ARTICLE - 1
Why Comparative Indian Literature? - Sisir Kumar Das
Sisir Kumar Das:
Sisir Kumar Das (1936–2003) was a renowned Indian scholar, literary historian, critic, playwright, and poet. He is best known for his extensive work in Comparative Literature and his contributions to the study of Indian literary traditions. His scholarship covered a wide range of subjects, including multilingualism, translation studies, literary historiography, and the relationship between Indian and world literature.
Das played a key role in shaping the field of Comparative Indian Literature, emphasizing the need to study Indian literature as a unified yet diverse entity rather than as isolated linguistic traditions. He argued that Indian literature should be analyzed within a comparative framework, taking into account its rich interactions across languages, cultures, and historical periods. His monumental work, A History of Indian Literature, is a landmark contribution that provides a comprehensive overview of Indian literary traditions across different languages and time periods. Das was a strong advocate for moving beyond Eurocentric approaches to comparative literature, encouraging a more inclusive and context-sensitive study of literary traditions. Through his scholarly works, Das has significantly influenced literary criticism and comparative studies in India, making him a central figure in the field of Indian literary historiography.
Introduction:
Scholars have attempted to identify similarities across the diverse literary traditions of India over the past 3,000 years, aiming to find unity in its multilingual and multi religious culture. However, this broad concept of Indian literature has not significantly contributed to a unified critical study. Instead, literary studies in India remain divided into smaller linguistic traditions. Recently, some scholars have introduced the idea of 'comparative Indian literature' to establish a framework for exploring relationships between different literary traditions. However, the term 'comparative' has led to confusion, highlighting the need to clearly define 'Indian literature' and justify the use of this qualifier. Simply grouping together all literature written in Indian languages does not create a meaningful literary category. Instead, Indian literature should be understood as a network of literary connections, and any study of it must embrace this diversity to gain a deeper understanding.
Article Summary
The author examines the connection between comparative literature and comparative Indian literature, questioning whether Indian literature should be studied through a comparative lens and whether this approach limits the researcher. They also explore why a scholar might choose to focus on Indian literature instead of comparative literature, which offers a broader scope. Simply put, the author is analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of studying Indian literature comparatively and whether this method effectively helps in understanding literary facts.
Comparative literature explores the similarities and differences between literary works from various languages and regions. Its main aim is to view all literature as part of a larger, interconnected whole. To achieve this, scholars of comparative literature, or comparatists, examine multiple literary traditions from around the world. However, since studying all literature at once is challenging, they focus on specific areas. Indian literature is one such area of study, but it is essential to recognize that it represents only a small part of the broader field of comparative literature.
Goethe, a renowned poet, introduced the concept of "Weltliteratur" or world literature, which emphasizes uniting great literary works from all languages and civilizations. He believed that the era of national literature had ended and that the focus should shift toward significant literary works from across the world. Similarly, early scholars of Indian literature advocated for studying the finest works from various Indian languages that had endured over time.
A comparatist is a scholar who studies literature from different countries and languages, focusing not on identifying the best works but on understanding the connections between national literatures—their similarities and differences. Their aim is to develop a broad understanding of human literary activity and contribute to universal poetics. The goal of a comparatist is to explore world literature, which encompasses all literary traditions rather than just the most celebrated works. Comparative literature serves as their method of analysis, differing from the study of a single literature in terms of scope, perspective, and approach. Ultimately, a comparatist's field of study is as vast as world literature itself, with their strength and challenge lying in their global outlook.
For the past hundred years, Western comparatists have primarily focused on Western literature, often overlooking the existence of other literary traditions. Despite claims of cosmopolitanism, this has led to a narrow perspective in literary studies. However, interactions between Western and Eastern literature have existed since ancient times. European literature has been influenced by Hebrew, Arabic, and Sanskrit traditions, and even Chinese and Japanese literature was available in translation when comparative literature was being established in Europe and America. Yet, Western criticism has been reluctant to fully incorporate non-Western literature into its studies, possibly due to ignorance or prejudice. As a result, comparative literature has remained largely confined to Western traditions. Critic François Jost recognizes this issue, attributing it to Western indifference and lack of awareness of other cultures.
- Europe came to know of Hebrew Literature the day it accepted Christianity.
- The ‘Panchtantra’ reached Europe through its Arabian and Syrian version before The Renaissance.
- Cordova in Spain in the eleventh century was the center for Arabic literature.
- By the end of the 18th century, Europe discovered Sanskrit, which brought about a revolution in linguistics.
- When comparative literature was established in the universities of Europe and America translation of many works in Chinese and Japanese and of course in Arabic and Persian were available in European languages.
The writer explains that Western literary scholars have focused only on Western literature for a long time, ignoring literature from other parts of the world. This has made their approach narrow-minded. Even though Western and Eastern literature have influenced each other for centuries, Western scholars have been unwilling to study non-Western works, leading to ignorance and bias against other cultures. Critics have pointed out this problem, blaming it on Western scholars’ lack of awareness and interest in other literary traditions.
