Sharing a researchers experience in India from a blog:[He was in search of mss etc. on Famous Baladeva Vidyabhushana, a stalwart and much revered exponent from Orissa of early 18th century on Gaudiya Vaishnava Philosophical Works. vidyabhusanaproject.blogspot.in ******************* Demian Martins About me Gender Male Occupation monk, research scholar, translator, musician, teacher, writer Location Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India Introduction Born in Brazil, I started studying Indian philosophy at the age of fifteen. In 2001 I was the first Westerner ever admitted for the undergraduate program in the Sanskrit Faculty of the Banaras Hindu University. In 2006 I concluded the post-graduation and was awarded a golden medal for academic excellence. In 2009 I defended a Ph.D. thesis on acintya-bheda-abheda Vedanta according to Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s Govinda-bhasya, covering the singularities that made it a distinct work from the point of view of epistemology, ontology, metaphysics, theology and ethics. Meanwhile I also taught Sanskrit grammar and philosophy in the same Faculty. Nowadays I am working on the “Vidyabhusana Project”, which aims at preparing critical editions and English translations of the complete works of Baladeva Vidyabhusana. VIDYABHUSANA PROJECT DIARY At some point of my first round searching for manuscripts and books all over India I realized that a diary would be very much appropriate for letting people know what it is like and what I have to face, quite enough to turn off anyone less stubborn. I just regret not having done it before. 07-11-12 What news: the librarian didn’t show up, so I have to come back day after tomorrow, since tomorrow is astami and they are closed. 08-11-12 Most of the day in the BHU library. 09-11-12 Back to Sampurnananda, some 7 km away from the Guest House I am staying at, near Assi Ghat. Yes, the librarian was there, but he just told me that the application should be submitted in the office, not to him. At last, as they lacked the librarian’s absence as an excuse, they accepted my application in the office, but insisted that I take back the copies of my ID card and introduction letter, spite my protest. 10-11-12 Went all the way on foot to Lalita Ghat to visit the Goenka Library. I just had started reading when I received a call from Sampurnananda saying that my application will be sent forward only after I submit a copy of my ID card and give an introduction letter. 11-11-12 to 03-12-12 I had to wait for one week due to the Diwali holiday just to hear that my application was rejected. For several days I was visiting the BHU library to read manuscripts catalogues. I spent a couple of weeks revising the Chandah-kaustubha and to get the page setting done was another novel. I had planned to stay in Varanasi for one week, but after one month I still had many pending issues, so on the 3rd I left for Barddhaman on a Sleeper Class ticket. Freezing cold. 04-12-12 Local bus to Navadvip and boat to Mayapur. 05-12-12 Since long ago I have been trying to have a look at the collection of books kept at Gopinath Gaudiya Math, where I was lodged, but nobody could locate the keys of the almirahs. Finally I paid a professional to make a duplicate key. There was nothing I was looking for. 06-12-12 I went to Navadvip to meet four people, but none of them was there. 08-12-12 Another fruitless visit to Navadvip. 09-12-12 Local train to Kolkata, a real nightmare. Got a shared room at Caitanya Math. 10-12-12 Upon visiting the library at the Sanskrit College I was told that I should have written a letter before coming (!?) The library of the Sanskrit Department of Kolkata University was closed. They told me that the librarian comes whenever he wishes (!?) Around 11 AM I arrived in the central library and to wait a bit to get a visiting permit. Half an hour later someone finally informed me that the person in charge usually does not come before 1 PM. After I complained to the library superintendent, they let me in. In the manuscript section I had to first fill several forms to be able to see the catalogue just to find out that it consists in more the sixty thousand A4 pages kept in some 200 folders without any kind of order. I had a look at one and gave it up. It would take a month to read the whole thing. I took a tram to Sanskrit Sahitya Parisad. The librarian was not there. I had to walk a long way till I got the right direction to the Bangiya Sahitya Parisad. They have quite a few manuscripts of Baladeva, but the charge is 50 rupees per copied page! It was passed 7 PM when I went back to the Math, empty handed. 11-12-12 Visit to the Caitanya Research Institute. I asked to take pictures of a few pages of a book and the librarian declined saying that it would damage it (!?) 12-12-12 Another visit to the Sanskrit College. The principal was there, but the librarian was not. I tried the department library at Kolkata University, and again, no librarian. Spent the rest of the day reading catalogues at the Sanskrit Sahitya Parisad, mostly in a hardly intelligible Bengali handwriting. 13-12-12 I packed and crossed the whole Kolkata to reach Pathpari in the hope that I would get a room there. Got nothing and wasted the day. Back to Gaudiya Math. 14-12-12 Yet another visit to the Sanskrit College. Guess what? The librarian was there, but the principal was not!!! Since I was visibly annoyed, the library staff decided to discuss the matter. I could distinctly hear “the problem is that how can we give permission to a foreigner...” After some time, to my surprise, they just agreed and let me take pictures of the manuscripts. The rest of the day was spent in more catalogues at Sanskrit Sahitya Parisad. 15-12-12 to 17-12-12 At last, I got the room at Pathbari and spent these days consulting their manuscripts. 18-12-12 to 19-12-12 Visit to Remuna. There are rumors of the “discovery” of Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s birth place, but no piece of evidence available. I enquired from several of the locals, but no positive information. Apparently, there are no manuscripts or documents in this place. 20-12-12 Train to Puri. Invitation to stay at Jhajh Pita Math. 21-12-12 There was a deceased Babaji who left a collection in a math which was now taken over by a trust. Since last year I have been trying to have a look at it without any success. This time the officer said that I should go to Bhubaneswar to get permission from his superior... 22-12-12 At Raghunandan Library they have an almirah full of books I needed to see, but they claimed that the key is lost and wouldn’t let me bring someone to open it. On the contrary of what I was told by their pujari last year, they do have a manuscript collection at Gangamata Math, but we will have to get someone to intermediate to deal with them. 23-12-12 Again, on the contrary of what they told me last year, they also have a collection of manuscripts at Siddha Bakul Math, but the key is with the Mahant, who is out of station...
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 11:30:52 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015