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'''''Chips from a German Workshop'''''. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1867-75. 4 volumes.  
'''''Chips from a German Workshop'''''. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1867-75. 4 volumes.  
** Volume I is available at [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24686 Gutenberg.org] and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322741&view=1up&seq=9 Hathitrust].
* Volume I is available at [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24686 Gutenberg.org] and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322741&view=1up&seq=9 Hathitrust].
** Volume II is available at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322782&view=1up&seq=7 Hathitrust].
* Volume II is available at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322782&view=1up&seq=7 Hathitrust].
** Volume III is available at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322774&view=1up&seq=9 Hathitrust.org].  
* Volume III is available at [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89101322774&view=1up&seq=9 Hathitrust.org].  
** Volume 4 is available at [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30192 Gutenberg.org] and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89044216869&view=1up&s Hathitrust.org].
* Volume 4 is available at [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30192 Gutenberg.org] and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89044216869&view=1up&s Hathitrust.org].


* '''''The Sacred Books of the East'''''. 50 volumes.   
'''''The Sacred Books of the East'''''. 50 volumes.   
** Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1879-1910. First edition. Most volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100629230 Hathitrust].
* Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1879-1910. First edition. Most volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100629230 Hathitrust].
** Oxford : Clarendon, 1895. 2nd edition. Some volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008412835 Hathitrust].
* Oxford : Clarendon, 1895. 2nd edition. Some volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008412835 Hathitrust].
** New York, Christian Literature Co., 1897-1898. First American edition. Some volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100105662 Hathitrust].
* New York, Christian Literature Co., 1897-1898. First American edition. Some volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100105662 Hathitrust].
** Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1962-1966.50 volumes. Volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001922709?type%5B%5D=author&lookfor%5B%5D=%22Mu%CC%88ller%2C%20F.%20Max%201823-1900.%22&ft= Hathitrust].
* Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1962-1966.50 volumes. Volumes available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001922709?type%5B%5D=author&lookfor%5B%5D=%22Mu%CC%88ller%2C%20F.%20Max%201823-1900.%22&ft= Hathitrust].


* '''''The Hymns of Rig-veda in the Samhita and Pada Texts.'''''.  
'''''The Hymns of Rig-veda in the Samhita and Pada Texts.'''''.  
** First edition - London : Trübner & Co., 1873. Available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100340633 Hathitrust].
* First edition - London : Trübner & Co., 1873. Available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100340633 Hathitrust].
** Second edition - London, Trübner, 1877. Available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001002417?type%5B%5D=author&lookfor%5B%5D=%22Mu%CC%88ller%2C%20F.%20Max%22&ft= Hathitrust].
* Second edition - London, Trübner, 1877. Available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001002417?type%5B%5D=author&lookfor%5B%5D=%22Mu%CC%88ller%2C%20F.%20Max%22&ft= Hathitrust].
** Many other editions and printings are available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100340633 Hathitrust].
* Many other editions and printings are available at [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100340633 Hathitrust].
 
'''Other works'''
* '''''History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature'''''
* '''''A Sanskrit Grammar'''''
* '''''A Physical Religion'''''
* '''''Contributions to the Science of Mythology'''''
* '''''Lectures on Buddhist Nihilism'''''
* '''''Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings'''''
* '''''Rg-Veda with Sayana's Commentary'''''
* '''''The philosophy of Vedanta'''''** '''''The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy'''''
* '''''Three Lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy'''''
* '''''What Can India Teach Us?'''''


== Additional resources ==
== Additional resources ==

Revision as of 16:40, 27 June 2022

Friedrich Max-Müller

Friedrich Maximilian Müller (December 6, 1823 – October 28, 1900), generally known as Max Müller, was a German-born philologist and Orientalist, who lived and studied in Britain for most of his life. He was one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion.

Personal life

Academic career

Müller was defeated in the 1860 election for the Boden Chair of Sanskrit by Prof. Monier Williams. Müller was far better qualified for the post, but lacked practical first-hand knowledge of India. Also, both candidates had to emphasize their support for Christian evangelism in India, since that was the basis on which the Professorship had been funded by its founder. Müller's broad theological views cast doubts about his dedication to Christianization.

Müller wrote both scholarly and popular works on the subject of Indology. The Sacred Books of the East, a 50-volume set of English translations, was prepared under his direction. He also promoted the idea of a Turanian family of languages and Turanian people.

Praise of Müller's work

Swami Tathagatananda, of the Ramakrisha Mission and the Vedanta Society of New York, wrote in his Journey of the Upanishads to the West:

Müller's lifelong dedication to the study of the Vedas and his scholarly eminence left a legacy of two major works in addition to his other volumes: The Rig-Veda with Sayana's Commentary in six volumes and the famous series, The Sacred Books of the East, in fifty-one volumes, which he edited. The vast corpus of India's scriptural literature that he made available to the world is a profound tribute to Indian thought by this western scholar.[1]

Criticisms of Müller's work

According to Mahatma Koot Hoomi, Müller "was not sufficiently conversant with Indian thought to interpret properly some of the books he translated."[2]

Many modern Hindus take a harsher interpretation. This example is from the Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism: "Max Müller was a British agent, especially employed (in 1847) to write the translations of the Vedas in such a demeaning way so that the Hindus should lose faith in them."[3] India Today recently published an article called "Max Muller: The Man Employed to Create a Distorted Translation of the Vedas."[4]

Writings

These are some of Müller's major writings:

Chips from a German Workshop. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1867-75. 4 volumes.

The Sacred Books of the East. 50 volumes.

  • Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1879-1910. First edition. Most volumes available at Hathitrust.
  • Oxford : Clarendon, 1895. 2nd edition. Some volumes available at Hathitrust.
  • New York, Christian Literature Co., 1897-1898. First American edition. Some volumes available at Hathitrust.
  • Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1962-1966.50 volumes. Volumes available at Hathitrust.

The Hymns of Rig-veda in the Samhita and Pada Texts..

  • First edition - London : Trübner & Co., 1873. Available at Hathitrust.
  • Second edition - London, Trübner, 1877. Available at Hathitrust.
  • Many other editions and printings are available at Hathitrust.

Other works

  • History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature
  • A Sanskrit Grammar
  • A Physical Religion
  • Contributions to the Science of Mythology
  • Lectures on Buddhist Nihilism
  • Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings
  • Rg-Veda with Sayana's Commentary
  • The philosophy of Vedanta** The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy
  • Three Lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy
  • What Can India Teach Us?

Additional resources

Notes

  1. Swami Tathagatananda, Journey of the Upanishads to the West (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2002), 63.
  2. George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 240.
  3. "Max Müller" in Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism website.
  4. Max Müller in India Today June 12, 2016.