Need Funding for Oxford

[Guest guest]

Jammu

15-06-2006

Dear Friends,

I was born and brought up amongst the beautiful surroundings of Kashmir valley which has a long past of Sanskrit traditions starting from Vedic times till the first half of the last century. And Kashmir is no longer a seat of learning although it was in competition with the Universities of Nalanda and Taxila in ancient India. Scandalized by the Muslim fundamentalists of Kashmir, I and my family were forced to leave all our home and hearth and live a life of migrants in our own country. We lost our social, historical and cultural identity which was deeply rooted in Sanskrit studies. My grandfather, who was a Sanskrit scholar himself, nurtured me intellectually and emotionally despite inhabiting in exile. He was my first teacher who introduced me to the beautiful philosophy of our beautiful land; Kashmir Saivism. He taught me a little Sanskrit and passed away when I needed him most. With his death I took the resolve of mastering Kashmir Saivism in its

originality in spite of facing all odds. I passed my matriculation and decided to go for Humanities in spite of all opposition from my near and dear ones (because they did not see any future for me in humanities). But none could shake my iron resolve and I completed my higher secondary education in humanities.

 

I have always tried to understand my own tradition and culture from childhood. I feel I have innate interest in the Saiva philosophy of Kashmir possibly because I would like to believe that I am a part of the tradition. So I deeply understand the need to equip myself with the analytical skills to approach this tradition critically. I also want to understand my tradition objectively as a textual scholar and an anthropologist. With this intention I chose Humanities and studied English Literature, Philosophy, History and Sanskrit as my subjects after matriculation. During my two years of Pre University level education I prepared a foundation in Sanskrit and concurrently, I explored the Saiva traditions of Kashmir. I studied the basic introductory texts of the main philosophical systems and grammar along with Kashmir Saivism under the superb tutelage of Pt Dinanath Yaksha. At his suggestion I reviewed chapters from the doctoral dissertations of his research students and wrote

short summaries with evaluations.

 

Later, as a student of Sanskrit in St Stephen’s College, Delhi, the massive undergraduate course of the University of Delhi offered me opportunities to have an in depth study of a wide range of Sanskrit texts. I also studied English and Philosophy as optional subjects. My inquisitiveness and passion for Sanskrit led me to read a variety of independent studies by both Indian and foreign scholars. In the College my teacher Dr Harsh Kumar oriented me to an intense methodology for studying philosophical Sanskrit texts. I also developed an interest in Ancient Indian Sciences and published some papers on the subject with the assistance and critical suggestions of my tutor Dr A.D.Mathur. His methodical supervision and infectious enthusiasm taught me to evaluate texts critically even while maintaining the sanctity of the concerned system.

 

Kashmir Saivism was not a part of my formal curriculum but I learnt the basic principles of this system with traditional and modern scholars, very few of whom are now on hand in India. During my undergraduate study I read a few primary texts of Kashmir Saivism with my teacher in Kashmir and also with Pt H.N.Chakravarthy in Varanasi. Through my regular interactions with Prof Navjivan Rastogi I learnt about the importance of hermeneutics in Kashmir Saivism and the role it plays in the traditional understanding of the texts. Attending the workshops organized by the Trika Interreligious Trust in Varanasi brought me into intellectual exchange with international research scholars and assisted me in developing a perspective on research.

 

After graduating from St Stephen’s College I spent a year in the University of Pune learning Indian logic and some tools of textual criticism and manuscriptology. I was fortunate to assist certain scholars of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in studying some Sarada manuscripts. The traditional Sanskrit scholars of Pune exposed me to a variety of dimensions of Nyaya and Vyakarana.

 

Subsequent to the fruitful year in Pune, I rejoined the University of Delhi so as to be in contact with Pt Nilakanth Gurtoo who lives in Delhi. I am presently studying sections from the works of the great Kashmirian philosopher Abhinavagupta with him. I also take lessons from Prabha Devi on the Tantraloka, the magnum opus of Abhinavagupta. My M.A. course in the University of Delhi exposed me further to an array of innovative concepts and texts. To have a firm basis in different schools of Indian thought I have opted to specialize in Indian Philosophy and read the basic texts on Mimamsa and Samkhya and some more advanced texts on the Vedanta , Nyaya and Yoga schools.

