Vedic Investigations

"This volume contains 19 out of the 30 papers presented at the 12th World Sanskrit Conference, some of them revised and updated. They discuss a wide range of topics, including:
* the Atharvaveda in Varanasi * authorities cited in Pratisakhyas and Siksas * Rgvedic religion: Kingship and the Deva-Asura problem * interiorization of ritual and the breaths in the Brahmana system of correspondencies * words signifying 'body' in the Rgveda * the Rgvedic hymn 1.143 * documenting manuscripts of Samavedic texts * a late catalogue of Rgvedic Khilas and Upakkilas * j.F. Staal's 'meaninglessness of ritual' and the nihnavana rite * the vaidika tradition of the Vaikhanasas * gender identity in Rgvedic hymns by female authors * traditional philology and new paradigms for studying of the past * making sense of 'senseless' Brahmana etymologies * the initiation to study (upanayana and punarupanayana) * audio recordings of the four Vedas * the wife (patni) in the Andhra tradition of Soma sacrifices * a forthcoming new edition of the Baudhayanagrhyasutra * the meaning of the priestly reward (daksina) in srauta sacrifices * ephemera of recently performed srauta rituals

The Closing Address of the 12th World Sanskrit Conference is published as an appendix to the volume, which is provided with detailed indexes."