Pūṣan and Sarasvatī by J. GondaReview by: Ludo RocherJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 107, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1987), p. 778Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/603321 .

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778 Journal of the American Oriental Society 107.4 (1987)

Pritchett's comparative analysis is accompanied by trans- lations of critical passages from the qissas. The literal trans- lating style, while slightly awkward, affords us a worthwhile glimpse into the structure and texture of the printed popular "romance" in India. It would have been useful, however, to include the original passages along with the translations, and diacritical marks on the Indian words in the body of the book (the bibliography has them). The latter problem, how- ever, is the printer's shortcoming, as are the occasional typographical errors.

Marvelous Encounters is a valuable contribution to the study of South Asian literature and folklore. Pritchett has brought together material virtually unknown to researchers, material of value to a number of fields from anthropology to education. This book is by nature exploratory and should be seen as a starting point for further inquiry. The study of popular culture and mass communication in India is just beginning, and the author's work on one aspect of this subject is a welcome and timely addition.

SAGAREE S. KOROM

FRANK J. KOROM

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Pusan and Sarasvati. By J. GONDA. Pp. 175. (Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Letterkunde, Nieuwe Reeks, Deel 127.) Amsterdam, etc.: NORTH-HOLLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1985.

One cannot help being surprised by the title of this new volume by the retired professor of Utrecht-not Leiden, as I read recently-University. Why, of all Vedic gods, deal with Sarasvat! and Pusan in the same volume? The answer is announced in the first paragraph: "because on closer exami- nation they appear to be connected in more than one way."

Nevertheless, up to page 145, "passages evidencing some form of association of the two gods under consideration have been purposely left out of account." The first part of the book (pp. 5-67) deals with Sarasvati, under five headings: the river goddess, the three goddesses, Sarasvati Vac, the cow, and Sarasvat! and the Waters. Sarasvati originally was a river and a local river goddess that gradually took on a second identity: a divine figure representing Vac, the sacral word. This process of splitting "owes its existence to the more or less contemporaneous existence and combined development of a number of beliefs, doctrines, associations, 'identifications' and interpretations that converged to the same result" (p. 66).

The second part of the volume (pp. 68-144) is devoted to the nature and characteristic functions of Puisan: Pusan in

the Rgveda, Puisan in the Atharvaveda, and Pisan in other Vedic texts. Puisan's functions vary considerably depending on the interests, activities, or social class of his worshipers. "He concerns himself with the fertility of the earth, with growth and the creativity of nature, the creation of new life, the acquisition of property, and occurs therefore also in passages dealing with the earth, milk, ploughing, ways and wind or is described as having Aditi, the Mvins, Soma, Savitar, Dhatar, Vayu, the Maruts, Tvastar, Brhaspati as associates" (p. 142). The common denominator in all this is that Pisan is perceived, not as the god of some natural phenomenon or concrete object, but as the representative of one basic process: posana "thriving, making prosperous."

The heading of the ninth and last chapter (pp. 145-64) repeats the title of the book: Pisan and SarasvatL. Both in mantras and in enumerations in Brahmana passages the names of both gods appear either directly together or not at a great distance from one another. In addition, Pisan and Sarasvati share a number of interests and activities. "The goddess was often known or considered to concern herself with processes and activities which are elsewhere described as belonging decidedly to Pisan's field of active interest or influence" (p. 161). The same epithets are used for both gods; the gods who accompany them or are associated with them are to a large extent the same; they are both associated with dhi, and so on. In short, "the goddess of the most powerful and fertilizing river and the god of economic prosperity, cattle and nourishment were so to say predisposed to forming a complementary pair" (p. 163).

The numerous references and quotations within the text do not make for leisurely reading. However, in addition to those who will want to read and study the book, many others will profit from consulting the general index, the index of Sanskrit words, and the index of Sanskrit text-places.

LUDO ROCHER

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

A Tradition of Teachers: Sankara and the Jagadgurus Today. WILLIAM CENKNER. Pp. xii, 210, bibliography, glossary, index. Delhi: MOTILAL BANARSIDASS. Rs. 100.

This book is an attempt to determine from the writings of the original gamkaracarya what his notion of the guru was, and to then measure those findings against the role of the five current gamkaracaryas of the mathas at Sringeri, Kanchi, Dwaraka, Puri, and Badrinath. The comparison is an inter- esting one, and at times it is enlightening-particularly the reports of conversations with the modern gurus and their

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