is the first comprehensive account of the early history of the Gāyatrī-Mantra (https://doi.org/10.1553/978OEAW93906). His second monograph offers an annotated translation of the Kaṭha-Upaniṣad and analyzes it using a novel text-linguistic method (https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1329). He has also published articles in various peer-reviewed journals.
His research has been supported by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (AAS), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW), the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), and the University of Vienna. In 2023, his dissertation was awarded the Roland Atefie Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
As co-founder of the Initiative for Fair Open Access Publishing in South Asian Studies, Haas is also involved in promoting innovative forms of scholarly communication, and fair working conditions in the academic and publishing sector. All of his publications are Open Access.
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“Wissen ist das einzige Gut, das sich vermehrt, wenn man es teilt.”
‘Knowledge is the only good that multiplies when you share it.’
― Marie Freifrau von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830–1916)
All of my works are Open Access – download and share them in good conscience!
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See you around:
WSC 2024 • YDYS 2024 • Vedic Workshop Paris 2023 • DICSEP Dubrovnik 2023 • DOT 2022 • EASR conference 2022 • Mantra Workshop Vienna 2022 • YDYS Kraków 2022 • Facets of Ancient Indian History and Culture Pune 2022 • HeiIDS Heidelberg 2021 • ECSAS Vienna/online 2021 • IIGRS Vienna/online 2021 • MESIC Wrocław/online 2021 • DICSEP Dubrovnik/online 2020 • Paths to Liberation in Hindu and Sikh Traditions, Vienna 2019 • IIGRS Oxford 2019 • IVW Dubrovnik 2019 • MESIC Poznań 2019 • LaNaFo Vienna 2018
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Memberships:
• Sammlung De Nobili
• DMG – Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft (German Oriental Society)
• ÖGRW – Österreichische Gesellschaft für Religionswissenschaft (Austrian Society for Religious Studies)
• WPU – World Philology Union
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ORCID: 0000-0002-8505-6112edit - Marion Rastelli (IKGA, ISTB)edit
Both scholars and non-specialists consider repetitiveness to be a key feature of the concept of mantra. It is commonly assumed that repetitive mantra recitation has been practiced since the Vedic period. In my presentation, I will address... more
Both scholars and non-specialists consider repetitiveness to be a key feature of the concept of mantra. It is commonly assumed that repetitive mantra recitation has been practiced since the Vedic period. In my presentation, I will address the question to what extent this assumption is correct. Since there is no single Vedic word to express continuous, repetitive recitation, cases of mantra repetition in early Vedic and Śrauta ritual are hard to find. In fact, outside of the Sāmavedic chants there only seem to be few indications of continuous repetition. One of the few examples appears to be the Traiyambaka-Homa. The performers of this ritual-the householder and his entire family-are supposed to circle a fire while slapping their thighs and uttering the mantra Ṛgveda VII 59.12. While the texts do not specify that they should repeat this mantra continuously, given the rhythmic activity, this seems plausible. But is mantra repetition in this somewhat unorthodox ritual comparable to the "normal" mantra recitation of the Vedic priests, or is it more akin to singing? Can it be considered a precursor of the repetitive practices known from Hinduism and other South Asian religions?
Research Interests: Religion, Hinduism, Ritual, Religious Studies, Shiva, and 3 moreRepetition, Vedic Studies, and Mantra
The by far most important term associated with mantra repetition is the noun japa (derived from the verb jap), literally “muttering” or “soft recitation.” One of the most significant texts in the history of japa is the Jāpakopākhyāna (MBh... more
The by far most important term associated with mantra repetition is the noun japa (derived from the verb jap), literally “muttering” or “soft recitation.” One of the most significant texts in the history of japa is the Jāpakopākhyāna (MBh XII 189–193), “The Story of the Softly Reciting One (the jāpaka).” In his 2012 study of this text, John Brockington viewed the development of japa as being from “the murmuring of Vedic mantras as an accompaniment to sacrificial rituals” to “the meditative repetition of a divine name in bhakti traditions,” speculating that japa in this text might belong to a “transition phase consisting of a pre-bhakti-type worship of Brahmā.” In my presentation, I challenge the assumptions underlying this interpretation. I argue that the practice of the jāpaka requires more nuanced analysis, and that only individual elements of this practice have antecedents in Vedic ritual. Furthermore, I show that the emergence of repetitive mantra recitation has nothing to do with bhakti. Rather, it is part of a complex process in which elements of the Vedic ritual tradition were simplified and compressed in order to make this tradition more accessible to religious practitioners with comparatively little knowledge of the Vedic corpus.
