Of Gods and Books: Ritual and Knowledge Transmission in the Manuscript Cultures of Premodern India - Couverture rigide

De Simini, Florinda

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 3110477726 ISBN 13 : 9783110477726

Editeur : De Gruyter, 2016

Synopsis

India has been the homeland of diverse manuscript traditions that do not cease to impress scholars for their imposing size and complexity. Nevertheless, many topics concerning the study of Indian manuscript cultures still remain to receive systematic examination. Of Gods and Books pays attention to one of these topics - the use of manuscripts as ritualistic tools. Literary sources deal quite extensively with rituals principally focused on manuscripts, whose worship, donation and preservation are duly prescribed. Around these activities, a specific category of ritual gift is created, which finds attestations in pre-tantric, as well as in smarta and tantric, literature, and whose practice is also variously reflected in epigraphical documents. De Simini offers a first systematic study of the textual evidence on the topic of the worship and donation of knowledge. She gives account of possible implications for the relationships between religion and power. The book is indsipensible for a deeper understanding of the cultural aspects of manuscript transmission in medieval India, and beyond.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Florinda de Simini, University L'Orientale, Naples, Italy.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

India has been the homeland of diverse manuscript traditions that do not cease to impress scholars for their imposing size and complexity. Nevertheless, many topics concerning the study of Indian manuscript cultures still remain to receive systematic examination. Of Gods and Books pays attention to one of these topics - the use of manuscripts as ritualistic tools. Literary sources deal quite extensively with rituals principally focused on manuscripts, whose worship, donation and preservation are duly prescribed. Around these activities, a specific category of ritual gift is created, which finds attestations in pre-tantric, as well as in sm¿rta and tantric, literature, and whose practice is also variously reflected in epigraphical documents. De Simini offers a first systematic study of the textual evidence on the topic of the worship and donation of knowledge. She gives account of possible implications for the relationships between religion and power. The book is indsipensible for a deeper understanding of the cultural aspects of manuscript transmission in medieval India, and beyond.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: De Gruyter
• Date d'édition: 2016
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 3110477726
• ISBN 13: 9783110477726
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 200
• Coordonnées du fabricant: productsafety@degruyterbrill.com; productsafety@degruyterbrill.com; ; Lützowstraße 33; Berlin; 10785; Allemagne