STERNBACH, Ludwik. Cracow 12.12.1910 — Paris 25.3.1981. Polish Indologist. Son of lawyer Edward Sternbach and Clara Amster, a Jewish family. From 1927 studied law at Cracow, dr.iuris 1931. LL.D. 1933. Also studied Indology at Lwów (under Stasiak) and Cracow (Willman-Grabowska, 1933-38 her Assistant). Ph.D. 1938. In 1936-39 also practised law as advocate. From 1939 Docent or ao. Professor of Indology at Lwów, but in 1941 emigrated with his parents because of the war, ending up in India (Bombay). In 1941-45 worked as civilian for Indian Army’s censorship organization. From 1944 also taught at Bombay University, arranged by R. N. Dandekar and K. M. Munshi. In 1947-70 worked in the U.N., in its Department of Trusteeship and Non-Self-Governing Territories. In retirement lived in Paris: 1970-72 professeur associé at Sorbonne nouvelle (Paris III), 1972-76 professeur titulaire at Collège de France. Honorary Professor of Bombay University, member of Polish Academy.
Although bound by many official duties Sternbach was an extraordinarily productive scholar. His bibliography contains nearly 500 items, among them many fundamental works. He was one of the foremost specialists of Dharmaśāstra and law and of poetry anthologies, and much interested in narrative literature and epigraphy.
Publications: Diss. on Indian law of inheritance, apparently manuscript in Polish. 1938.
– Great number of articles in Indian and Western Journals under collective name “Juridical Studies in Ancient Indian Law”, 1-30, 194?-63, e.g. “24. Cāṇakya’s Aphorisms in the Hitopadeśa”, JAOS 76, 1956, 115-130; 77, 1957, 26-31, 107-115, 166-183 and “25. The Mānava-dharmaśāstra Stanzas in the Hitopadeśa”, RO 21, 1957, 427-454; as book: Juridical Studies in Ancient Indian Law. 1-2. 1965-67.
– Gaṇika-vṛtta-saṁgrahaḥ or Texts on Courtezans in Classical Sanskrit, compiled and presented. 182 p. Vishv. Indol. Ser. 4. Hoshiarpur 1953 (text & transl.).
– “The Cāṇakya-rāja-nīti-śāstra and the Bṛhaspati Saṁhitā of the Garuḍa-Purāṇa”, ABORI 37, 1956, 58-110; “An unknown Cāṇakya Manuscript and the Garuḍa-Purāṇa”, IIJ 1, 1957, 181-200; “Cāṇakya’s Aphorisms in Purāṇas”, Purāṇa 6, 1964, 113-146; shorter articles about Cāṇakya text traditions in Poona Or. 24, 1959; IIJ 2, 1958; ALB 25, 1961; JAOS 87, 1967.
– A new Cāṇakyarājanītiśāstra Manuscript. 74 p. Bhar. Vidya. Bombay 1958; The Subhāṣita-saṁgrahas as Treasures of Cāṇakya’s sayings. 8+187 p. Vishv. Indol. Ser. 36. Hoshiarpur 1966; The Spreading of Cāṇakya’s Aphorisms over “Greater India”. 5+151 p. Calcutta [1969].
– The Hitopadesa and its sources. 123 p. A.O.S. 44. New Haven 1960; The Kathā Literature and the Purāṇas. 68+3 p. Varanasi 1965.
– Edited: Cāṇakya-rāja-nīti. Maxims on Rāja-nīti. Compiled from various collections of maxims attributed to Cāṇakya. 211 p. A.L.S. 92. Adyar 1963; Cāṇakya-nīti-text-tradition. 1-2 in 5. Vishv. Indol. Series 27-29. Hoshiarpur 1963-70 (1:1. Vṛddha-Cāṇakya textus ornatior; Vṛddha-Cāṇakya textus simplicior; Cāṇakya-nīti-śāstra; Cāṇakya-sāra-saṁgraha. 559 p. V.I.S. 27. 1963; 1:2. The Laghu-Cāṇakya version; the Cāṇakya-rāja-nīti-śāstra version. 129+274 p. V.I.S. 28. 1964; 2:1. Introduction. 292 p. V.I.S. 29. 1970; 2:2. Cāṇakya’s six versions of maxims: an attempt to reconstruct the Ur-text. 679 p. V.I.S. 29 A. 1967; 2:3. Maxims of doubtful origin; reconstructed fragmentary maxims. 354 p. V.I.S. 29 B. 1968.