Research Interests:
The book is Open Access – download it here: https://doi.org/10.1553/978OEAW93906 ––– The mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) is one of the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time it has not only... more
The book is Open Access – download it here: https://doi.org/10.1553/978OEAW93906
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The mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) is one of the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time it has not only been personified as the mother of the Vedas – the oldest religious literature of South Asia –, but has even come to be venerated as a goddess. Today many consider it the most important, most efficacious, or holiest mantra of all.
In Gāyatrī: Mantra and Mother of the Vedas, Dominik A. Haas reconstructs the history of the Gāyatrī-Mantra for the first time, tracing it from 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. He shows how an inconspicuous verse became an emblem of Brahminical Hinduism and presents the processes that led to its deification. To this end, he not only subjects passages from more than one hundred source texts in Vedic and Sanskrit to philological-historical analysis, but also draws upon perspectives and insights from religious studies.
The Gāyatrī-Mantra plays an important role in contemporary Hinduism as well as in modern yoga and alternative spiritual currents around the globe. This book therefore not only contributes to South Asian studies and religious studies, but is also of interest to a wider readership.
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The mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) is one of the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time it has not only been personified as the mother of the Vedas – the oldest religious literature of South Asia –, but has even come to be venerated as a goddess. Today many consider it the most important, most efficacious, or holiest mantra of all.
In Gāyatrī: Mantra and Mother of the Vedas, Dominik A. Haas reconstructs the history of the Gāyatrī-Mantra for the first time, tracing it from 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. He shows how an inconspicuous verse became an emblem of Brahminical Hinduism and presents the processes that led to its deification. To this end, he not only subjects passages from more than one hundred source texts in Vedic and Sanskrit to philological-historical analysis, but also draws upon perspectives and insights from religious studies.
The Gāyatrī-Mantra plays an important role in contemporary Hinduism as well as in modern yoga and alternative spiritual currents around the globe. This book therefore not only contributes to South Asian studies and religious studies, but is also of interest to a wider readership.
Research Interests:
No single standard translation of the mantra known as Sāvitrī, Gāyatrī, or Gāyatrī-Mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10) has ever become widely accepted. Many authors seem to have felt that a famous mantra such as this one must have, or allow for,... more
No single standard translation of the mantra known as Sāvitrī, Gāyatrī, or Gāyatrī-Mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10) has ever become widely accepted. Many authors seem to have felt that a famous mantra such as this one must have, or allow for, several interpretations and translations-a position that is not without justification, especially when it comes to mantras. Yet, translators of the Gāyatrī-Mantra have rarely taken into consideration that language changes over time, and that this has an impact on how the mantra is to be translated. The aim of this paper is to remedy this situation. It provides grammatical, morphological, etymological, lexical, and semantic analyses of the textual content of the mantra against the background of the linguistic changes that took place during the transition from early to late Old Indo-Aryan. In other words, this paper explores how the mantra would be understood by users of Vedic and Sanskrit. To this end, each textual component of the Gāyatrī-Mantra is analyzed in dedicated sections. An appendix also provides a collection of more than seventy scholarly translations into European languages.
Research Interests:
The short mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) is one of the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time it has not only been personified as the “Mother of the Vedas,” but has even come to be... more
The short mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) is one of the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time it has not only been personified as the “Mother of the Vedas,” but has even come to be venerated as a goddess. The present study reveals for the first time how the mantra gained prominence as a religious text and how it was deified. To reconstruct this history, passages from more than one hundred Vedic and Sanskrit texts from about 1000 BCE up to 1000 CE were subjected to philological-historical analysis. To explain the process of deification, the study also includes an interdisciplinary component that draws upon perspectives and insights from the religious studies. The first part demonstrates that the adaptive reuses of the mantra in the mid-Vedic Śrauta rituals were decisive for its selection as the primary initiation mantra, and further argues that this function was mainly responsible for its subsequent rise to becoming an emblem of Brahminical Hinduism. The second part traces the development of the mantra into and as a goddess up to the Tantric Age. It shows that several factors contributed to its deification, among them not only its personification, but also its identification with the goddess Sūryā (or Sūryā Sāvitrī). The results of the study will be of interest not only to classical South Asian and religious studies, but, since the mantra and its deification also enjoy great popularity in a number of modern religious and spiritual currents, to a wider readership as well.