 

 

Like an endangered Kashmirian specie Shahtoosh, the philosophy of Kashmir; Saivism is also at stake and I hope to save this system by understating its structure in entirety for which I have had a better training with the traditional and modern scholars of India and need to learn further from Prof Alexis Sanderson in Oxford. After a serious training under Prof Sanderson, once I am skilled enough to work independently as a researcher, I would further start working on the unpublished Sanskrit texts of Kashmir Saivism. I would also like to explore certain crucial philosophical, historical, social, religious and anthropological issues and carry out the ground work of preparing the basic reference manuals and encyclopaedias on Kashmir Saivism. Besides this there is a dying need of revising and publishing the critical editions of the Sanskrit texts of this system of Indian thought.

 

Sir, so much has already been lost in Kashmir in last fifteen years and so much is still left. I feel I am born to preserve, conserve and to work upon that material and research for more. Realizing the importance of preservation and conservation I established the Harbhatta Shastri Indological Research Institute in Jammu & Kashmir some time back. This institute, my mind born child, is still functioning informally but I am determined to give this institute a formal shape in near future. I first want to be competent enough to embark upon such a responsible task like this.

 

I am offered a rare opportunity to work with Prof Alexis G.J.S.Sanderson in Oxford. I am told that it is a big achievement in itself that Prof Sanderson has accepted my application and he has been appointed my supervisor in Oxford. The works of Professor A.G.J.S. Sanderson on Kashmir Saivism inspire my interests and I firmly believe that a rigorous training under his proficient tutelage will be a great learning experience and further nurture my aspiration. Prof Sanderson has formulated some decisive tools in textual criticism for studying the Sanskrit Saivite texts. His anthropologico-philosophical approach has solved many mysterious historical problems of the Indian Tantra Literature. Prof Sanderson studied with Swami Lakshman Joo in Kashmir for seven long years from 1972-1977.

 

I am offered a place in the University of Oxford studying for Master of Oriental Studies that mainly focuses on Sanskrit studies and Kashmir Saivism. This is a well structured curriculum that blends quality course work with available research facilities. This course is designed to provide training to the graduate students at the beginning of their research. The precise content of the course followed by each student is fixed by the supervisor in consultation with each student in order to provide the most useful training for that student. The course content is designed to advance the student’s progress towards a research degree after the completion of the M.St. This is a one year master’s course which later leads to D.Phil.

 

I will be allocated a college by the Graduate Admissions Office in the University of Oxford within a couple of weeks. I will be asked either to fulfill the financial conditions and get the final offer letter from the University or to reject the offer because of the non-availability of funds.

 

Sir, it is only after trying every option for funding both in India and Oxford that I strongly felt to write to you and ask for your help. I hope your Foundation might consider, judging my scholarship and my works, me for some fellowship or scholarship so that I could fund my education in Oxford, that would be a rare opportunity for me to use the best resources in the world to learn and save my system; Kashmir Saivism.

 

I cannot apply for any loan scholarship in India since my family has no regular income. My father passed away last year due to a sudden massive heart attack and he did not even have the pension facility. I am herewith enclosing a copy of my Curriculum Vitae which enlists my achievements. In case you want more details about me I would feel pleased to forward to you the same.. I hope that helps you to judge my scholarship and I strongly feel that you could help me come out of this financial crunch so that I could continue my studies at Oxford.

 

Thanking you.

 

Yours sincerely, Encl. (a.a)

 

 

(Mrinal Kaul)

 

 

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Mrinal Kaul 'Martand'

# 37/4-Pandoka Colony,

Paloura, Jammu - 181121

Jammu & Kashmir India

Phone : 91-191-2532549

Mobile: 91-9891210491(Delhi)

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[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

First off, congrats on your selection to Oxford. I envy your education in

sanskrit (I myself was not offered the priviledge due to my undergrad

schooling being in Calcutta, where the communist regime cancelled the

Sanskrit curriculla, so I couldn't minor). I am mostly self-taught in

Sanskrit myself, with some tutoring from my Hindi teacher (who was an actual

Chaturvedi, so I got lucky I guess).

 

The thing is that