The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy: Introduction

Journal of Indian Philosophy, Nov 2014

The study of textual reuse is of fundamental importance in reconstructing lost or partially lost texts, passages of which can be partly recovered through other texts in which they have been embedded. Furthermore, the study of textual reuse also provides one with a deeper understanding of the modalities of the production of texts out of previous textual materials. Finally, it constitutes a unique chance to reconsider the historicity of concepts such as “author”, “originality” and “plagiarism”, which do not denote really existing universals, but have rather evolved—and still evolve—in different ways in different cultural milieus. After a general introduction and an analysis of the historical background of textual reuse in India and Europe, the essay attempts some general conclusions regarding the formulas introducing instances of textual reuse in Classical South Asian texts.

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The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy: Introduction

Elisa Freschi 0 0 E. Freschi (&) Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia, Austrian Academy of Sciences , Vienna, Austria The study of textual reuse is of fundamental importance in reconstructing lost or partially lost texts, passages of which can be partly recovered through other texts in which they have been embedded. Furthermore, the study of textual reuse also provides one with a deeper understanding of the modalities of the production of texts out of previous textual materials. Finally, it constitutes a unique chance to reconsider the historicity of concepts such as author, originality and plagiarism, which do not denote really existing universals, but have rather evolvedand still evolvein different ways in different cultural milieus. After a general introduction and an analysis of the historical background of textual reuse in India and Europe, the essay attempts some general conclusions regarding the formulas introducing instances of textual reuse in Classical South Asian texts. 1 Why do We Need a Study of Textual Reuse at All? (1) (2) Textual-critical reasons: In order to restore lost or partially lost texts.1 In order to achieve better text editions (e.g., one needs to know whether a quotation embedded in a later text is a reliable witnessthis also depends on the general attitude towards the kind of text quoted).2 Historical-critical reasons: In order to gain a better understanding of Indian texts and/within their history (e.g., does the lack of reuse of passages by a certain author in later texts mean that s/he was not influential?).3 In order to better evaluate the relation of Indian authors to other authors (e.g., whom did they quote more frequently? did they feel like naming revered teachers, or did they name only adversaries?). In order to better understand Indian habits of reading and writing/ composing texts (e.g., did Indian authors quote even longer passages literally? did they quote ad sensum? did they have a small library of texts behind their desk?). 1 Ernst Steinkellner, in his pioneer study on the topic of quotations (see infra, section 3.1), writes: It will be through careful observation of the many kinds of minute relations between the extant textual materials that we shall gradually gain some knowledge of the actual process and conditions of the production of these materials. What purpose does this serve? Beyond its cultural import, its main value is for our philological work. For it is only if we are able to see how the texts were transmitted and produced and, specially, which texts were used in producing new ones, that we can base our argument for the constitution of texts on firm ground and narrow the range for philological and interpretational arbitrariness. If we can determine for example that a certain text has been found useful and has, therefore, been referred to, expressedly quoted or silently copied, or has been excerpted or plagiarised, and that parts of its textual material, i.e. larger textual units, sentences, phrases, words, orexceptionallyeven of its conceptual materials, have been transmitted to the texts of others by these various processes, these later texts can then be considered as highly valuable witnesses for a decision on the reality of their source, should its original be lost (Steinkellner 1988, p. 105). See also, on reused texts found in commentaries, Preisendanz (2008, pp. 611612). 2 But even if it [=the original] is not lost, these derivative textual finds signify an important supplementation of the extant manuscript-remains. For in view of the fact that one or more possibly extant codices of a particular original Sanskrit text will originate normally from the last period of Indian Buddhismsometimes even as copied under conditions of flight or exilequotations and other textual elements derived from it and to be found in other texts whose codices come from the same time must be considered as most valuable witnesses for the text of the archetype. In many cases these quotations etc. are the only places where variant readings can be found (Steinkellner 1988, pp. 105106). See also, on reused texts found in commentaries, Preisendanz (2008, p. 611). 3 On the same subject, but from the standpoint of Western Ancient and Medieval authors, Ch. Schulze denies the direct link between number of instances of reuse and the fate of a text: Fehlende Zitate bei spateren Schriftstellern konnen mannigfaltige Ursachen habenfruher Textverlust, Uberstrahlung durch spatere Autoritaten, Unpassendes fur den eigenen Gedankengang (z.B. weil man einer anderen Schultradition anhangt als der Vorganger) usw.und mussen keineswegs einer Abwertung des Autors und seiner Professionalitat entspringen (Schulze 2004, p. 21). A less drastic verdict is that of Buchler et al. (2013), where interesting statistical depictions of literal reuses are produced and a difference in the literality of reuse among genres is noted. In order to better understand the targeted In (...truncated)


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Elisa Freschi. The Reuse of Texts in Indian Philosophy: Introduction, Journal of Indian Philosophy, 2015, pp. 85-108, Volume 43, Issue 2-3, DOI: 10.1007/s10781-014-9232-9