Research Interests:
The short mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) belongs to the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time, it has even gained the status of being worshipped as a goddess itself. The dissertation... more
The short mantra known as Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) belongs to the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Over the course of time, it has even gained the status of being worshipped as a goddess itself. The dissertation presented in this talk for the first time shows how the mantra gained prominence as a religious text and how it was deified. To reconstruct this history, passages from more than one hundred Vedic and Sanskrit texts from the period between about 1000 BCE and 1000 CE were subjected to philological-historical analysis. To explain the process of deification, the study also includes an interdisciplinary component that draws on perspectives and insights from the religious studies. Its first part demonstrates that the reuses of the mantra in the mid-Vedic Śrauta ritual were decisive for its selection as the primary initiation mantra, and further argues that this function was mainly responsible for its subsequent rise to an emblem of Brahmanical Hinduism. The second part traces the development of the mantra to and as a goddess up into the Tantric Age. It shows that several factors contributed to its deification, among them not only its personification, but also its identification with the goddess Sūryā, or Sūryā Sāvitrī. The results of the study will not only be of interest to classical South Asian studies and religious studies, but, since the mantra and its deification also enjoy great popularity in a number of modern religious and spiritual currents, also to a wider readership.
Research Interests:
Although most would categorize them as sacred texts, mantras have been suspected of being meaningless. Indeed, their textual content has been shown to play only a minor role in ancient South Asian ritual, where they were first used – a... more
Although most would categorize them as sacred texts, mantras have been suspected of being meaningless. Indeed, their textual content has been shown to play only a minor role in ancient South Asian ritual, where they were first used – a fact that has a influenced both their reception and their performativity. In this talk, I present my research on a popular mantra whose meaning as a text has almost always been ignored in its ritual applications. This mantra, widely known as both Gāyatrī and Sāvitrī, belongs to the most frequently recited texts of mankind. Composed in the 2nd millennium BCE in Vedic Sanskrit, it originally expressed the desire to attain the splendour of a god known as the “Impeller” (Savitṛ). Its history is marked by three key developments: (1) in the mid-1st millennium BCE, it became the most important initiation mantra of Early Hinduism, and subsequently evolved into an “epitome” of the Vedas, the oldest collections of religious texts from South Asia. Ever since, generations of people have recited or chanted it daily, often repeating it more than a hundred times in a row. (2) From the beginning of the 1st millennium CE at the latest, the mantra was personified as the “mother of the Vedas”, and even worshipped as a goddess itself. (3) Towards the end of the 2nd millennium CE, it-along with its deified form-became part of alternative religious currents in and outside South Asia, and consequently gained global popularity (nowadays, for example, there are over a dozen YouTube videos in which the mantra is repeated over 100 times, each of which have already been viewed several millions of times). In my talk, I discuss the many manifestations of the Gāyatrī mantra and put the most important developments in its long biography into historical context.
Research Interests:
In Tantric traditions, mantras are not only used to invoke deities, but are generally considered deities themselves. They are often visualised accompanying their recitation, usually in an anthropomorphic form. When and how did the notion... more
In Tantric traditions, mantras are not only used to invoke deities, but are generally considered deities themselves. They are often visualised accompanying their recitation, usually in an anthropomorphic form. When and how did the notion that mantras are deities in their own right emerge? How do we explain the fact that mantras, i.e. essentially fixed sound sequences, were and are worshipped as deities in the religious systems of South Asia? To answer these questions, I propose an interdisciplinary approach that combines philological and historical analyses with perspectives and insights from religious studies. In my presentation, I first analyse what is probably the earliest historical case of a deified mantra: the mantra/goddess Sāvitrī. In the emergence of this mantra deity, identifi cation of the mantra with a pre-existing deity seems to have played a major role. At the same time, when looking at the topic of deification from the perspective of religious studies, we observe that the ascription of divinity in many cases also entails the ascription of personhood and agency, i.e. personification. This could also affect the deification of mantras, which, in many ways, can be said to have "divine, " i.e. superhuman, powers. The question arises as to what the driving force behind the emergence of mantra deities in general was: the identification of mantras with deities or the personification of divine mantras?
Research Interests:
In modern yoga, mantras are ubiquitous. It is often the case that they are repeated numerous times as part of a practice commonly known as japa. Indeed, already the Pātañjalayogaśāstra (c. 4th cent. CE) defines japa as a means of focusing... more
In modern yoga, mantras are ubiquitous. It is often the case that they are repeated numerous times as part of a practice commonly known as japa. Indeed, already the Pātañjalayogaśāstra (c. 4th cent. CE) defines japa as a means of focusing the mind. The use of the verb jap in Vedic texts, however, shows that it had not always involved repetition. How and when did this practice emerge? In my talk, I put forward the hypothesis that the practice of repetitive mantra recitation in yoga has its origins in the repetitive recitation of certain Vedic mantras in the Brahminical tradition, most prominently among them OM and the Gāyatrī-Mantra (Ṛgveda 3.62.10, also known as Sāvitrī). Finnian M. M. Gerety recently demonstrated (2021) that the yogic practice of repeating OM has its roots in late Vedic ritual. The Gāyatrī-Mantra, on the other hand, was, to my knowledge, the first text mantra to be repeated in the context of an individual practice, namely the Sandhyā. The main purpose of this daily ritual originally was the maintenance of the social identity and ritual purity of the person initiated with that mantra. Repeating it presumably became popular because new initiates in general, as well as those who would never learn many other Vedic texts, were not even capable of reciting any other mantra. I argue that it was above all the practice of repeating the Gāyatrī-Mantra that inspired the repetition of completely different, non-Vedic mantras, such as the Brahma-Mantras in the yoga of the Pāśupatas.
