Anna Scarabel | Universität Heidelberg (original) (raw)
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice where I studied Hindi and Sanskrit, and then obtained a M.A. in South Asian Studies at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. I am now a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Cultural and Religious History of South Asia at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. In my doctoral dissertation, I am studying the intellectual debate on icon worship carried on by the Ārya Samāja and the Śaṅkarācārya lineages. In particular, I analyse the discourse revolving around the practice of icon worship. My main research interests lie in the colonial and post-colonial studies, Mīmāṃsā and Vedānta textual traditions.
less
Uploads
Papers by Anna Scarabel
Puṣpikā: Proceedings of the 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (Vienna, 2021), 2023
Mūrti pūjā, or icon worship, is a widespread ritual practice in Hindu traditions. This article ex... more Mūrti pūjā, or icon worship, is a widespread ritual practice in Hindu traditions. This article examines the intellectual debate on icon worship between the Ārya Samāja and Sanātanists emerging in 19th-and 20thcentury India. Svāmī Dayānanda, the founder of the Ārya Samāja, believed that the Vedas-the only source of infallible truth-assert the existence of a single, formless God. Accordingly, he regarded icon worship as a "ridiculous" practice and its popularity as a sign of the decay of Hindu society. Svāmī Karapātrī, an influential 20th-century Indian scholar, disagreed with
Quaderni di Diritto e Politica Ecclesiastica, 2021
This study proposes an analysis of the impact of the contemporary health emergency / covid-19 in ... more This study proposes an analysis of the impact of the contemporary health emergency / covid-19 in traditional Hindu religious environments in India, with particular focus on the Śaṅkarācarya’s seats of the of Jhyotiṣpīṭa and Dvāraka Pīṭha. In this framework, the article highlights the perceptionof the emergency and related legislation during lockdowns, also emphasizing the perception of the essence of the virus in Hindu religious perspective and in particular the ways of reacting to the pandemic threat.
Interdisziplinäre Zeitschrift für Südasienforschung, 2020
The adhyāyas 114 to 117 of the Anuśāsanaparvan (the 13th book of the Mahābhārata) introduce the t... more The adhyāyas 114 to 117 of the Anuśāsanaparvan (the 13th book of the Mahābhārata) introduce the topic of ahiṃsā (non-violence) and its relation to vege-tarianism. All in all, the text enjoins that following a vegetarian diet is the greatest non-violent practice. However, several verses of this section allow practices related to Vedic sacrifice, which include meat offerings. In view of the principles of non-violence , such an "exception" to the ahiṃsā rule may be seen by some as a logical inconsistency. Instead, I argue that such apparent contradiction can be resolved if we consider that the Mahābhārata addresses different audiences. On one side, there are those leading a contemplative life (nivṛtti), aiming at spiritual upliftment, who follow the path of ahiṃsā and maintain a vegetarian diet. On the other side, those engaged in an active life (pravṛtti) perform Vedic rituals in view of worldly objects and relish the animals sacrificed to the gods. As a result of their class duty, Hindu warriors may also hunt and eat animals. In this article, I further implement my arguments and investigate the relation between non-violence and vegetarianism in the Mahābhārata.
Puṣpikā: Proceedings of the 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (Vienna, 2021), 2023
Mūrti pūjā, or icon worship, is a widespread ritual practice in Hindu traditions. This article ex... more Mūrti pūjā, or icon worship, is a widespread ritual practice in Hindu traditions. This article examines the intellectual debate on icon worship between the Ārya Samāja and Sanātanists emerging in 19th-and 20thcentury India. Svāmī Dayānanda, the founder of the Ārya Samāja, believed that the Vedas-the only source of infallible truth-assert the existence of a single, formless God. Accordingly, he regarded icon worship as a "ridiculous" practice and its popularity as a sign of the decay of Hindu society. Svāmī Karapātrī, an influential 20th-century Indian scholar, disagreed with
Quaderni di Diritto e Politica Ecclesiastica, 2021
This study proposes an analysis of the impact of the contemporary health emergency / covid-19 in ... more This study proposes an analysis of the impact of the contemporary health emergency / covid-19 in traditional Hindu religious environments in India, with particular focus on the Śaṅkarācarya’s seats of the of Jhyotiṣpīṭa and Dvāraka Pīṭha. In this framework, the article highlights the perceptionof the emergency and related legislation during lockdowns, also emphasizing the perception of the essence of the virus in Hindu religious perspective and in particular the ways of reacting to the pandemic threat.
Interdisziplinäre Zeitschrift für Südasienforschung, 2020
The adhyāyas 114 to 117 of the Anuśāsanaparvan (the 13th book of the Mahābhārata) introduce the t... more The adhyāyas 114 to 117 of the Anuśāsanaparvan (the 13th book of the Mahābhārata) introduce the topic of ahiṃsā (non-violence) and its relation to vege-tarianism. All in all, the text enjoins that following a vegetarian diet is the greatest non-violent practice. However, several verses of this section allow practices related to Vedic sacrifice, which include meat offerings. In view of the principles of non-violence , such an "exception" to the ahiṃsā rule may be seen by some as a logical inconsistency. Instead, I argue that such apparent contradiction can be resolved if we consider that the Mahābhārata addresses different audiences. On one side, there are those leading a contemplative life (nivṛtti), aiming at spiritual upliftment, who follow the path of ahiṃsā and maintain a vegetarian diet. On the other side, those engaged in an active life (pravṛtti) perform Vedic rituals in view of worldly objects and relish the animals sacrificed to the gods. As a result of their class duty, Hindu warriors may also hunt and eat animals. In this article, I further implement my arguments and investigate the relation between non-violence and vegetarianism in the Mahābhārata.