SØRENSEN, Søren. Danstrup near Randers 23.11.1848 — Copenhagen 8.12.1902. Danish Indologist. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of a poor farmer, Søren Sørensen (d. 1883) and Johanne Mikkelsdatter. Educated in Christianshavn, where —> M. Hammerich was his teacher, matriculated 1867. He studied classical philology, comparative linguistics, Slavistics and Sanskrit at Copenhagen (i. al. under Westergaard). After a period as schoolteacher of classical languages in 1876-78, he continued Indological studies at Copenhagen, now concentrating on the Mahābhārata, and taught Sanskrit during Westergaard’s last illness. Ph.D. 1883 Copenhagen. In 1878-99 again worked as a schoolteacher. From 1899 Docent at Copenhagen. In May 1902 succeeded Fausbøll as Professor of Indology at Copenhagen, but died after seven months. Married 1879 Sophie Elisabeth Biering (b. 1857), many children.
Sørensen had apparently little time to concentrate on research and his early works were written in Danish, but his real life’s work, the great Index of the Mahābhārata soon became a much used standard work. It was completed before his death, but published only posthumously, edited by Elof Olesen.
Publications: Diss. Om Mahābhārata’s stilling i den Indiske literatur. 1 Forsøg på at udskille de ældste bestanddele. 386 p. Copenhagen 1883.
– Sanskrits Stilling i den almindelige Sprogudvikling i Indien. Vid. Selsk. Skr. 6:III:3, 154-318. Copenhagen 1894; “Et Stykke indisk Religionshistorie”, Vid.Selsk. Overs. 1902, 31-42; numerous contributions in Salmonsen’s Konversationslexikon.
– “Til Spørgsmaalet om Aditya’erne”, Festskrift til Vilhelm Thomsen fra Disciple. Copenhagen 1894, 335-352; a few other articles, also on Greek mythology.
– Index to the Names in the Mahābhārata. 1-12. 41+808 p. L. 1904-25.
Sources: *D. Andersen, Nord. Tidskrift for Filol. 3:11, 1902-03, 140-144; D. Andersen & E. Olesen, Postscriptum to Mahābhārata Index 1925, 808; Buckland, Dictionary; Pauly, Køb. Univ. 8, 1992, 538-541 (with photo); V. Thomsen, D.B.L. 17, 1903, 66f.; Danish Wikipedia with photo.
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