Paul Thieme

[Guest guest]

I am sad to report that Paul Thieme died at the beginning of last week.

His funeral will take place on 4 May, at Beckenham Crematorium in Kent.

(Details, if required, from the secretary of the SOAS Department of South

Asian Languages and Cultures, Monwara Seetul <ms94.)

 

Professor Thieme was, as I do not need to say, a giant of indological

studies. His elegant, scholarly, and insightful writings have given us

all enormous pleasure and benefit over the years. One of my personal

favourite pieces by Prof. Thieme is his amazing interpretation of the Isa

Upanisad, but I am sure that everyone has their own favourite article or

book. His seminal study, Panini and the Veda, launched modern Paninian

studies. He always managed, as only great scholars do, to surprise and

enlighten in his writings; he always revealed something new and

interesting, rising above mere narration of facts, although his detailed

and scientific knowledge of classical Indian culture was of

course unrivalled.

 

DW

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, Dominik Wujastyk <ucgadkw@u...> wrote:

One of my

personal

> favourite pieces by Prof. Thieme is his amazing interpretation of

the Isa

> Upanisad,

 

The passing away of Dr. Paul Thieme is indeed a great loss to Indian

Studies. On the above, Patrick Olivelle rejects Thieme's

interpretation of the Isha Upanishad (so do I for similar reasons) -

see the relevant 'notes' in PO's recent edition(s).

The text is actually much more 'harmonious' and more of a monolgue in

my opinion, contary to what Dr. Thieme (or say, even Sri

Shankaracharya) had suggested.

 

Regards

 

Vishal

[Guest guest]

It is regrettable that an argument has developed over so simple a

matter as remembering with kind and positive thoughts the brilliant

work of a recently departed colleague.

 

Thieme's article on the Isa Upanisad is no less learned, inventive and

interesting because some people disagree with his interpretation.

 

To believe this would be to misunderstand the scholarly endeavour of

humanities at the most basic level. An altogether more important

question than whether such and article is correct---whatever that

may mean, in lit. crit.--is whether the *reader* has *learned*

anything by reading it.

 

I shall not engage in disputes about Thieme's work at this time;

rather I shall remember with warmth and gratitude the man whose

writings and lecture (I attended only one!) I personally enjoyed and

learned from. I hope to attend his funeral.

 

DW

[Guest guest]

And it is indeed regrettable that Professor Witzel has so unkindly

construed my 'by the way' statement (with reference to Olivelle's

latest work) as an insult to the memory of Dr. Paul Thieme, who I

expressely described earlier (on an another list where Dr. Witzel has

posted numerous times recently) as an eminent scholar of Indian

cultur, whose collection of articles are indeed an excellent

reference for all those interested in India.

But unfortunately, some people will see only what they want to see.

And for petty reasons, try to bait others and lower the standards of

electronic journals, discussion lists etc., making ad-hominen attacks

unnecessarily.

 

Please pray for the departed soul on my behalf.

 

Sincerely,

 

Vishal Agarwal

 

INDOLOGY, "Dominik Wujastyk" <ucgadkw@u...> wrote:

> It is regrettable that an argument has developed over so simple a

> matter as remembering with kind and positive thoughts the brilliant

> work of a recently departed colleague.

>

> Thieme's article on the Isa Upanisad is no less learned, inventive

and

> interesting because some people disagree with his interpretation.

>

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, Dominik Wujastyk <ucgadkw@u...> wrote:

> > I am sad to report that Paul Thieme died at the beginning of last

week. > His funeral will take place on 4 May, at Beckenham

Crematorium in Kent. > (Details, if required, from the secretary of

the SOAS Department of South> Asian Languages and Cultures, Monwara

Seetul <ms94@s...>.)

> > Professor Thieme was, as I do not need to say, a giant of

indological> studies. His elegant, scholarly, and insightful writings

have given us> all enormous pleasure and benefit over the years. One

of my personal> favourite pieces by Prof. Thieme is his amazing

interpretation of the Isa> Upanisad, but I am sure that everyone has

their own favourite article or> book.

 

It is a sad day for studies of Bha_rata. Prof. Thieme's contributions

will be recalled with fondness for generations to come, for their

incisive insights in promoting a better understanding of the

traditions of this civilization.

 

May his a_tman rest in svarga and continue to guide our endeavours.

 

My favourite piece is: Paul Thieme, 'The "Aryan" Gods of the Mitanni

Treaties', JAOS, Vol. 80, 1960, pp. 301-317. To my knowledge, this has

not been countered so far, effectively by any scholar.

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "S.Kalyanaraman" <kalyan97> wrote:

 

> May his a_tman rest in svarga and continue to guide our endeavours.

>

> My favourite piece is: Paul Thieme, 'The "Aryan" Gods of the Mitanni

> Treaties', JAOS, Vol. 80, 1960, pp. 301-317. To my knowledge, this

> has not been countered so far, effectively by any scholar.

 

Please consult an ANE expert, Dr. Bjarte Kaldhol's comments on

the position of Aryans in ancient Near East. In indologyATliverpool

archives. Also, M. Deshpande on Thieme.

[Guest guest]

Thanks. I have read Dr. Kaldhol's comments. They do not, in my view,

negate the analyses of Prof. Thieme which are based on solid

and authentic evaluation of textual contexts pointing out the

R.gvedic basis for the references to divinities in the Mitanni

treaties. What is the reference for Prof. Deshpande's notes on Prof.

Thieme?

 

INDOLOGY, smadhuresan2000 wrote:

> INDOLOGY, "S.Kalyanaraman" <kalyan97> wrote:

> > > May his a_tman rest in svarga and continue to guide our

endeavours.> >

> > My favourite piece is: Paul Thieme, 'The "Aryan" Gods of the

Mitanni > > Treaties', JAOS, Vol. 80, 1960, pp. 301-317. To my

knowledge, this > > has not been countered so far, effectively by any

scholar.

>

> Please consult an ANE expert, Dr. Bjarte Kaldhol's comments on

> the position of Aryans in ancient Near East. In indologyATliverpool

> archives. Also, M. Deshpande on Thieme.