GONDA, Jan. Gouda 14.4.1905 — Utrecht 28.7.1991. Dutch Indologist. Professor in Utrecht. Son of Jan Gonda and Martha Jantina Derksema. After school in Gouda studies of classical, soon also Old Indian, Iranian and Indonesian philology in 1923-31 at Utrecht and Leiden under Caland, van Hamel, Juynboll, Vollgraff, et al. Ph.D. 1929 Utrecht, in classical philology. From 1932 Caland’s (and Rahder’s) successor as Professor of Sanskrit, Avestan, Old Persian and IE Linguistics at Utrecht, in 1932-50 also apl. Professor of Malay and Old Javanese (after Indonesian independence these subjects were then removed from the university program at Utrecht). In 1975 emeritus (succeeded by Bodewitz). Married Henriëtte Wijnholt, then Maria van der Grient.
Gonda was a many-sided scholar, whose main interests included IE and Sanskrit linguistics (semantics, syntax and stilistics), Veda, history and concepts of religion, and Indonesian philology (especially Kavi). He wrote and published much, important studies, although often rather complicated in style. In the 1930s he mainly concentrated on Indonesian studies, editing epic and Purāṇic text in Kavi (Old Javanese), after the war more and more on Vedic and IE linguistics, later also on Indian religions in general, including later Hinduism, during his last years again mainly on Veda. His bibliography contains no less than 720 publications, including about 70 books. Despite the obvious haste the details and references are in order, but the style is often clumsy and hard to follow. Among his numerous students 62 completed their doctorates under him, i.al. Beth, Bodewitz, Bollée, Breunis, van Buitenen, van Daalen, Dresden, Ensink, Goudriaan, Heesterman, Hoens, de Jong, Kohlbrugge, van Kooij, Koppers, van Lohuizen-de Leeuw, Lokesh Chandra, Meulenbeld, Scharpé, and K. Yoroi.
Publications: Diss. Δείκνυμι. Semantische Studie over den Indo-Germaanschen wortel deik-. 244 p. Utrecht 1929; Austrisch en Arisch. 1932 (inaugural lecture).
– Old Javanese: Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa. Edition 1932, Dutch transl. 1933; Agastyaparwa. Edition Bijdr.T.L.V.I. 90, 1933, 329-419, study 92, 1935, 339-458, Dutch transl. 94, 1936, 223-285; Bhīsmaparwa. Edition 1936, notes 1937.
– Articles on Indonesian philology in Bijdr.T.L.V.I. 1941, 1942, 1943, 1949.
– “Zur Homonymie im Altindischen”, AO 14, 1936, 161-202; “Altind. Śanta-, Śantara-, usw.”, Bijdr. T.L.V.I. 97, 1938, 453-500 & 112, 1956, 395-402.
– A Sanskrit Reader, containing 17 Epic and Purāṇic texts, with a glossary. 217 p. Utrecht 1935.
– De Oud-Indische Letterkunde en haar beteekenis voor ons. 47 p. Meppel 1938.
– Kurze Elementar-Grammatik der Sanskrit-Sprache. Ld. 1941, 2nd ed. 1943, 3rd 152 p. Ld. 1948, 4th Ld. 1963; French transl. Manuel de grammaire élémentaire de la langue sanskrite. Tr. by R. Rocher. With 30 p. addenda by B. Oguibenin, 157 p. Ld. 1966, English A concise elementary grammar of the Sanskrit language. 152 p. Ld. 1966, Japanese 1974, Spanish 1982.
– Stilistische studie over Atharvaveda I–VII. 96 p. Wageningen 1938; The Meaning of Vedic Bhūṣati. 28 p. Wageningen 1939 (repr. in Four Studies).
– Remarks on similes in Sanskrit Literature. 128 p. Wageningen 1939, 2nd ed. Or. Rh.-Tr. 1. Ld. 1949; “Zur Frage nach dem Ursprung und Wesen des indischen Dramas”, AO 19, 1943, 329-453.
– “Bemerkungen zum Gebrauch der Pronomina der 1. und 2. Person als Subjekt im Altindischen”, AO 19, 1943, 211-279; “Quelques observations sur l’emploi du verbe simple ‘au lieu d’un composé’, etc. dans la langue sanscrite”, AO 20, 1948, 167-205; Remarques sur la place du verbe dans la phrase active et moyenne en langue sanscrite. 86 p. Utrecht 1952.
