RÖER, Johann (Hans) Heinrich Eduard (Edward). Braunschweig 26.10.1805 — Braunschweig 17.3.1866. German Indologist in India. Son of a merchant. Studies of philosophy at Königsberg and Berlin, Ph.D. 1833. Then PD of Philosophy at Berlin until 1838, now also studied Sanskrit under Bopp and became interested in India, but soon abandoned missionary plans. He joined E.I.C.’s service and worked as school director in different parts of Bengal. Through the works of Colebrooke and Ballantyne he became interested in Indian philosophy. Librarian of the A.S.B. and from the very beginning of the series in 1848 the editor of the Bibliotheca Indica and continued until his retirement from India, because of health problems, in 1861. Now he returned to Braunschweig in order to concentrate in peace on his researches, but died too soon. Much remained unfinished, but Klatt did not know the fate of his papers. Married Emmi Rohde.
Röer’s main own contribution to the Bibliotheca Indica was editing and translating of many Upaniṣads with Śaṅkarabhāṣya, but as series editor he showed his many-sided interests including also Arabian and Persian texts in the publishing program.
Publications: Diss. Über Herbarts Methode der Beziehung. 1833; some philosophical writings.
– Edited and translated in Bibl. Indica: The first two Lectures of the Sanhita of the Rig veda, with the Commentary of Mádhaváchárya and an English transl. of the Text. 339 p. B.I. 1. Calcutta 1849; Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad, with the commentary of Sankara Achárya and the gloss of Ananda Giri. 1-3. B.I. 2. C. 1849-56; Division of the categories of the Nyaya Philosophy with commentary of Visvanátha Pancánana Bhattáchárya. 148+27+81 p. B.I. 8. C. 1850 (Bhāṣāpariccheda).
– Edited in Bibl. Indica: Chhándogya Upanishad, with the comm. of Sankara Achárya and the gloss of Ananda Giri. 628 p. B.I. 3. Calc. 1849-50; Taittiráya and Aitaréya Upanishads, with the comm. of S. A. and the gloss of A. G. 378 p. B.I. 6. C. 1849-50 (with Svet. Up.); Iśa, Kéna, Kaṭha, Praśna, Muṇḍa, Máṇḍukya Upanishads, with the comm. of S. A. and the gloss of A. G. 598 p. B.I. 7. C. 1849-50; Viśvanátha Kavirája, Sáhitya-darpaṇa, or mirror of composition, a treatise on literary criticism. 1(-2). 112+346(+444) p. B.I. 9. C. 1850-(75; tr. by J. R. Ballantyne & Pr. Mitra); Sríharsha, The Uttara Naishadha Charita. With the commentary of Náráyaṇa. 1-2. 1108 p. B.I. 10. C. 1851-55.
– Edited with E. B. Cowell, R. N. Vidyaratna, M. Nyayaratna and S. Samasrami: The Sanhitá of the Black Yajur Veda, with the commentary of Mádhava-Achárya. 1-10. B.I. 26. Calc. 1854-99 (Taittirīyasaṁhitā, beginning by Röer).
– Translated in Bibl. Indica: Taittiríya, Aitaréya, Svétáśvatara, Kéna, Iśa, Kaṭha, Praśna, Muṇḍaka, and Máṇḍukya Upanishads. 170 p. B.I. 11. Calc. 1851-55; with W. A. Montriou, Hindu law and judicature from the Dharmashastra of Yájnavalkya. L. 1859.
– translated: “Bháscarae Acháryae Siddhánta. Shirómani sic dicti operis pars tertia, Gunitadhiam, sive astronomiam continens, latine vertit”, JASB 13, 1844, 53-66; “Védánta-Sára, or Essence of the Védánta, an introduction into the Védánta philosophy by Sadánanda Parivrájakáchárya”, JASB 14, 1845, 100-134; “Die Lehrsprüche der Vaiçeshika-Philosophie von Kaṇâda”, ZDMG 21, 1867, 309-420 & 22, 1868, 383-442.
– Translated into Bengali Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare. Calcutta 1853.
Sources: Gosche, Wiss. Jb. in ZDMG for 1862–1867, 63f.; J. Klatt, A.D.B. 29, 1889, 42-45; Stache-Rosen 1990; Swedish Wikipedia; photo in Rau 14.
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