GAWROŃSKI, Andrzej. Geneva 20.6.1885 — Jósefów near Warsaw 11.1.1927. Polish Indologist. Professor in Lwów. Son of the historian Franciszek Rawita-G. (1845–1930) and —> Antonina Gawrońska, born in Switzerland during his parents’ exile, they returned in 1887. Educated in Warsaw and Lwów (now L’viv in Ukraina), in 1903-05 studies at Lwów (learnt Sanskrit from G. Blatt). From 1905 studied Indology and comparative IE at Leipzig under Brugmann, Leskien, Lindner, and especially Windisch. Ph.D. 1908 Leipzig. Assistant, then from 1912 PD at Cracow and 1916 ao. Professor, from 1917 Professor of Indology at Lwów University (succeeding Blatt), where he taught until his early death (succeeded by Stasiak in Sanskrit, by Kuryłowics in IE). Milewska claims that he moved in 1920 to Warsaw University (but 1926 he was again at Lwów). Member of Polish Academy 1926. From his youth suffered of the tuberculosis, which finally killed him.
Gawroński was mainly interested in classical Sanskrit literature and became known as a skilled textual critic. With his photographic memory he rarely needed written notes. He knew many languages, even Hungarian and Breton. Occasionally somewhat too many-sided. He denied any Greek influence in Indian theatre and did important work on Sanskrit Buddhist literature (Aśvaghoṣa). Also knew Bengali. Among his students were Schayer, Słuszkiewicz and Stasiak. Founder and editor of RO. His Sanskrit primer was still used in the 1990s in Poland.
Publications: Diss. Sprachliche Untersuchungen über das Mṛcchakaṭika und das Daśakumāracarita. 48 p. Lp. 1907.
– Hab.diss. publ. as “Am Rande des Mṛcchakaṭika”, KZ 44, 1911, 224-284.
– Gleanings from Asvaghoṣa’s Buddhacarita. Archives polonaises d’études orientales 1915 = RO 1, 1914-15, 1-42; Studies about the Sanskrit Buddhist Literature. 80 p. Mém. de la Comm. Or. (Prace Komisji Orjentalistycznej. Polskiej Akademji Umiejetności) 2. Cracow 1919; Notes on the Saundarananda. 38 p. Ibid. Cracow 1922.
– Notes sur les sources de quelques drames Indiens. 93 p. Mém. de la Comm. Or. (Prace Komisji Orjentalistycznej. Polskiej Akademji Umiejetności) 4. Cracow 1921; “Quelques observations sur le rôle du temps et du lieu dans le théatre Indien”, Mélanges O. Balzer. Lwów 1925.
– The Digvijaya of Raghu and some connected problems. Archives polonaises d’ études orientales. 1925 (also RO 1, 1914/15, 43-82).
– Szkice językoznawcze. 217 p. Warsaw 1928.
– Podręcznik sanskrytu. Gramatyka – wypisu – objaśnienia – słownik. Ed. by H. Willman-Grabowska & Jan M. Roswadowski. 9+247 p. Cracow 1932, new ed. by M. Mejor. Warsaw 2004.
– Polish translations of ancient (Aśvaghoṣa 1926) and modern (Tagore’s Sādhanā) Indian literature.
– In Polish: Początki dramatu indyjskiego a sprawa wplywów greckich (Les origines du theâtre Indien et la question de l’influence grecque). 72+156 p. Mém. Comm. Or. (P.K.O., P.A.U.) 35. Cracow 1946.
– Studies About the Sanskrit Buddhist Literature. Collected Papers. 195 p. Studia Buddhica 2. Warsaw 2012 (with life by M. Mejor, 7-10, obituary by E. H. Johnston, 11-15, and poor photo from RO 4, 1926, iii).
Sources: E.H. Johnston, “A.G. and Sanskrit Textual Criticism”, RO 12, 1936, 209-215, repr. in Studies (above); *I. Milewska, “A.G.: portrait of the Polish linguist, sanskritologist and translator”, Figures pionnières de l’orientalisme. Res Orientales 20, 2011, 243-250 (with bibliography and Polish references); *K. Nitsch, Polski Słownik Biograficzny 7. Kraków 1948-58, 325-328; E. Słuszkiewicz, Indo-Asian Culture 7:4, 1959, 416-418, *E. Słuszkiewicz, “Wspomnienie o Andrzeju Gawrońskim w dziesięciolecie zgonu”, RO 12, 1936, 216-230 (résumée “Notice sur A.G., polyglotte”, 230) and *“A.G.”, Szkice z dziejów orientalistyki 3. Warszawa 1969, 173-215; *Stasiak, RO 4, 1926 (1928), i-xxi (in Polish, with photo); H. Willman-Grabowska, JA 210, 1927, 368-370; *H. Willman-Grabowska, “Przed dziesięciu laty (Garść wspomnień o Andrzeju Gawrońskim)”, RO 12, 1936, 231-236; Wikipedia with two photos.
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