Arthur W. Ryder
Encyclopedia
Arthur William Ryder was a professor
of Sanskrit
at the University of California, Berkeley
. He is best known for translating a number of Sanskrit works into English, including the Panchatantra
and the Bhagavad Gita
. In the words of G. R. Noyes,
in the United States
. He had his early education at Ann Arbor, Michigan
and the Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
, from which he graduated in June 1894, to join Harvard University
. He got his A.B.
degree from Harvard in June 1897. After teaching Latin
and literature at Andover for a year, he went to Germany
for graduate studies. He studied at the University of Berlin and the University of Leipzig
, from which he got the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in 1901, with a dissertation on the Rbhus
in the Ṛgveda. He was an instructor in Sanskrit at Harvard University from 1902 until January 1906, when he moved to the University of California at Berkeley, as an instructor in Sanskrit and German.
He became an Instructor in Sanskrit only later in the same year, became Assistant Professor in 1908, Associate Professor in 1919, and Professor in 1925. From his arrival at Berkeley until his death, Sanskrit was a separate department with Ryder as chairman and sole member, after which it was absorbed into the Department of Classics
.
He was a member of the American Oriental Society
and the American Philological Association
. It is also said that he was at one time ranked one of the two best chess players on the Pacific Coast.
's Mṛcchakatika into English as The Little Clay Cart. He translated Kālidāsa
's Abhijñānaśākuntalam
, Meghadūta
, and other works, as well as the Bhagavad Gita
and several volumes of verse translated from works by Bhartṛhari and others. His prose translations included the Panchatantra
in 1925,
excerpts from which were published as Gold's Gloom,
Daṇḍin
's Daśakumāracarita as The Ten Princes of Dandin, and Twenty-Two Goblins, a translation of Vetala Panchavimshati
. He also wrote excellent original verse which he circulated privately, but did not publish.
Some verses from his translations were set to music.
His Little Clay Cart and Shakuntala were enacted at the Hearst Greek Theatre
in Berkeley in 1907 and 1914 respectively, being the only Indian dramas performed there until 2004.
His Little Clay Cart was also enacted in New York
in 1924 at the Neighborhood Playhouse
, which was then an off-Broadway
theatre, at the Theater de Lys
in 1953,
and at the Potboiler Art Theater in Los Angeles
in 1926, when it featured actors such as James A. Marcus
, Symona Boniface
and Gale Gordon
. Following his death in 1938, some of his original poems were published in a posthumous memorial volume with a biography, along with several of his translated verses. This was the only book of original poetry published by the University of California Press
for several decades.
Perhaps for this reason, TIME
described him as the "greatest Sanskrit student of his day", and an Italian Sanskritist said of him: "Ten men like that would make a civilization".
At a time when the university curriculum was undergoing upheavals, Ryder was a staunch defender of the traditional system of education in the Classics
. In his ideal world, the university curriculum would have been mostly limited to Latin, Greek, and mathematics, with subjects like history, philosophy, physics, and languages like Sanskrit, Hebrew, German, and French being allowed to serious students only later, as a sort of reward. The then-new disciplines like psychology and sociology were dismissed "out of hand as not worth damning."
despite his practice of translating into lively and natural conversational language
using rhyme and modern English idiom:
In particular, his translation of the Shakuntala was regarded as the best at the time, his "accurate and charming" translation of the Panchatantra remains popular and highly regarded, while his translation of the Bhagavad Gita was not so successful.
described him as "a friend half divine in his great humanity". When Anthony Boucher
, who had been a student of his at Berkeley, wrote his novel The Case of the Seven of Calvary, he based the lead character of "Dr. Ashwin", professor of Sanskrit, after Ryder. (Ashwin is a Sanskrit word meaning a "rider
".)
Another of his devoted students was J. Robert Oppenheimer. In 1933, Oppenheimer, then 29, was a young physics professor at Berkeley and studied Sanskrit under Ryder. Ryder introduced him to the Bhagavad Gita
, which they read together in the original language. Later Oppenheimer cited it as one of the most influential books to shape his philosophy of life, famously recalling the Gita at the Trinity test
.
He described his teacher thus:
Ryder died on March 21, 1938 of a heart attack, while teaching an advanced class with only one student.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He is best known for translating a number of Sanskrit works into English, including the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
and the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
. In the words of G. R. Noyes,
Life
Ryder was born on March 8, 1877 at Oberlin, OhioOberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He had his early education at Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and the Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
, from which he graduated in June 1894, to join Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He got his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Harvard in June 1897. After teaching Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and literature at Andover for a year, he went to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for graduate studies. He studied at the University of Berlin and the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, from which he got the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1901, with a dissertation on the Rbhus
Rbhus
The Ribhus are three semi-divine beings of the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda, Ribhu, Vaja and Vibhvan, collectively called by the name of their leader. In later Hindu mythology , Ribhu is a son of Brahma....
in the Ṛgveda. He was an instructor in Sanskrit at Harvard University from 1902 until January 1906, when he moved to the University of California at Berkeley, as an instructor in Sanskrit and German.
He became an Instructor in Sanskrit only later in the same year, became Assistant Professor in 1908, Associate Professor in 1919, and Professor in 1925. From his arrival at Berkeley until his death, Sanskrit was a separate department with Ryder as chairman and sole member, after which it was absorbed into the Department of Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
.
He was a member of the American Oriental Society
American Oriental Society
The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship....
and the American Philological Association
American Philological Association
The American Philological Association , founded in 1869, is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization...
. It is also said that he was at one time ranked one of the two best chess players on the Pacific Coast.
