Title:
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Rammohun Roy's Interpretation of The Vedanta.
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This study of Rammohun Roy (1772?-1833) concentrates mainly on
those English and Bengali works in which he expounds or translates the
Upanis• ads and the Vedanta-s~tras. Reference is also made to other
works in which he quotes these texts, or §ankara's commentaries on
them, as his authorities, and to his other works on religion.
The introduction describes the aims of the study, and outlines
the two topics of Rammohun Roy and of Vedanta (ch. 1). Rammohun's
life is described up to the beginning of his Vedantic publications in
1815, and the evidence for some uncertain matters is examined afresh
(ch. 2). This biographical study provides material for a discussion
of Rammohun's acquaintance with Sanskritic, Islamic and European
learning (ch. 3). Rammohun's works, especially those relevant to the
present study, are then described, with some discussion of the evidence
for his authorship (ch. 4).
The central chapter deals with Rammohun's three earliest Vedantic
works. The Veaanta-s~tras, on which all three are based, are described,
with a brief history of their interpretation. It is then shown that
Rammohun based his interpretation on SaDkara's commentary, but that at
certain points he departed radically from it (ch. 5).
Rammohun's translations of Upanisads into Bengali and English are •
described, showing that here again he followed §aDkara close~ except
in certain significant points. The differences between his Bengali
and English versions are discussed, and his prefaces to some of these
translations are summarised (ch. 6). His Bengali translation of the
Vajras~cr Upani~~, which raises some textual problems, is described
and translated (ch. 7).
The final chapter considers Rammohun's Vedahtic expositions and
translations in relation to the rest of his work, and attempts to
assess the nature of his religious thought, the place of Vedanta in
it, and its relation to various religious traditions (ch. 8).
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