Western literature has been criticized for being Eurocentric and ignoring other literary traditions. However, Western comparatists focus on European literature more out of practicality than prejudice against Oriental literature. Scholar Ulrich Weisstein hesitated to expand comparative literature to include different civilizations, arguing that doing so might lead to ahistorical comparisons based on speculation. From this perspective, Western scholars are justified in focusing on their own literary traditions. However, if Indian literature is included in comparative literature, it should be treated with the same validity as Western comparative literature. Critics like Henry Remak and Etiemble have advocated for broadening the scope of comparative literature to be more inclusive.
When Europe defined Comparative Literature based on national literatures, it only considered European nation-states, which are mostly monolingual. However, countries like India and the former Soviet Union are multilingual, consisting of multiple nationalities with different languages. This means that neither language, political boundaries, nor culture alone can be the defining criteria for Comparative Literature. Instead, Comparative Literature must be both inter-linguistic (between different languages) and intra-linguistic (within the same language). If we base literature solely on language, we may achieve a certain level of uniformity, but the idea of cultural homogeneity—on which Western comparative literature is built—will collapse. Even if Comparative Literature continues to focus on relationships between national literatures, it must adapt to nations with diverse literary traditions in multiple languages, such as India.
Das argues that Comparative Indian Literature is a valid field within comparative literature, not because Western comparative literature focuses only on Western texts, but because literary studies should avoid narrow-mindedness. Comparative literature should have a solid foundation, as literature is rooted in language and culture while also transcending them. True literary study must remain connected to cultural history; otherwise, it risks becoming superficial. From Western comparatists, we should learn the importance of avoiding shallow or disconnected studies. Comparative Indian Literature is essential because literature must be studied in relation to its people and historical context. This is not about nationalism but about recognizing the deep connection between literature and society. Literature cannot be treated as abstract knowledge without considering the people and the time in which it was created.
The study of only Indian literature might lead to literary patriotism or a narrow, limited perspective, which should be avoided. Indian literature is inherently multilingual, with languages influencing one another and shaping new literary styles, such as Manipravala, and even new languages like Urdu. Writers have often used multiple languages simultaneously or switched between them. Some texts, like Charya songs and Mirabai songs, are claimed by different linguistic communities, while others, like Sanskrit plays, were written in more than one language. Few societies have witnessed such prolonged interaction between languages from different language families as India has.
Given this complexity, Indian literature requires a broad literary perspective. Indian comparatists should not restrict themselves to Indian literature alone. Comparative Indian Literature is not just a necessary approach for studying Indian literature but also enriches the field of comparative literature itself by offering new perspectives. Works like Meghnavadham Kavya, which involves two different civilizations, or the development of tragedy and the novel in India, challenge Indian comparatists to study Indian literature in relation to both ancient Greek and modern European literature. Indian literature is not confined to India alone—it has global connections and influences.
Conclusion:
The discussion on Comparative Indian Literature highlights the need for a broad and inclusive approach to literary studies. While Western comparative literature has historically focused on European traditions, Indian literature, with its rich multilingual and multicultural interactions, offers a unique perspective. The study of Indian literature through a comparative lens not only deepens our understanding of its diverse literary traditions but also contributes to the larger discourse of world literature.
Comparative Indian Literature is not just a subcategory of comparative literature; it is a necessary framework for studying the complex literary relationships within India and beyond. By resisting both Eurocentrism and parochialism, Indian comparatists can provide fresh insights into literary studies. Indian literature, with its deep historical connections to various civilizations, must be studied in relation to global literary traditions. This approach ensures that literary studies remain dynamic, inclusive, and reflective of the true nature of human creativity across cultures.
Major points of the Article:
The article talks about the challenges and ideas surrounding Comparative Indian Literature. Here's a breakdown in simpler terms:
Unity and Diversity in Indian Literature
Scholars have long tried to find unity in Indian literature, which spans many languages and cultures. They argue that there are common themes and ideas across different Indian languages. However, trying to find one single thread of unity risks ignoring the diverse ways people in India express themselves.Comparative Indian Literature
Recently, some scholars are introducing the idea of Comparative Indian Literature, aiming to study Indian literature in a broader, more global context. But there are questions:Is this new approach being used to make Indian literature seem more important by connecting it to Western ideas of comparative literature?
Or is it a way to understand Indian literature better in its own context?
Goethe and the Idea of World Literature
The famous German writer, Goethe, talked about Weltliteratur (World Literature) in 1827, meaning literature from all over the world, not just from one country. He believed literature from different civilizations should be studied together to understand human culture better.
The article argues that Comparative Literature (the study of literature across cultures) aims for a global view of literature. But despite this, Western scholars have often focused only on Western literature, ignoring other important literary traditions from places like India, China, and the Middle East.Western Focus on Their Own Literature
Despite the global goal of comparative literature, many Western scholars have mostly studied European literature, showing little interest in other world literatures. Some argue this is because of ignorance or prejudice, while others say it’s more about practical reasons (like language barriers or lack of resources).The Case for Comparative Indian Literature
The article suggests that Comparative Indian Literature is important because:India is a multilingual country with many different languages, and studying literature only by language or nation doesn’t work here.
Indian literature isn’t just Indian; it’s deeply influenced by multiple languages, cultures, and even foreign traditions (like Sanskrit and Arabic).
Multilingualism and Cultural Interaction in India
In India, different languages have interacted for centuries, and new languages and literary forms have emerged, like Urdu and Manipravala (a mix of Sanskrit and Tamil). This multilingualism is an important part of India's literary history and needs to be studied in depth.
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