Research Interests:
Public lecture given as part of lecture series of the initiative julika of the Altkatholische Pfarre Wien - Heilandskirche in Vienna, Jan. 7, 2022 | Rauchfangkehrergasse 12, 1150 Wien | U4-Meidling Hauptstr., U4/U6-Längenfeldg. |... more
Public lecture given as part of lecture series of the initiative julika of the
Altkatholische Pfarre Wien - Heilandskirche in Vienna, Jan. 7, 2022 | Rauchfangkehrergasse 12, 1150 Wien | U4-Meidling Hauptstr., U4/U6-Längenfeldg. | Zoom details: wien15.altkatholiken.at - Meeting-ID: 703 736 906 | See https://julika.altkatholiken.at/index.php/events
Altkatholische Pfarre Wien - Heilandskirche in Vienna, Jan. 7, 2022 | Rauchfangkehrergasse 12, 1150 Wien | U4-Meidling Hauptstr., U4/U6-Längenfeldg. | Zoom details: wien15.altkatholiken.at - Meeting-ID: 703 736 906 | See https://julika.altkatholiken.at/index.php/events
Research Interests:
The short mantra popularly called Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī certainly belongs to the most frequently used and reused texts of mankind. In the course of time it even came to be venerated as a goddess itself. The aim of this study is (1.) to... more
The short mantra popularly called Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī certainly belongs to the most frequently used and reused texts of mankind. In the course of time it even came to be venerated as a goddess itself. The aim of this study is (1.) to investigate how the mantra gained prominence as a religious text, (2.) how it was deified and (3.) how it developed into an independent deity and (4.) how these processes interacted and influenced each other. The Gāyatrī mantra as a goddess first appears in the legend of Sāvitrī, in several legends and hymns in late Epic and Purāṇic literature from about the 4th cent. CE or earlier onwards, often as the so-called “Mother of the Vedas.” In several younger texts, we also find a more elaborate, Tantric conceptualization of the Gāyatrī, most prominently in the Gāyatrī Tantra (c. 10th–11th cent. CE). This study will focus on the complex relationships between the Gāyatrī metre, the mantra, the mantra’s literal meaning and ritual function, and the mythical and literary character and deity in Vedic and Sanskrit literature up to approximately the 10th cent. CE.
Reviewers' quotes:
“The project stands out as it will, for the first time, provide an extensive study on the various (and partly divergent) understandings, applications and contexts of Gayatri. This holistic approach is unique in itself and will enable the academic community to much better grasp the overall importance, role and function of the mantra and goddess Gayatri, and their interrelation. But, the study will additionally stand out as it delivers detailed information on historic dimensions including transformation processes of ritual practices in Hindu (and Tantric) traditions and the role of certain groups in these. The study, if realized, will be a very valuable contribution to the international research in the field.” 4th review (2020, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Der Antrag hat mich inhaltlich, in seiner Zielführung und Originalität völlig überzeugt. [...] Nicht nur für die Indologie ist eine kritische Auseinandersetzung und Analyse der Frühgeschichte der „Wieder- / Weiterverwendung“ eines der weltweit bekanntesten und bedeutendsten Mantren ein vielversprechender Ansatz, er kann beispielhaft für ähnliche Entwicklungen in anderen Gebieten stehen.” 3rd review (2020, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Die Relevanz des Projekts für moderne und gegenwärtige Deutungen des Hinduismus ist hoch.” 2nd review (2019, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Das Forschungsdesign hat mich überzeugt und die Untersuchung ist seit langem ein Desideratum für die Indologie, aber auch die indische Religionsgeschichte.” 1st review (2019, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Reviewers' quotes:
“The project stands out as it will, for the first time, provide an extensive study on the various (and partly divergent) understandings, applications and contexts of Gayatri. This holistic approach is unique in itself and will enable the academic community to much better grasp the overall importance, role and function of the mantra and goddess Gayatri, and their interrelation. But, the study will additionally stand out as it delivers detailed information on historic dimensions including transformation processes of ritual practices in Hindu (and Tantric) traditions and the role of certain groups in these. The study, if realized, will be a very valuable contribution to the international research in the field.” 4th review (2020, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Der Antrag hat mich inhaltlich, in seiner Zielführung und Originalität völlig überzeugt. [...] Nicht nur für die Indologie ist eine kritische Auseinandersetzung und Analyse der Frühgeschichte der „Wieder- / Weiterverwendung“ eines der weltweit bekanntesten und bedeutendsten Mantren ein vielversprechender Ansatz, er kann beispielhaft für ähnliche Entwicklungen in anderen Gebieten stehen.” 3rd review (2020, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Die Relevanz des Projekts für moderne und gegenwärtige Deutungen des Hinduismus ist hoch.” 2nd review (2019, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
“Das Forschungsdesign hat mich überzeugt und die Untersuchung ist seit langem ein Desideratum für die Indologie, aber auch die indische Religionsgeschichte.” 1st review (2019, Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Research Interests:
In this paper I use the example of the Gāyatrī mantra to outline a number of ways in which a religious text can be made resistant to disruption. Towards the end of the Vedic period, the Gāyatrī mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10, also known as the... more
In this paper I use the example of the Gāyatrī mantra to outline a number of ways in which a religious text can be made resistant to disruption. Towards the end of the Vedic period, the Gāyatrī mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10, also known as the sāvitrī) was chosen as the primary mantra that inaugurates Vedic studentship in the context of the Upanayana ritual. In the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE the Upanayana came to occupy the first position in a ritual system that accompanies an initiate throughout his life, and thereby also shapes his religious identity. Due to its position in this rite of passage, the Gāyatrī mantra became one of the most important emblems of Brahmanical orthodoxy. As such, it has followed a remarkably steady trajectory up to the present day. In my talk, I explore how it was possible for this mantra to persist as a religious text over more than two millennia. Drawing above all on the work of Timothy Lubin, I first describe the historical background of Brahminism and discuss how the Gāyatrī mantra became embedded within this ideology. I then identify the various mechanisms that made the mantra almost immune to disruption: its rank as the first and foremost Vedic verse, its regular repetition during the Sandhyā (a ritual performed on a daily basis), its employment as an almost universal means for purification, and its important role in defining and maintaining the initiate’s ritual integrity and social identity.
Research Interests: Religion, Hinduism, Preservation, Brahmanism, Religious Studies, and 7 moreRigveda, Vedic Studies, Vedas, Mantra, Disruption, Gāyatrī, and Sāvitrī
The expression “mother of the Vedas” is a frequent epithet of the Gāyatrī mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10, also known as the sāvitrī), which is the first mantra taught to a Vedic student, regardless of which Veda he begins to learn. The... more
The expression “mother of the Vedas” is a frequent epithet of the Gāyatrī mantra (Ṛgveda III 62.10, also known as the sāvitrī), which is the first mantra taught to a Vedic student, regardless of which Veda he begins to learn. The personification of the mantra is not only a metaphor: over time, it has been perceived as a real being and worshipped as an anthropomorphic goddess. In my talk, I first make a few theoretical considerations necessary to understand this development. I then argue that the deification of the mantra was not only a result of its personification and divinization, but was also strongly supported by its identification with Sāvitrī, the daughter of the sun – a goddess whose origins probably go back to the Proto-Indo-European religion.
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The problematic identity of the deity Savitṛ in early Vedic religion has sparked more than a century of discussion. Harry Falk, for instance, argued that this god, whose name literally means “Impeller”, can be identified with the Milky... more
The problematic identity of the deity Savitṛ in early Vedic religion has sparked more than a century of discussion. Harry Falk, for instance, argued that this god, whose name literally means “Impeller”, can be identified with the Milky Way and associated with the rainy season. Others have suggested that he becomes visible in the zodiacal light or crepuscular rays. The aims of this paper are to review the most important theories about Savitṛ’s manifestations in nature in Ṛgvedic times and to reassess whether and in what ways different natural phenomena and celestial luminaries may have been associated with this deity. In discussing the theories proposed so far, I not only consider the Vedic sources but re-evaluate the archaeoastronomical arguments with modern software. As it turns out, there is no conclusive evidence that Savitṛ was associated with any single phenomenon or luminary at all. Rather, he was an anthropomorphic deification of what was perceived as a certain “cosmic” or “natural” force.
Research Interests:
It is generally assumed that the verse ṚV III 62.10, also known as the “sāvitrī,” received its popular name “Gāyatrī” already in the Vedic period. This paper shows that this name was in fact introduced only about a thousand years later.... more
It is generally assumed that the verse ṚV III 62.10, also known as the “sāvitrī,” received its popular name “Gāyatrī” already in the Vedic period. This paper shows that this name was in fact introduced only about a thousand years later. As it turns out, the first passages that unambiguously use “gāyatrī” as a name are found in the late strata of the Sanskrit Epics and the Dharmasūtras, composed around the 3rd century CE. Around the same time, we can observe the proliferation of modified forms of ṚV III 62.10, dedicated to deities such as Viṣṇu or Rudra. The paper argues that the creation of these mantras led to the revival of a category that by that time had become obsolete: the category of gāyatrīs. The introduction of the name “Gāyatrī” for ṚV III 62.10 is best explained against the background of this development.
