Multi-million Euro project MANTRAMS aims to study "Mantras in Religion, Media and Society in Global Southern Asia"
Sahana Singh
What do you think about this project? Frankly, I am worried. This sounds like another exercise in taking control of Indian Knowledge Systems, appropriating them, recontextualizing and distorting them just as has been done with Ayurveda, Yoga, Indian mind sciences and scores of other components of our Jnana Parampara.
Nagaraj Paturi
Prof. Ramesh Rao avaru too shared that news the other day on this list.
Ramesh Rao
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BVK Sastry (G-S-Pop)
Namaste
On : < Sahana : I am surprised to see the amount of money that is being put into studying our mantras.>
< Ramesh Rao: Yes, Prof. Misra says, this Western project .. then go the next step in claiming both authority and
ownership of it is both a ceaseless and busy enterprise without real "phala" -- except promotions, tenures,
books, and time on stage, but we need to learn to do these lest we lose the civilization war while winning
minor discussion group battles.
The intriguing point is inside of Nation which spends sixty times the ‘Mantram - Project grant fund; and in a ‘ Natural Native alien way’ (Promoting a Spiritual Sacred language as Social- historic language, calling it classical ?!) and has an in house market consumption of ‘several billion USD’, what makes the concerned authorities to turn away their gaze on ‘Mantram Project model’ support to build –preserve- benefit Native Traditional Scholarship ?? An effort to support and preserve the ‘ Heritage Knowledge systems continuity ? Where is the ‘Bottle neck’ ?
Investment of around 10 crores as a grant fund to capture a 12 billion USD market / [=1 Lakh 7 Hundred 99 Crore 81 Lakh 28 Thousand Indian rupees ] and added benefits of ‘ Civilization- Culture- Identity control using the expertise of native scholars’ is certainly not a bad strategy !
Investment to study-project ‘Mantram language’ in TARGET: NATION -as ‘Social- Historical- Classical language’ is the hermeneutic error.
Can ‘Mantram use of Samskrutham find a line item entry under lens of Classical- Secular model of Indian Languages: ‘Samskrutham/ Tamil as Classical Language’? ( and more languages added now?)
Is there a ‘veiled motive, resurfacing in various modes to promote and academically authenticate study ‘Mantram’- (Prayer/ Ritual /Sacrament) Language’ – as ‘Social, Historical, Philological language’, degrading ‘Mysticism-Sacredness- Divinity of Language ? Would this be a deprecated disconnected mode of using lens of Historicity- Grammar’ to ‘ digest ‘ < Panini – Patanjali- Agastyar- Vararuchi > Grammar Regulated Language?
What would be the impact of postdoctoral research outcome on < Material Religion of Contemporary Hindu Traditions> if the LANGUAGE –MANTRAM and RELIGION CONNECTIVITY running over a few millennia is damaged by ‘academic philological interpretations’ ??
[ https://stb.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/i_istb/News/Postdoctoral_Researcher_for_MANTRAMS.pdf ]
The Ministry of Culture in 2014, laid down the following criteria for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ in India:
( URL: https://youtu.be/9-csSfheCFw?si=CL5Cl-n4rvCos8fV - Language and India) and expand on this list.
Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014) have been designated as classical languages by the Government of India.
Criteria -1: Ancient History :- The language must have an ancient history and literary tradition over 1500-2000 years.
Criteria -2:Large Body of Literature : - It must have a large body of ancient texts and literature appreciated even today.
Criteria -3: Distinguished Literary Heritage - - The language must have a distinguished literary heritage not derived from another language.
Criteria -4 : Discontinuity : - There may be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots, given that the classical language and literature are distinct from modern.
Regards
BVK Sastry
My notes on this deliberation :
1. TF-3 Project Focus limitation: I wish to draw your focussed attention to the defining text of TF-3 team in this project:
You will work within Task Force 3 (TF3) of the MANTRAMS project, which focuses on the materiality of mantras in their various forms—inscriptional, visual, embodied, and digital. Research Component 6 within TF3 specifically examines how mantras in popular Hinduism are materially represented across different objects and surfaces and how these representations intersect with identity politics, social hierarchies, and commodification in both local and global contexts. >
Ref: PreDoctoral_Researcher_for_MANTRAMS.pdf (univie.ac.at)
https://stb.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/i_istb/News/PreDoctoral_Researcher_for_MANTRAMS.pdf
2. What might be the Funding/ grant Strategy ? beyond ‘Pure Scholarship- Academic soft view? ( I wish I am wrong in this). :
(2.1) Deep perception on Project: Design-Drive study perspectives: Is Academia a vehicle to control ‘Religion –Spirituality Market-
Investment strategy and wealth growth-control’.
Per investing funders assessment, an equivalent of about 9,21,76,000 Indian Rupee (about nine and half cores) [Equivalent of 9.6 million Euro ] is worth taking a shot as a Consortium education effort to capture and control just one facet of ‘Mantram Application in Remedial Faith Solutions of ‘Religions of Orient – Market - Linked to ‘Astrology Market’ - Size to Hit $22.8 billion USD , Growing at 5.7% CAGR . The global Astrology Market Size was valued at $12.8 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $22.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2031.
https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/astrology-market-A31779 ]
(2.2 ). Why Native Practitioners and Scholars are seemingly apathetic or slow to address the challenge ?:
Native Traditions who currently carry a diffused possession on the ‘Mantram- Knowledge and Practices’ and partial access –
control (?). The ‘small teams in isolated control’ of ‘ Mantram Knowledge Territory’ seem to be happy to exchange -transfer
their Knowledge (?) for ‘Kruta Krutyataa’ < materiality of mantras > for the <"phala" of promotions, tenures, books,
and time on stage, > even if it means a violation of their own talk! trust and teaching of ‘Mantras as Mystic Secrets
Mantram Gunhyam / Gita : 15-20: इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ |
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत|| iti guhyatamaṁ śhāstram idam uktaṁ mayānagha, etad buddhvā
buddhimān syāt kṛita-kṛityaśh cha bhārata) ’.
