Why review a book that was first published eight years ago?
Simply, because, it is still relevant.

Although mandatory in Indian schools from sixth to eighth grade, Sanskrit was an optional subject from grade-eight onwards. We were given an option between German and Sanskrit. I was advised to take Sanskrit because of its relevance to Indian culture and Indian languages. While all but one of the classmates, who opted for German did not pursue it beyond the tenth grade, those of us who chose Sanskrit still sing some shlokas we wrote commentaries on. The knowledge of Sanskrit, was not only continually refreshed by the virtue of being a Hindu, but also kept us connected to our Sanskriti (heritage), even though we were given an anglicized education. In essence, knowing Sanskrit worked both like a buffer and bridge.

Mother of Indo-European languages, Sanskrit is integral to Indian languages, as it has greatly contributed to their vocabulary. Although western academia has considered it a dead language for a while (Pollock, 2001), many school prayers, and all of Hindu rituals are conducted in the language that is synonymous with the word for heritage in most Indian languages-Sanskriti.

The Battle for Sanskrit (TBFS), first published in 2016, is Malhotra’s fifth single authored book. Known for his incisive commentary on how western academics view Hinduism, its practices and traditions, Malhotra’s TBFS is no different. The book alarms traditional scholars of Sanskrit, about the threat that the language faces from Indology scholars who want to shelve the language in the annals of history by a three-pronged strategy: by labelling it a dead language, divesting its status as a sacred language and examining Sanskrit texts through a theoretical lens that makes them a tool for elite to foster social-injustice.

Malhotra, whose forthright way of raising pertinent questions has gained him notoriety in academic circles is quite a sattvic critic, and is candid both in his praise and reproach. The book generously praises, Pollock for his diligence and his command of Sanskrit, highlights how his vision falls short of what he portrays his ideals to be and derides Hindu scholars’ oversight and neglect towards their own heritage.

The book, dedicated to the Hindu tradition of debate (purva/uttara paksha) begins with concerns about the potential threat to the integrity of Sringeri Peetham, one of the most sacred institutions for Hindus. Malhotra points that the crisis does not concern just one institution, but ‘threatens to undermine foundations of authority and (more broadly) Hindu dharma’ (p.10). Malhotra contends that the western methods used for studying Indian texts, do not coincide with those used by Indian scholars of Vedanta. TBFS argues that this approach to Sanskrit, is a not only a misrepresentation of India’s civilizational ethos, but if not examined critically can misguide the discourse on the socio-cultural and political aspects of India.

However, the author neither wishes to silence his critics, nor have the traditional scholars or the readers take his word. Instead, Malhotra encourages ‘serious readers’ ‘regardless of their affiliations’ to engage in ‘open and honest discussions’, with both sides (p. 8), ‘a dialogue rather than a parallel monologue’ (purva/uttarapaksha).

Divided into eleven chapters, the book gives the backstory in the introduction. First chapter provides the need for the book. Chapter 2-9 delve into Pollock’s strategies, namely, orientalism, desacralization, politization of the Ramayana, Sanskrit texts and Indian literature. Having read some of Pollock’s works, his interpretation of the Ramayana, covered in chapter five and six, were of interest to me. Due to personal involvement with the Ramlila, I can confirm that Pollock’s interpretation of the Ramayana was far removed from the lived reality of those who hold the epic in high regard. According to Pollock, the Ramayana, a text Hindus cite to teach brotherhood, integrity and living in harmony with nature, is a source of ‘othering’ the non-Hindus. However, his analysis does not study the text in the context of those who read, sing and perform it, (Uppal, 2018) which should be a basic requirement for an authentic study of any culture.

In Chapter 10, Malhotra asks a poignant question, ‘Is Pollock too big to be criticized?’. Pollock is an influential scholar (Gould, 2013), who has received awards by the Indian government. However, by his own admission, Pollock intends to influence both academics and the public by his works and ‘ to transform Indian society by reframing its civilizational underpinnings in secular terms. (p. 264)’. Not only does this sound more like activism than research, but by ignoring the manner in which traditional scholars view Sanskrit and Sanskrit texts, i.e. with shraddha, this is also a demonstration of orientalism.

Although the book is abundantly cited, there are a few instances and explanations that could have been boosted by citations. Probably because Malhotra intends to awaken both scholars and public, the book is written in an easy-to-read style and should not intimidate non-academics. In addition, the final chapter both summarizes the book and provides a future guideline for moving forward, including a revival of Sanskrit. I recommend reading Chapter 1 and Chapter 11 first to get the gist of the book, and then returning to the rest of the chapters to get a deeper understanding of the concerns raised.

This is an important book in de-westernizing Indology, both from theory and practice point of view. On one hand it summarizes the threats that Sanskrit faces from some western school of thought, on the other hand it reiterates a need for dialogue by returning to the tradition of purva/uttara paksha.

 

References

Gould, Rebecca. “How newness enters the world: The methodology of Sheldon Pollock.” Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 28, no. 3 (2008): 533-557.

McCrea, L. (2013). In the world of men and beyond it: Thoughts on Sheldon Pollock’s the language of the gods in the world of men. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 33(1), 117-124.

Pollock, Sheldon. “The death of Sanskrit.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 43, no. 2 (2001): 392-426.

Uppal, C. (2018). Saṁskṛti in Context: Critiquing Pollock’s out-of-context reading of the Rāmāyaṇa. In Swadeshi Critique Of Videshi Mīmāṁsā. Infinity Foundation. NJ: USA.