Research Interests:
The short mantra popularly called Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) certainly belongs to the most frequently used and reused texts of mankind. Why and how it came to be the central mantra of the Upanayana, the Hindu initiation rite,... more
The short mantra popularly called Gāyatrī or Sāvitrī (Ṛgveda III 62.10) certainly belongs to the most frequently used and reused texts of mankind. Why and how it came to be the central mantra of the Upanayana, the Hindu initiation rite, has puzzled many. Is it used to invoke inspiration? Is it a prayer to a universal Sun-god? Is it supposed to prepare the student for marriage? Besides the Gāyatrī, there were also other sāvitrīs (i.e., verses mentioning Savitṛ) used as initiation mantras. How is their presence to be explained? Thinking inside the ritual box, the paper will show why the creators and modifiers of the Upanayana introduced the attested sāvitrīs into the rite. A close and fresh reading of the earliest sources shows that there was a time when the initiation verse had to be selected according to certain principles. Evidently, the most important feature of the employed verses was that they address the god Savitṛ. The second criterion was metre: while the gāyatrī metre was always preferred, we also meet with triṣṭubh, jagatī and anuṣṭubh verses. Despite the fact that there are almost 19,000 proper verses in the Vedic corpus, there are in fact not many verses which meet the criteria.
Research Interests:
Throughout its history, the renowned Kaṭha Upaniṣad has often been described as being both incoherent and contradictory. The aim of this paper is to show to what purpose the text was created. To this end, it discusses the connection of... more
Throughout its history, the renowned Kaṭha Upaniṣad has often been described as being both incoherent and contradictory. The aim of this paper is to show to what purpose the text was created. To this end, it discusses the connection of the three paths to salvation depicted in the text, viz. the Agnicayana (a powerful Vedic fire-ritual), the Upaniṣadic method of self-knowledge, and yoga. The first part retraces how in the Upaniṣads, the Agnicayana was transformed into a non-material or mental ritual and linked with self-knowledge. The second part analyses how the various salvation goals (heaven, the World of Brahman, liberation from rebirth) could be related to each other. First, the authors redefined the Agnicayana's salvation goal, heaven, to make it identical with liberation. Secondly, they introduced self-knowledge and yoga as alternative and equally powerful means to the same end. In practice, however, the new and world-negating methods were implied to be superior to the costly ritual from which they had drawn their authority. Thus, the authors of the Upaniṣad were more concerned with showing continuity between different religious approaches than upholding consistency of content.
Research Interests: Yoga, Mysticism, The Self, Immortality, Mahabharata, and 9 moreLiberation, Salvation, Heaven, Vedas, History of yoga, Atman, Agnicayana Ritual, Upaniṣad, and Moksa
Der berühmten Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wurde oft Inkohärenz und Widersprüchlichkeit unterstellt: Das vedische Feuerritual, das in ihr erwähnt wird, ließ sich in den Augen der meisten Interpreten nicht mit der Erkenntnislehre und den Yoga-Praktiken,... more
Der berühmten Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wurde oft Inkohärenz und Widersprüchlichkeit unterstellt: Das vedische Feuerritual, das in ihr erwähnt wird, ließ sich in den Augen der meisten Interpreten nicht mit der Erkenntnislehre und den Yoga-Praktiken, die den Großteil des Textes ausmachen, vereinbaren. Die Master-Arbeit versucht zu ergründen, wie ein derart heterogener Text zu Stande kommen konnte. Meine These ist, dass die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wahrscheinlich verfasst wurde, um die Existenz einer unsterblichen Seele gegenüber den "nihilistischen" Buddhisten zu verteidigen. Indem darüber hinaus das alte Heilsziel des Himmels mit der Erlösung aus dem Kreislauf der Wiedergeburten identifiziert wurde, sollte der Yoga als vedische Lehre im Sinne der Brahmanen neu legitimiert werden.
Eine textlinguistische Analyse soll zeigen, wie der Text verfasst wurde. Die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wird zu diesem Zweck vollständig übersetzt und auf ihre Kohäsion und Kohärenz hin untersucht. Die Arbeit stellt die oft vertretene Auffassung, dass sich auf Basis des überlieferten Textes eine kohärente und widerspruchsfreie Urfassung der Upaniṣad rekonstruieren lässt, in Frage. Sie soll vielmehr zeigen, dass die Kompilation bereits bestehenden Textmaterials von Anfang zur Kaṭha-Upaniṣad gehörte und dass diese konzipiert wurde, um unterschiedliche Heilswege und -ziele miteinander zu verbinden. Um zu klären, auf welche Weise diese miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt werden konnten, werden die zu Grunde liegenden religiösen Konzepte vor dem Hintergrund ähnlicher Texte eingehend behandelt.