Work
In 1905, when still at Harvard, Ryder translated ŚudrakaSudraka
' was an Indian King. Three Sanskrit plays are ascribed to him - Mricchakatika , Vinavasavadatta, and a bhana , Padmaprabhritaka.. He has been identified as Abhira King Indranigupta, who used the pen name Sudraka.- References :* Ryder, Arthur William. Translator...
's Mṛcchakatika into English as The Little Clay Cart. He translated Kālidāsa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
's Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Abhijñānashākuntala or Abhijñānaśākuntalam) , is a well-known Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa. Its date is uncertain, but Kalidasa is often placed in the period between the 1st century BCE and 4th century CE....
, Meghadūta
Meghadūta
Meghadūta is a lyric poem written by Kālidāsa, considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets.A short poem of 111 stanzas, it is one of Kālidāsa's most famous works...
, and other works, as well as the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
and several volumes of verse translated from works by Bhartṛhari and others. His prose translations included the Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
in 1925,
excerpts from which were published as Gold's Gloom,
Daṇḍin
Dandin
Dandin can refer to:* Daṇḍin, 6th-7th century Sanskrit writer* The Dandin Group, a wireless internet thinktank* Dandin the Sword Carrier, a character appearing in Mariel of Redwall and The Bellmaker, two books from the fictional Redwall series by Brian Jacques....
's Daśakumāracarita as The Ten Princes of Dandin, and Twenty-Two Goblins, a translation of Vetala Panchavimshati
Baital Pachisi
Baital Pachisi or Vetala Panchavimshati , is a collection of tales and legends within a frame story, from India. It was originally written in Sanskrit....
. He also wrote excellent original verse which he circulated privately, but did not publish.
Some verses from his translations were set to music.
His Little Clay Cart and Shakuntala were enacted at the Hearst Greek Theatre
Hearst Greek Theatre
The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as simply the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat amphitheater owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, USA....
in Berkeley in 1907 and 1914 respectively, being the only Indian dramas performed there until 2004.
His Little Clay Cart was also enacted in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1924 at the Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
, which was then an off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
theatre, at the Theater de Lys
Lucille Lortel Theatre
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village.The venue was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse...
in 1953,
and at the Potboiler Art Theater in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1926, when it featured actors such as James A. Marcus
James A. Marcus
James A. Marcus was an American actor. He appeared in 109 films between 1915 and 1937.He was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California from a heart attack...
, Symona Boniface
Symona Boniface
Symona Boniface was an American film actress. She appeared in 120 films between 1925 and 1956.-Career:...
and Gale Gordon
Gale Gordon
Gale Gordon was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show...
. Following his death in 1938, some of his original poems were published in a posthumous memorial volume with a biography, along with several of his translated verses. This was the only book of original poetry published by the University of California Press
University of California Press
University of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
for several decades.
Views on scholarship and education
He was known for his love of the language, preferring to publish whatever most delighted him, rather than scholarly articles. In fact, he was outspoken in his contempt for such articles, holding the view that Sanskrit ought to be studied not for philological reasons, but for the great literature it opened.Perhaps for this reason, TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
described him as the "greatest Sanskrit student of his day", and an Italian Sanskritist said of him: "Ten men like that would make a civilization".
At a time when the university curriculum was undergoing upheavals, Ryder was a staunch defender of the traditional system of education in the Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. In his ideal world, the university curriculum would have been mostly limited to Latin, Greek, and mathematics, with subjects like history, philosophy, physics, and languages like Sanskrit, Hebrew, German, and French being allowed to serious students only later, as a sort of reward. The then-new disciplines like psychology and sociology were dismissed "out of hand as not worth damning."
Style of translation
His translations were noted for their high fidelity to the originalsdespite his practice of translating into lively and natural conversational language
using rhyme and modern English idiom:
In particular, his translation of the Shakuntala was regarded as the best at the time, his "accurate and charming" translation of the Panchatantra remains popular and highly regarded, while his translation of the Bhagavad Gita was not so successful.
Legacy
Despite being described as a "a loner with a caustic wit", as an educator he was encouraging and generous toward students, and consequently he found many devoted students. Harold F. ChernissHarold F. Cherniss
Harold Fredrik Cherniss was an expert on the philosophy of Ancient Greece. He wrote several books in the field, and edited and translated works by Plutarch.-Life:...
described him as "a friend half divine in his great humanity". When Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
, who had been a student of his at Berkeley, wrote his novel The Case of the Seven of Calvary, he based the lead character of "Dr. Ashwin", professor of Sanskrit, after Ryder. (Ashwin is a Sanskrit word meaning a "rider
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
".)
Another of his devoted students was J. Robert Oppenheimer. In 1933, Oppenheimer, then 29, was a young physics professor at Berkeley and studied Sanskrit under Ryder. Ryder introduced him to the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, which they read together in the original language. Later Oppenheimer cited it as one of the most influential books to shape his philosophy of life, famously recalling the Gita at the Trinity test
Trinity test
Trinity was the code name of the first test of a nuclear weapon. This test was conducted by the United States Army on July 16, 1945, in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, at the new White Sands Proving Ground, which incorporated the Alamogordo Bombing...
.
He described his teacher thus:
Ryder died on March 21, 1938 of a heart attack, while teaching an advanced class with only one student.
External links
/-
- Works at the Internet Sacred Text ArchiveInternet Sacred Text ArchiveThe Internet Sacred Text Archive is a website dedicated to the preservation of electronic public domain texts, specifically those with significant cultural value...
: - Works by Arthur Ryder at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...