Sarat Chandra Das

Sarat Chandra Das

Sarat Chandra Das (1849–1917) was an Indian scholar of Tibetan language and culture most noted for his two journeys to Tibet in 1879 and in 1881 - 1882

Contents

Biography

Born in Chittagong, eastern Bengal to a Hindu family, Sarat Chandra Das attended Presidency College in Calcutta.In 1874 he was appointed headmaster of the Bhutia Boarding School at Darjeeling. In 1878, a Tibetan teacher, Lama Ugyen-gyatso arranged a passport for Sarat Chandra to go the monastery at Tashilhunpo. In June, 1879, Das and Ugyen-gyatso left Darjeeling for the first of two journeys to Tibet. They remained in Tibet for six months, returning to Darjeeling with a large collection of Tibetan and Sanskrit texts which would become the basis for his later scholarship. Sarat Chandra spent 1880 in Darjeeling pouring over the information he had obtained. In November 1881, Sarat Chandra and Ugyen-gyatso returned to Tibet for where they explored the Yarlung valley, returning to India in January 1883[1]

For a time, he worked as a spy for the British, going on expeditions into Tibet to gather information on the Tibetans, Russians and Chinese. After he left Tibet, the reasons for his visit were discovered and many of the Tibetans who had befriended him suffered severe reprisals. For the latter part of his life, Das settled in Darjeeling. He named his house "Lhasa Villa" and played host to many notable guests including Sir Charles Alfred Bell, Ekai Kawaguchi and Evans-Wentz. Johnson stated that, in 1882 Das met with Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott, the two individuals notable for the founding of the Theosophy Society. Johnson argued that although she described it in some detail, Blavatsky had never set foot in Tibet and that she obtained her information regarding the Tashilunpo Monastery indirectly from Das, who had visited and was familiar with the place. Das compiled a large Tibetan-English dictionary, which was published in 1902.[2]

Publications

  • Contributions on the religion, history &c., of Tibet: Rise and progress of Jin or Buddhism in China. Publisher: s.n. (1882).
  • Narrative of a journey to Lhasa in 1881-82. Publisher: s.n. (1885).
  • Narrative of a journey round Lake Yamdo (Palti), and in Lhokha, Yarlung, and Sakya, in 1882. publisher: s.n (1887).
  • The doctrine of transmigration. Buddhist Text Society (1893).
  • Indian Pandits in the Land of Snow. Originally published at the end of the 19th century. Reprint: Rupa (2006).ISBN 978-8129108951.
  • Sarat Chandra Das, Graham Sandberg & Augustus William Heyde A Tibetan-English dictionary, with Sanskrit synonyms. 1st Edition - Calcutta, 1902. Reprint: Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi, 1989 and Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1991, 1995 and 2000.
  • Journey To Lhasa & Central Tibet. 1st Edition: John Murray (England) (1902). Reprint: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (2007). ISBN 978-0548226520. Republished as: Lhasa and Central Tibet, Cosmo (Publications, India); New edition (2003). ISBN 978-8170204350.
  • An introduction to the grammar of the Tibetan language;: With the texts of Situ sum-tag, Dag-je sal-wai melong, and Situi shal lung. Darjeeling Branch Press, 1915. Reprint: Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1972 and 1983.
  • Autobiography: Narratives of the incidents of my early life. Reprint: Indian studies: past & present (1969).

References

  1. ^ Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet, Das, Sarat Chadra, pp xi - xiii, Paljor Publications, New Delhi, 2001
  2. ^ Johnson, Paul K. (1994). The Masters Revealed: Madame Blavatsy and the Myth of the Great White Lodge. State University of New York Press. p. 198ff. ISBN 0791420639. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sarat Chandra Das — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Sarat Chandra Das (1849 1917), erudito indio de la cultura e idioma tibetano, destacado por sus dos viajes al Tibet en 1879 y en 1881 1882 Contenido 1 Biografía 2 Publicaciones 3 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sarat Chandra Das — (1849 1917) était un lettré indien ayant une connaissance de la langue tibétaine et la culture tibétaine. Il a travaillé durant une période comme espion pour les Britanniques, partant en expéditions au Tibet pour rassembler des informations sur… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sarat Chandra Bose — (September 1889 February 20, 1950) was a barrister and Indian freedom fighter. He was the elder brother of Subhash Chandra Bose.Early lifeBorn to Janakinath Bose and Bibhabati Bose (nee Dey), Sarat Bose studied in Presidency College, Calcutta and …   Wikipedia

  • Bose, Subhas Chandra — born Jan. 23, 1897, Cuttack, Orissa, India died Aug. 18, 1945, Taipei, Taiwan? Indian revolutionary. Preparing in Britain for a career in the Indian civil service, he resigned his candidacy on hearing of nationalist turmoil back home. Sent by… …   Universalium

  • Durga Mohan Das — Durgamohan Das (Bengali: দূর্গামোহন দাস Durgamohon Dash) (1841 1897) was a Brahmo Samaj leader and a social reformer with notable contribution in the field of widow remarriage and women’s emancipation. Contents 1 Early life 2 Barisal Brahmo Samaj …   Wikipedia

  • Chittaranjan Das — দেশবন্ধু চিত্তরঞ্জন দাস Born 5 November 1870(1870 11 05) Died 16 June 1925(1925 06 16 …   Wikipedia

  • Ilaram Das — Infobox Writer name = Ilaram Das caption = Aacharya Ilaram Das birthdate = birth date|1929|12|23|df=y birthplace = Jaluguti deathdate = death date and age|2003|10|19|1929|12|23|df=y deathplace = Jaluguti occupation = Vaishnavite Scholar,Social… …   Wikipedia

  • Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay — বঙ্কিমচন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Born 27 June 1838(1838 06 27) Naihati, Bengal, India Died 8 April 1894 …   Wikipedia

  • Joseph Das — (* 7. Juli 1930 in Dantolinigi, Indien; † 5. August 2008) war römisch katholischer Bischof von Berhampur (Brahmapur) im indischen Bundesstaat Orissa. Leben Joseph Das empfing am 6. Dezember 1959 die Priesterweihe. 1993 wurde er von Johannes Paul… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Subhas Chandra Bose — Subhash Chandra Bose সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু Shubhash Chôndro Boshu Subhash Chandra Bose in his uniform Born 23 January 1897(1897 01 23) Cuttack, Orissa, India …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”