Eine textlinguistische Analyse soll zeigen, wie der Text verfasst wurde. Die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wird zu diesem Zweck vollständig übersetzt und auf ihre Kohäsion und Kohärenz hin untersucht. Die Arbeit stellt die oft vertretene Auffassung, dass sich auf Basis des überlieferten Textes eine kohärente und widerspruchsfreie Urfassung der Upaniṣad rekonstruieren lässt, in Frage. Sie soll vielmehr zeigen, dass die Kompilation bereits bestehenden Textmaterials von Anfang zur Kaṭha-Upaniṣad gehörte und dass diese konzipiert wurde, um unterschiedliche Heilswege und -ziele miteinander zu verbinden. Um zu klären, auf welche Weise diese miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt werden konnten, werden die zu Grunde liegenden religiösen Konzepte vor dem Hintergrund ähnlicher Texte eingehend behandelt.
Research Interests:
Der berühmten Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wurde oft Inkohärenz und Widersprüchlichkeit unterstellt: Das vedische Feuerritual, das in ihr erwähnt wird, ließ sich in den Augen der meisten Interpreten nicht mit der Erkenntnislehre und den Yoga-Praktiken,... more
Der berühmten Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wurde oft Inkohärenz und Widersprüchlichkeit unterstellt: Das vedische Feuerritual, das in ihr erwähnt wird, ließ sich in den Augen der meisten Interpreten nicht mit der Erkenntnislehre und den Yoga-Praktiken, die den Großteil des Textes ausmachen, vereinbaren. Die Master-Arbeit versucht zu ergründen, wie ein derart heterogener Text zu Stande kommen konnte. Meine These ist, dass die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wahrscheinlich verfasst wurde, um die Existenz einer unsterblichen Seele gegenüber den "nihilistischen" Buddhisten zu verteidigen. Indem darüber hinaus das alte Heilsziel des Himmels mit der Erlösung aus dem Kreislauf der Wiedergeburten identifiziert wurde, sollte der Yoga als vedische Lehre im Sinne der Brahmanen neu legitimiert werden.
Eine textlinguistische Analyse soll zeigen, wie der Text verfasst wurde. Die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wird zu diesem Zweck vollständig übersetzt und auf ihre Kohäsion und Kohärenz hin untersucht. Die Arbeit stellt die oft vertretene Auffassung, dass sich auf Basis des überlieferten Textes eine kohärente und widerspruchsfreie Urfassung der Upaniṣad rekonstruieren lässt, in Frage. Sie soll vielmehr zeigen, dass die Kompilation bereits bestehenden Textmaterials von Anfang zur Kaṭha-Upaniṣad gehörte und dass diese konzipiert wurde, um unterschiedliche Heilswege und -ziele miteinander zu verbinden. Um zu klären, auf welche Weise diese miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt werden konnten, werden die zu Grunde liegenden religiösen Konzepte vor dem Hintergrund ähnlicher Texte eingehend behandelt.
Eine textlinguistische Analyse soll zeigen, wie der Text verfasst wurde. Die Kaṭha-Upaniṣad wird zu diesem Zweck vollständig übersetzt und auf ihre Kohäsion und Kohärenz hin untersucht. Die Arbeit stellt die oft vertretene Auffassung, dass sich auf Basis des überlieferten Textes eine kohärente und widerspruchsfreie Urfassung der Upaniṣad rekonstruieren lässt, in Frage. Sie soll vielmehr zeigen, dass die Kompilation bereits bestehenden Textmaterials von Anfang zur Kaṭha-Upaniṣad gehörte und dass diese konzipiert wurde, um unterschiedliche Heilswege und -ziele miteinander zu verbinden. Um zu klären, auf welche Weise diese miteinander in Beziehung gesetzt werden konnten, werden die zu Grunde liegenden religiösen Konzepte vor dem Hintergrund ähnlicher Texte eingehend behandelt.
Research Interests:
In the series Puṣpikā – Tracing Ancient India through Texts and Traditions: Contributions to Current Research in Indology, the proceedings of the International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS) are published. Puṣpikā is a... more
In the series Puṣpikā – Tracing Ancient India through Texts and Traditions: Contributions to Current Research in Indology, the proceedings of the International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS) are published. Puṣpikā is a peer-reviewed series that provides early-career scholars with a platform to share the results of their research on pre-modern South Asian cultures.
