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A BLEMMYA IN INDIA

A BLEMMYA IN INDIA A BLEMMYA IN INDIA J. D UNCAN M. D ERRETT Introduction It is an important maxim, in religion as in literature or art, that “Whatever is received is received according to the manner and in- tention of the recipient.” Yet Ein ussforschung cherishes instances of exact equivalence between the allegedly “in uenced” text and its in-  uencing source. While the controversy persists (now 150 years old), whether Buddhist scriptures in uenced the gospels or vice versa, 1 one treasures every scrap of information, literary, architectural, sculptural, or numismatic, suggesting that Greco-Roman models were adopted into the Indian Kulturbesitz. “India” for this purpose includes modern Afghanistan. Since Indian texts seldom are securely dated, a Western parallel is of value which can be dated (within limits). By contrast, it may always be impossible to date the use of Homer in imagining the birth of the Buddha; 2 or, by an author of the Saddharmapun . d . ar ¯ õ ka (the widespread Lotus S ¯ utra), of an Ovid-style tradition of the Phoenix. 3 Wherever a datable parallel can be proved one is well-placed to ask: how was the model obtained; what was its suitability or attraction; what http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Numen Brill

A BLEMMYA IN INDIA

Derrett, J. Duncan
Numen , Volume 49 (4): 460 – Jan 1, 2002
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 2002 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0029-5973
eISSN
1568-5276
DOI
10.1163/156852702760559732
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

A BLEMMYA IN INDIA J. D UNCAN M. D ERRETT Introduction It is an important maxim, in religion as in literature or art, that “Whatever is received is received according to the manner and in- tention of the recipient.” Yet Ein ussforschung cherishes instances of exact equivalence between the allegedly “in uenced” text and its in-  uencing source. While the controversy persists (now 150 years old), whether Buddhist scriptures in uenced the gospels or vice versa, 1 one treasures every scrap of information, literary, architectural, sculptural, or numismatic, suggesting that Greco-Roman models were adopted into the Indian Kulturbesitz. “India” for this purpose includes modern Afghanistan. Since Indian texts seldom are securely dated, a Western parallel is of value which can be dated (within limits). By contrast, it may always be impossible to date the use of Homer in imagining the birth of the Buddha; 2 or, by an author of the Saddharmapun . d . ar ¯ õ ka (the widespread Lotus S ¯ utra), of an Ovid-style tradition of the Phoenix. 3 Wherever a datable parallel can be proved one is well-placed to ask: how was the model obtained; what was its suitability or attraction; what

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Numen – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 2002

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