– Inleiding tot het Indische denken. 319 p. Antwerpen 1948; “Het begrip Bhakti“, Tijdskr. v. Philos. 10, 1948, 607-660; Notes on Brahman. 89 p. Utrecht 1950; “Maya”, Tijdschrift v. Philos. 14, 1952, 3-62; De Indische Godsdiensten. 147 p. den Haag 1955; “Het begrip Dharma”, Tijdschrift v. Philos. 20, 1958, 213-268.
– Ancient Indian ojas, latin *angos and the ie. nouns in -es, -os. 83 p. Utrecht 1952; “The Vedic concept of aṁhas”, IIJ 1, 1957, 33-60.
– Remarks on the Sanskrit Passive. 108 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 4. Ld. 1951; La place de la particule négative na dans la phrase en vieil indien. 71 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 6. Ld. 1951.
– The Rgvidhāna. English transl. and notes. 132 p. Utrecht 1951.
– Sanskrit in Indonesia. 456 p. Sarasvati-Vihara series 28. Nagpur 1952, 2nd enl. ed. 724 p. Śata-Piṭ. Series 99. N.D. 1973.
– Reflections on the numerals “one” and “two” in ancient IE. languages. 80 p. Utrecht 1953; The character of the IE. moods. 8+211 p. Wb. 1956.
– “The original character of the Indo-European relative pronoun ịo”, Lingua 4, 1954, 1-41; “Notes on the Indoeuropean kui and kuo pronouns”, ibid. 241-285; “The history and original function of the IE particle kue”, Mnemosyne 4:7, 1954, 177-214 & 265-296; “The use of the particle ca”, Vāk 5, 1957, 1-73; “Reflections on the Indo-European medium”, Lingua 9, 1960, 30-67 & 175-193.
– Aspects of Early Viṣṇuism. 270 p. Utrecht 1954; Viṣṇuism and Śivaism. A comparison. 230 p. L. 1970.
– “Ancient Indian Kingship from the Religious Point of View”, Numen 3, 1956, 36-71, 122-155 & 4, 1957, 24-58, 127-164, and separately, 151 p.
– Some observations on the relation between “Gods” and “Powers” in the Veda. 107 p. Disp. Rh.-Tr. 1. ’s-Gravenhage 1957; Four Studies in the Language of the Veda. 194 p. Ibid. 3. ’s-Gr. 1959; Epithets in the Rigveda. 270 p. Ibid. 4. ’s-Gr. 1959; Stylistic repetition in the Veda. 43 p. V.K.N.A.W. 65:3. Amsterdam 1959; Ellipsis, brachylogy and other forms of brevity … in the Rgveda. 91 p. V.K.N.A.W. 65:3. Amst. 1960; The aspectual function of the Rgvedic present and aorist. 268 p. Disp. Rh.-Tr. 7. ’s-Gr. 1962.
– Die Religionen Indiens. 1. Veda und älterer Hinduismus. 385 p. St. 1960; 2nd rev. ed. 409 p. Die Relig. der Menschheit 11. St. 1978; 2. Der jüngere Hinduismus. 379 p. St. 1962.
– The Vision of the Vedic Poets. 372 p. Disp. Rh.-Tr. 8. the Hague 1963.
– “The Indian Mantra”, Oriens 16, 1963, 244-297; “A note on Indra in Purāṇic Literature”, Purāṇa 9, 1967, 222-261; Loka. World and Heaven in the Veda. 172 p. V.K.N.A.W. 73:1. Amsterdam 1966; “Wereld en hemel in de Veda”, Tijskr. voor Philos. 28, 1966, 227-263; Notes on names and the Name of God in Ancient India. 113 p. V.K.N.A.W. 75:4. Amsterdam 1970.
– Change and continuity in Indian religion. 484 p. Disp. Rh.-Tr. 9. The Hague 1965.
– The Savayajñas (Kauśikasūtra 60-68: transl., introd. & commentary). 461 p. V.K.N.A.W. 71:2. Amsterdam 1965
– The meaning of the Sanskrit term dhāman. 100 p V.K.N.A.W. 73:2. Amsterdam 1967; “The meaning of the Sanskrit term āyatana”, ALB 23, 1969, 1-79.
– Eye and gaze in the Veda. 88 p. V.K.N.A.W. 75:1. Amsterdam 1969.
– The Vedic God Mitra. 155 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 13. Ld. 1972; “Mitra and mitra. The idea of “friendship” in ancient India”, IT 1, 1973, 71-107.