(2.3) : ‘ Intriguing Focus of Mantram Project’: This is ‘Mantram’ project specific Focus on ‘Mantra-Materiality’ in ‘Society’.
The project addresses: Rituals, sacraments and other remedial measures. This is ‘Material, Money- Society- Market’
dimension of the project.
Mantra’s come in almost all languages (mainly Indic/ Sanskrit and Tamil - for this case).
‘Mantram services are paid services consumed by faith communities at Temples. The revenue is regulated by ‘Government’
– Rules and priorities as ‘State/ Exchequer revenue’.
Strategically, if ‘ Nation Loses authority on ‘Social Governance and management’ of ‘Religion-Services, Language, Education at
NATION’, and allows open ‘ ACADEMIC’ path ways to take pride in ‘academia usurping RELIGION-RITUAL- LANGUAGE –
PRACTICE - AUTHORITY’ related to Religions at Nation : as Practice and Governance’, the learned can imagine the future !
This is a veiled extension of ‘ COLONIZATION’ WHERE ‘ NATIVE LANGUAGE- TEXT-INTERPRETATION – PRACTICE CONTROL’ is
Diluted and distorted by the ‘Soft- Secular language mode’ to divest control.
(2.4) : Ground Relaity Reports on Mantra- Materiality- Society : According to one report, just one temple revenue details reads:
TTD expects to earn Rs.600 crore through sale of prasadams; Rs 338 crore through sale of darshan tickets; Rs 246.39 crore through loans and advances to employees, EMDs, security deposits, etc.; Rs 129 crore through other capital receipts; Rs 150 crore through sale of arjitha seva tickets; Rs 151.5 crore through Kalyanakatta receipts; and Rs 147 crore from accommodation and Kalyana mandapam receipts.
It expects to earn Rs 85 crore through various trust receipts, Rs 60 crore through rents.
How the world's richest Hindu temple earns and spends money - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)
(2.5) : Future Tasks of TF-3 Mantra- Materiality- Society :
The ‘Future Tasks in TF-3’ project (support layout-around 10 crores INR)- has specific focus ‘Urban-India – Paying Consumers’.
Develop and pursue a doctoral project that aligns with the objectives of the MANTRAMS project.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research focused on the materiality of mantras in popular Hinduism,
including gathering data through fieldwork and archival research.
• Study the multimodal media aspects of mantras, focusing on their manifestation in artifacts used
in contemporary Hindu traditions, particularly in urban environments like Mumbai and Pune.
• Develop and pursue a doctoral project aligned with the objectives of the MANTRAMS project.
• Contribute to the publication of research findings in academic journals and edited volumes, and
present your work at international conferences.
Develop and pursue a doctoral project that aligns with the objectives of the MANTRAMS project.
• Engage in interdisciplinary research focused on the materiality of mantras in popular Hinduism,
including gathering data through fieldwork and archival research.
• Study the multimodal media aspects of mantras, focusing on their manifestation in artifacts used
in contemporary Hindu traditions, particularly in urban environments like Mumbai and Pune.
• Develop and pursue a doctoral project aligned with the objectives of the MANTRAMS project.
• Contribute to the publication of research findings in academic journals and edited volumes, and
present your work at international conferences.
This perception of ‘ In-House’ – Academic Study and Scholarship protection as ‘Home need at India’ seems to be completely out of focus and ‘excluded as secular (pariah) theme’ by several institutions in India consuming three figure - crores of tax payers money.
Per Government provided reports,
In reply, the Centre said the Union ministry of human resource development (HRD) had established the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan in Delhi as a nodal authority to promote Sanskrit. A concerted bid to promote Sanskrit as a classical Indian language appears to top the Centre’s agenda, the Union ministry of culture’s latest figures suggest. Earlier this month, the Union ministry of culture gave out these figures in reply to a Lok Sabha question raised by Shiv Sena MPs Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane (Hatkanangale), Hemant Sriram Patil (Hingoli) and Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Kalyan), and, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Sujay Vikhe Patil (Ahmednagar) and Ranjeetsinha Hindurao Naik Nimbalkar (Madha).
In reply, the Centre said the Union ministry of human resource development (HRD) had established the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan in Delhi as a nodal authority to promote Sanskrit. The Sansthan was allocated ₹643.84 crore in the last three years. The Sansthan was allocated ₹231.15 crore in 2019-20, around ₹214.38 crore in 2018-19, and ₹198.31 crore in 2017-18.The ministry of culture had said in the Rajya Sabha in 2014 that a language is considered “classical” if there is “high antiquity” of its recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years, or if it has a body of ancient literature that is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers, its literary tradition is original and not borrowed from another speech community, and the classical version of the language is distinct from its modern version and there exists a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Centre spent 16 times the funds promoting Sanskrit in 2021-22 than Tamil.
Regards
BVK Sastry
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Ramesh Rao
Bijoy Misra
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