Michael Witzel (Harvard University)
submitted: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 18:08:53 -0400 (EDT)
Michael Witzel
Wales Professor of Sanskrit, and Chair,
Committee on South Asian Studies
Harvard University
Dept. of Sanskrit and Indian Studies
53 Church Street
Cambridge MA 02138, USA
Phones: 617-495-3295 (messages)
617-496-8570 (direct)
fax: 617-495-8571
email: witzel@husc3.harvard.edu
Areas of research and teaching:
- Veda / Vedic literature / Vedic ritual / Vedic religion / Vedic texts and
their transmission / Vedic recitation / Vedic schools (sakha) and
canon formation / Paippalada Atharvaveda / Katha Krsna Yajurveda
- textual criticism / Indian manuscripts / oral transmission
- History of the brahmins / Kashmiri brahmins / Atharvaveda brahmins
- Early Indian archaeology and history / medieval inscriptions
- Early Indian thought and its repercussions until today
- Regional study of Nepal / Kashmir / Orissa / Gujarat
- Sanskrit / Sasnkrit grammar / history of Sanskrit language and
literature / dialects of Sanskrit / the Veda and the Epics
- Old Iranian
- Comparative Eurasian mythology
Education and Background:
Studied at Univ. of Tuebingen, Erlangen-Nuernberg, and Sanskrit Campus,
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu (mimamsa, traditional pathasala style);
M.A. 1971, Dr.phil. 1972, Erlangen; Assist. Prof. Univ. of Tuebingen, 1972;
1972-1977 Director of the "Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation
Project", Department of Archaeology, at Kathmandu; 1974-1977 Director
of the Nepal Research Centre of the German Oriental Society, Kathmandu;
Assoc. Prof. 1978, Prof. of Sanskrit, Univ. of Leiden 1981-1986, Visiting
Prof. of Sanskrit 1986 and Wales Prof. of Sanskrit 1987-, Harvard University
Publications include:
* Das Katha-Aranyaka, ("Teildruck"), Erlangen-Kathmandu 1974
* On Magical thought in the Veda. Leiden: Universitaire Pers, 1979
* Materialien zu den vedischen Schulen : I. Ueber die Caraka-Schule.
StII 7 (1981), pp. 109-132; StII 8/9 (1982), pp. 171-240
* Sur le chemin du ciel. Bulletin des Etudes indiennes, Vol. 2 (1984),
pp. 213-279
* Regionale und ueberregionale Faktoren in der Entwicklung
vedischer Brahmanengruppen in Mittelalter. Regionale Tradition in
Suedasien, ed. by H.Kulke and D. Rothermund, Heidelberg 1986, pp. 37-76
* Agnihotra-Rituale in Nepal. Formen kulturellen Wandels und andere
Beitraege zur Erforschung des Himalaya, ed. B. Koelver u. S. Lienhard,
St. Augustin: VGH Wissenschaftsverlag 1986, pp. 157-187
* On the origin of the literary device of the 'Frame Story' in
Old Indian literature. Hinduismus und Buddhismus, Festschrift fuer U.
Schneider, hg. H.Falk, Freiburg 1987, pp. 380-414
* On the localisation of Vedic texts and schools (Materials on
Vedic Sakhas, 7). India and the Ancient world. ed. by G. Pollet,
Leuven 1987, pp. 173-213, 2 maps
* The coronation rituals of Nepal. Heritage of the Kathmandu Valley.
ed. Niels Gutschow and Axel Michaels. St. Augustin 1987, 417-467
* Tracing the Vedic dialects. Dialects dans les litteratures
indo-aryennes. ed. C. Caillat. Paris 1989, 97-265
* On Indian historical writing: The case of the Vamsavalis. Journal
of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies, No. 2, 1990, p.1-57
* Meaningful ritual. Structure, development and interpretation of the
Tantric Agnihotra ritual of Nepal. Fs. J.C. Heesterman, ed. A.W.
van den Hoek, et al. Leiden 1992, 774-827
* Nepalese Hydronomy: Towards a history of settlement in the
Himalayas. Proceedings of the Franco-German Conference at Arc-et-Senans,
June 1990, ed. G. Toffin. Paris 1993, pp.217-266
* Kashmiri manuscripts and pronunciation. A Studies of the Nilamata,
ed. by Y. Ikari, Kyoto 1994, pp. 1-53
* The Brahmins of Kashmir. A Study of the Nilamata, pp. 237-294
Editorial work:
1975- one of the founding editors of: Studien zur
Indologie und Iranistik, Reinbek
1979- Editor, Indo-Iranian Journal
1987/90- Editor, Harvard Oriental Series
1995 - Editor, Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies
http://www.shore.net/~india/ejvs
http://ejvs-list@arcadiax1.arcadia.polimi.it)