Buddhism in Karnataka

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From the Jacket

Dr. R.C. Hiremath examines the age-old story of Siddhartha Gautama's early life and renunciation, providing the reader with the background of the Sramana schools that did not accept the authority of the Vedas. He treats, with meticulous scholarship, the Hinayana and Mahayana forms of Buddhism, and establishes that, contrary to popular belief, these two forms were not antangonistic to each other.

The author maintains that Buddhism had in fact entered Karnataka before the time of the Emperor Asoka, and that it enjoyed its heyday between the 3rd century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D. He describes the organization of the centres, assesses the standing of Buddhism as a living important religion of Karnataka, and accounts for its decay and departure to countries outside the land of its birth. He discusses the impact of the religion on the literature of Karnataka of which little that is authentic, yet known. Based on the Asokan edicts found in the region, which are claimed to have been the first writings in Karnataka, Dr. Hiremath goes further to infer that the Kannada script and literature have been derived from Buddhistic literature and philosophy.

Supported with reports of archaeological excavations and foreign travelers, the study gives a fresh insight on an hitherto untapped area. With highly informative appendix giving Devanagari text, Roman transliteration and translation of the inscription found in Karnataka, extensive bibliographic references, and a glossary of non-English words/ phrases, the book holds out an enduring appeals to both scholars and discerning readers.

About the Author

Dr. R.C. Hiremath, a former Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka University, some time National Fellow, is a well-known scholar. After a distinguished career at the University of Bombay, he took his PhD at the Karnataka University, and had his post-doctoral training in modern Linguistics at the University of California, USA. Dr. Hiremath has taught and administered for 30 years in Karnataka, and has an impressive volume of scholarly publications both creative and critical to his credit.