– Supplement to O. Böhtlingk’s Indische Sprüche. 149 p. A.K.M. 37:1. Wb. 1965; “Revised Supplement to O. Böhtlingk’s Indische Sprüche”, IT 2, 1974, 305-407.
– A new abridged Version of the Bṛhaspati-Saṁhitā of the Garuḍa-Purāṇa. 117 p. Varanasi/Ramnagar 1966.
– Edited: Vyāsa-subhāṣita-saṁgraha. 36+49 p. Kashi Skr. ser. 193. Varanasi 1969.
– The Kāvya-Portions on the Kathā-Literature. An analysis. 1-3. Delhi 1971-74-76.
– Bibliography of Kauṭilya Arthaśāstra. 49 p. Vishv. Indol. Series 63. Hoshiarpur 1973; Bibliography on Dharma and Artha in Ancient and Medieval India. 166 p. Wb. 1973.
– “Subhāṣita-saṁgraha’s, a forgotten Chapter in the Histories of Sanskrit Literature”, IT 1, 1973, 169-254; “On the Influence of Sanskrit gnomic literature on the gnomic literature of Old Java and Bali”, IT 5, 1977, 199-288.
– “On the Jaina Kathāratnākara of Hemavijaya”, ALB 38, 1974, 145-207; “The Mādhavānala-Kāmakandalā-kathā and its sources”, ABORI 54, 1974, 77-143.
– Subhāṣita, gnomic and didactic literature. 97 p. H.I.L. 4:1. Wb. 1974.
– The Mānava Dharmaśāstra I–III and the Bhaviṣya-Purāṇa. 121 p. Varanasi 1974.
– Mahā-subhāṣita-saṁgrahaḥ, being an extensive collection of wise sayings in Sanskrit, critically edited with introduction, English transl., critical notes by L. St. Vol. 1. 152+424 p. Vishv. Indol. ser. 64. Hoshiarpur 1974, then edited from Sternbach’s material by S. B. Nair and others: 2. 1976, 3. 1977, 4. 1980, 5. 1984, 6. 1987, 7. 1999, 8. 2007 (altogether 14653 subhāṣitas).
– Indian riddles. A forgotten chapter in the history of Sanskrit Literature. 132 p. Vishv. Indol. Series 67. Hoshiarpur 1975.
– Verses Attributed to Murāri. 5+48 p. Lucknow 1978; Unknown Verses Attributed to Kṣemendra. 149 p. Lucknow 1979.
– A Descriptive Catalogue of Poets quoted in Sanskrit Anthologies and Inscriptions. 1-2. 482+681 p. Wb. 1978-80.
– Aphorisms and Proverbs in the Kathā Saritsāgara. 1. 12+312 p. Lucknow 1980.
– Poésie sanskrite conservée dans les anthologies et inscriptions. 1. de Aṁśudhara à Ghoraka. 73+265 p. P.I.C.I. 46. P. 1980.
Sources: *O. Botto, IT 7 (L.S. Fel. Vol.), 1979, 17-43 with photo; J. Filliozat, JA 270, 1982, 1-3; *M. Mejor, “L.S. (1909–1981) – indolog i sanskrytolog”, T. Majda (ed.), Szkice z dziejów polskiej orientalistyki 4, 2007, 27-41; **K.V. Sarma, ABORI 63, 1982, 379-382; *L.S. Felicitation Volume. Edited by J. P. Sinha. 1-2. 11+ 11+1189 p. Lucknow 1979; bibliography in JGJRI 33:2, 1977, 1-51; Wikipedia.
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