– Old Indian. 12+230 p. HdO 2:1:1. Leiden 1970.
– “The significance of the right hand and the right side in vedic ritual”, Religion 2, 1972, 1-23; “Vedic Gods and the Sacrifice”, Numen 30, 1983, 1-34.
– The dual deities in the religion of the Veda. 416 p. V.K.N.A.W. 81. Amsterdam 1974; Triads in the Veda. 246 p. V.K.N.A.W. 91. Amst. 1976.
– Vedic Literature (Samhitās and Brāhmaṇas). 470 p. H.I.L. 1:1. Wb. 1975; Ritual Sūtras. 219 p. H.I.L. 1:2. Wb. 1977; Medieval religious literature in Sanskrit. 316 p. H.I.L. 2:1. Wb. 1977.
– “Old Javanese Literature”, HdO 3:3:1. Leiden 1976, 187-245; “The Indian Religions in Pre-Islamic Indonesia and their Survival in Bali”, HdO 3:2:2. Ld. 1975, 1-54.
– Hymns of the Rigveda not employed in the solemn Ritual. 138 p. V.K.N.A.W. 95. Amst. 1978; The Praügaśāstra. 83 p. M.K.N.A.W. 44:3. Amst. 1981; The mantras of the Agnyupasthāna and the Sautrāmaṇi. 202 p. V.K.N.A.W. 104. Amsterdam 1980.
– The Medium in the Rgveda. 202 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 24. Ld. 1979.
– Vedic Ritual. The non-solemn rites. 530 p. HdO 2:4:1. Ld. 1980.
– The Vedic morning Litany (Prātaranuvāka). 8+135 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 26. Ld. 1981.
– The Haviryajñaḥ Somaḥ. The interrelations of the Vedic solemn sacrifices. Sāṅkhāyana Śrautasūtra 14, 1–13. Translation and notes. 125 p. V.K.N.A.W. 113. Amsterdam 1982.
– On the structure of multipartite formulae in Vedic rites and ceremonies. 42 p. Public. di IT, Collana di Letture 4. Turin 1983; Fatherhood in the Veda. 42 p. Public. di IT, Collana di Letture 18. Turin 1985.
– Prajāpati and the Year. 99 p. V.K.N.A.W. 123. Amsterdam 1984; Prajāpati’s rise to higher rank. 218 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 29. Ld. 1986; Prajāpati’s relations with Brahman, Bṛhaspati and Brahma. 78 p. V.K.N.A.W. 138. Amst. 1989.
– Pūṣan and Sarasvatī. 175 p. V.K.N.A.W. 127. Amst. 1985.
– The ritual functions and significance of grasses in the religion of the Veda. 260 p. V.K.N.A.W. 132. A. 1985; Rice and barley offerings in the Veda. 9+235 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 31. Ld. 1987; The function and significance of gold in the Veda. 12+266 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 37. Ld. 1991.
– Mantra interpretation in the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa. 10+285 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 32. Ld. 1988; Prayer and blessing: ancient Indian ritual terminology. 10+200 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 33. Ld. 1989.
– The Indra hymns of the Rgveda. 9+226 p. Or. Rh.-Tr. 36. Ld. 1989.
– A great number of shorter articles and reviews in Bijdr.T.L.V.I., AO, IL, Tijdskrift voor Philosophie, De Gids, IIJ, etc. Selected Studies. 1-5. 1975 (1. IE Linguistics. 555 p. 2. Sanskrit Word Studies. 532 p. 3. Sanskrit: grammatical and philological studies. 521 p. 4. History of ancient Indian religion. 550 p. 4. Indonesian linguistics. 542 p.); 6:1-2. 24+542 & 10+581 p. Ld. 1991.
Sources: “een bescheiden onderkomen” 1981, 98-114, 159-161; H. Bodewitz, IIJ 34, 1991, 281-286; *J. Ensink, BTLV 146, 1992, 209-219; T. Goudriaan, Newsl. Int. Assoc. Skr. St. 4, 1993, 18-20; *M. Hara, Journal Indol. & Buddh. 40, 1992, 835-840; bibliography by G. Chemparathy in Gonda Vol. 1972, 1-40; parents and family in geni.com; Wikipedia (more details in *Dutch and *French versions); photo e.g. in Gonda, Indologt in the Netherlands. 1964, another in Sardesai; portrait in Gonda Vol.
My thanks to Viliam Gostishchev for pointing out some errors in the earlier version.
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