Canadian scholars study rare manuscripts at MSU Oriental Institute

Vadodara: Rare manuscripts preserved at MS University's Oriental Institute have drawn research scholars from Canada to the city.

Two Canadian scholars — Chris Schmitz and Joseph Duffy from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary in Canada — arrived at the Oriental Institute under the Indo-Canadian Shastri Fellowship. The duo, who are here for five weeks, are working under the supervision of Dr Sweta Prajapati, the director of the institute.

Schmitz's work focuses on the Harivamsa, particularly as it depicts Lord Krishna's holy city of Dwarka and Krishna as the ruler of it. His work examines narrative depictions of Krishna as the ruler of Dwarka and how this shapes Hindu devotion and the urban geography of the cities gods are said to rule over. This work is based on narrative explorations of the Harivamsa about Krishna's tenure as ruler of Dwarka and how modern devotees reckon with this aspect of Krishna, one that is often put aside in favour of stories of Krishna's childhood.

His work contrasts the devotional importance of Dwarka and Braj, as well as comparing Krishna's sacred city to those of other gods. His work is augmented by the study of Sanskrit as well as a close examination of scholarly work by both Western and Indian academics. He hopes to better understand how the presence of a divine ruler affects the character of the cities they are sovereign of, both historically and in the present. The scholar is especially interested in how the relative lack of importance placed on Krishna in relation to Dwarka affects both the god and his city.

Joseph Duffy's work focuses on descriptions of locations in the Brahmapurana and Sarasvatipurana, and how these descriptions can be used in conjunction with material culture to establish chronologies of various regions. He will also study the sacred place of Pushkar in Rajasthan and the only temple of Lord Brahma. He will also learn about the conservation of the manuscripts.