Join us for a day conference in celebration of Sanskrit studies, in honour of Dr Jim Benson; with eminent speakers presenting on topics including Pāṇinian grammar, Vedic, philosophy, religion, history, poetics and culture. Lunch and refreshments are provided.

NB: If you find yourself unable to book, either due to technical difficulties or ticket unavailability (but you still wish to attend), please email Tara Heuze (fabienne.heuze@queens.ox.ac.uk) for further enquiries. You'll be put on a waiting list until further notice. Apologies for any inconvenience caused!

Draft Programme:

9.00-9.30am

Arrival

9.30-9.35am

Introduction

9.35-10.25am

Dr Elisa Freschi, Austrian Academy of Sciences:

Mīmāṃsā reasoning about conflicting statements

10.25-10.50am

Dr Nina Mirnig, Austrian Academy of Sciences:

Early Śaiva devotional practices in the Śivadharmaśāstra: on portable and perishable śivaliṅgas

10.50-11.15am

Dr James Mallinson, SOAS:

The word haṭha in the context of haṭhayoga

11.15-11.45am

Break: tea/coffee

11.45-12.35pm

Professor Johannes Bronkhorst, University of Lausanne :

Does Pāṇinian grammar have history?

12.35-1.00pm

Professor Stephanie Jamison, UCLA:

Misparsing in the Rig Veda and the Problem of RV I.32.12

1.00-2.00pm

Lunch

2.00-2.50pm

Dr Paul Dundas, University of Edinburgh:

The Second Phase of Prakrit Kavva: Toward Contextualising Pravarasena's Setubandha

2.50-3.15pm

Dr Bihani Sarkar, Oxford:

The Tragic Middle in Kālidāsa

3.15-3.40pm

Professor Jim Laine, Macalester College:

Sanskrit Cosmopolitanism in the Early Modern Age?

3.40-4.10pm

Break: tea/coffee

4.10-5.00pm

Professor Gary Tubb, University of Chicago:

Pāṇini and Sanskrit Pedagogy Outside India

5.00-5.25pm

Dr Don Davis, University of Texas at Austin:

Conceptions of Adultery in Sanskrit Legal Texts of Medieval India

5.25-5.50pm

Dr Fabrizia Baldissera, University of Florence:

The Arthaśāstra, Il Principe of Machiavelli and Rushdie's The Enchanteress of Florence

5.50-6.10pm

Closing remarks

6.10-7.40pm

Post-conference reception

This event is generously supported by the Lorne Thyssen Research Fund for Ancient World Topics, Wolfson College, Oxford; the Academic Committee, Wolfson College, Oxford; the Max Müller Memorial Fund, the Radhakrishnan Memorial Fund, and the Research Committee of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford.