“The Language of the Gods” in the Siamese Grantha Manuscript Corpus

Lecture topic: “The Language of the Gods” in the Siamese Grantha Manuscript Corpus

Speaker: Asst. Prof. Dr. Manasicha Akepiyapornchai (มนสิชา เอกปิยะพรชัย)
Affiliation: Department of Asian Studies, the University of Texas at Austin

Date/Time: May 26th (Friday) at 10:00–12:00 h (CEST/MESZ).
Language: This online lecture will be held in English.

Zoom Link: https://uni-hamburg.zoom.us/j/64563521222?pwd=OEdSbENCOUV2Ynl5ZUdnNG5mM1pwQT09
Zoom Meeting-ID: 645 6352 1222
Zoom Passcode: hgtlecture

Traces of Brahmanical tradition are evident in Siamese culture, especially in manuscript culture, despite the domination of Theravada Buddhism. This lecture will explore the corpus of Brahmanical ritual and ceremonial texts that feature three languages: Sanskrit, Tamil, and Thai, and use the Siamese Grantha script (a variation of South Indian script).

In particular, it focuses on the Sanskrit texts, their functions, and potential sources in this corpus to reveal dynamic and insightful relationships between the Sanskrit literature of mainland India and the regional versions outside. In summary, the Sanskrit texts in the Siamese Grantha manuscripts consist of sacred formulas (mantras) and praise-poems (stotras) to Śiva, Viṣṇu, and other deities.

Many of them were adapted and corrupted to the extent that they are unintelligible, and their sources cannot be identified. However, Sanskrit in these Siamese manuscripts remains “the language of the gods,” the language that is sacred and specific to the gods and the Brahmanical priests who serve them.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Manasicha Akepiyapornchai (มนสิชา เอกปิยะพรชัย) for this talk. She received a BA in South Asian languages and literature from the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, before completing her Ph.D. at Cornell University. Her primary research centers on the medieval and early modern intellectual histories of South Asia, with a particular interest in translation and multilingualism. Her current book project focuses on the multilingual textual practice and its impact on the premodern Śrīvaiṣṇava religious community of South India. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Classical Studies of South Asia at the Department of Asian Studies, the University of Texas at Austin.

We thank the Hamburg Society for Thai Studies for the cooperation. 

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