This is the 6th volume in the series, containing thirteen articles based on the talks presented at the 12th IIGRS online and in Vienna, Austria on 22–24 July 2021.
This is the 6th volume in the series, containing thirteen articles based on the talks presented at the 12th IIGRS online and in Vienna, Austria on 22–24 July 2021.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Profiteering and restricted access have led to a crisis in academic publishing. The Fair Open Access movement is best promoted by mobilizing individual disciplines. With this manifesto, we, an open group of scholars of classical and... more
Profiteering and restricted access have led to a crisis in academic publishing. The Fair Open Access movement is best promoted by mobilizing individual disciplines. With this manifesto, we, an open group of scholars of classical and modern South Asian Studies, declare our support for Fair Open Access publishing.
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Profiteering and restricted access have led to a crisis in academic publishing. The Fair Open Access movement is best promoted by mobilizing individual disciplines. With this manifesto, we, an open group of scholars of classical and... more
Profiteering and restricted access have led to a crisis in academic publishing. The Fair Open Access movement is best promoted by mobilizing individual disciplines. With this manifesto, we, an open group of scholars of classical and modern South Asian Studies, declare our support for Fair Open Access publishing.
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The hybrid workshop “Mantras: Sound, Materiality, and the Body” was held on May 12–14, 2022 at the University of Vienna (Austria)’s Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies (ISTB). Its aim was to further the growth of... more
The hybrid workshop “Mantras: Sound, Materiality, and the Body” was held on May 12–14, 2022 at the University of Vienna (Austria)’s Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies (ISTB). Its aim was to further the growth of Mantra Studies as a field by fostering synergy among scholars working on mantra utilizing different materials, approaches, and frameworks. This report is intended to make the contents and results of the workshop accessible to the wider public by summarizing the individual contributions and addressing avenues for future research on mantras. Its purpose, however, is not limited to providing a snapshot of the workshop, but to serve as a tool for inspiring, developing, and situating new research approaches in Mantra Studies.
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Die vorliegende Übersetzung der Māṇḍūkya-Upaniṣad basiert auf einer 2015 erstellten Fassung, wurde aber nochmals revidiert.
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Die vorliegende, vollständige Übersetzung der Kaṭha-Upaniṣad ist meiner Masterarbeit entnommen. Da sie dort auf über 80 Seiten verteilt ist, wurde sie hier zur bequemeren Lektüre zusammengetragen und mit dem Sanskrit-Text parallelisiert.
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The aim of this short paper is to determine which verb forms are most important when teaching or learning Sanskrit. It shows that in most cases, it is impossible to categorize verbs as being either completely seṭ, aniṭ or veṭ, because the... more
The aim of this short paper is to determine which verb forms are most important when teaching or learning Sanskrit. It shows that in most cases, it is impossible to categorize verbs as being either completely seṭ, aniṭ or veṭ, because the four verb forms which are affected by this categorization often differ from each other in their formation. An analysis of the statistical relationship of these forms shows that it is probably best to learn them in a certain order.
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You are cordially invited to follow the event online via Zoom: https://iigrs.wordpress.com/date-and-venue/ The 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12) will be held online and in Vienna, Austria, from July... more
You are cordially invited to follow the event online via Zoom:
https://iigrs.wordpress.com/date-and-venue/
The 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12) will be held online and in Vienna, Austria, from July 22nd to 24th 2021. The purpose of the conference is to bring together graduate students working with primary sources in Indology so that they can build contacts and present, discuss and publish their research. We are planning the symposium as a hybrid event, but expect that most people will only be able to participate online. Information on registration will follow at the end of June. Organising committee: Vitus Angermeier, Christian Ferstl, Dominik A. Haas, Channa Li. Contact: iigrsuk@googlemail.com
https://iigrs.wordpress.com/date-and-venue/
The 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12) will be held online and in Vienna, Austria, from July 22nd to 24th 2021. The purpose of the conference is to bring together graduate students working with primary sources in Indology so that they can build contacts and present, discuss and publish their research. We are planning the symposium as a hybrid event, but expect that most people will only be able to participate online. Information on registration will follow at the end of June. Organising committee: Vitus Angermeier, Christian Ferstl, Dominik A. Haas, Channa Li. Contact: iigrsuk@googlemail.com
Research Interests:
The 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12) will be held in Vienna, Austria, from July 22nd to 24th 2021. The purpose of the conference is to bring together graduate students working with primary sources in... more
The 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12) will be held in Vienna, Austria, from July 22nd to 24th 2021. The purpose of the conference is to bring together graduate students working with primary sources in Indology so that they can build contacts and present, discuss and publish their research. Organising committee: Vitus Angermeier, Christian Ferstl, Dominik A. Haas, Channa Li. Contact: iigrsuk@googlemail.com