Pandit: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|A scholar or teacher of Hindu law, philosophy or music}}

[[File:Pakistan monument museum a hindu pandits statue.jpg|thumb|200px|A historic pandit's statue in a museum.]]

A '''Pandit''' ({{lang-sa|पण्डित|paṇḍita}}; {{lang-hi|पंडित}};<ref name="EB1911">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Pundit |volume=22 |page=649}}</ref> also spelled '''Pundit''', pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ʌ|n|d|ɪ|t|,_|ˈ|p|æ|n|d|ɪ|t}};<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pandit "pandit"]. ''[[Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary]]''.</ref> (abbreviated  '''Pt.''' or '''Pdt.''') is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in [[Hinduism]],<ref name="EB1911" /> particularly the [[Vedas|Vedic]] scriptures, [[dharma]], or [[Hindu philosophy]]; in colonial-era literature, the term generally refers to [[Brahmin]]s specialized in [[Hindu law]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Timothy Lubin|author2=Donald R. Davis Jr|author3=Jayanth K. Krishnan|title=Hinduism and Law: An Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtuhClbfL7EC |year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-49358-1 |pages=8 }}</ref> Today, the title is used for experts in other subjects, such as [[music]].<ref name="michaelsharshav190">{{cite book|author1=Axel Michaels|author2=Barbara Harshav|title=Hinduism: Past and Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jID3TuoiOMQC&pg=PA190 |year=2004|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-08952-2 |pages=190 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Daniel Neuman|title=The Life of Music in North India|year=1980|publisher=Wayne State University Press|pages=44}}</ref>

[[Ustad]] is the equivalent title for a Muslim man in the musical sense.<ref>{{cite book|author=Daniel Neuman|title=The Life of Music in North India|year=1980|publisher=Wayne State University Press|pages=44}}</ref> The equivalent titles for a Hindu woman are '''Vidushi''', <ref>https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/sumana-ramanan/behind-the-titles/articleshow/55043901.cms</ref><ref>https://www3.nd.edu/~adutt/Links/documents/NagandGhosh2016.pdf</ref> '''Pandita''', or '''Panditain''';<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/obituaries/pandita-ramabai-overlooked.html</ref> however, these titles are not currently in widespread use.<ref>https://www.darbar.org/article/sitar-from-different-angles-pt-2</ref>

In [[Sanskrit]], Pandit generally refers to any "wise, educated or learned man" with specialized knowledge.<ref>{{cite book|author=Monier Monier-Williams|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3NWAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA527 |year=1872|publisher=Oxford University Press |page=527}}</ref> The term is derived from ''paṇḍ'' (पण्ड्) which means "to collect, heap, pile up", and this root is used in the sense of knowledge.<ref>{{cite book|author=Monier Monier-Williams|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3NWAAAAcAAJ |year=1872|publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=526–527}}</ref> The term is found in Vedic and post-Vedic texts, but without any sociological context.

As these titles of Pandit (and even [[Ustad]]) are appended informally to the names of classical singers and players by their admirers, individuals or institutions, once they have reached eminence in their performing art, especially on public performances. As they are informal titles mentioning names of eminent singers without those appendages is ok unlike prefixes like [[Dr.]] awarded formally by educational institutions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.quora.com/In-Indian-classical-music-how-does-one-gain-the-title-of-Pandit-or-Ustad?top_ans=8125305|title=Pandit title usage}}</ref>

But this title Pandit of a classical musician and the [[Pandit]] which is used as a title given to a knowledgeable person, is different.

There are many Pandits in [[Hindustani classical music]], for example, [[Pandit Jasraj]], [[Pandit Ravi Shankar]], [[Pandit Kumar Gandharva]], [[Pandit Nayan Ghosh]], [[Pandit Anindo Chatterjee]], [[Pandit Bhimsen Joshi]], [[Pandit Nikhil Ghosh]], [[Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia]], [[Suresh Talwalkar|Pandit Suresh Talwalkar]], [[Yogesh Samsi|Pandit Yogesh Samsi]], [[Venkatesh Kumar|Pandit Vyenkatesh Kumar]], [[Pandit Birju Maharaj]], [[Kishan Maharaj|Pandit Kishan Maharaj]], [[Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar]], etc.

Equivalent titles for a Indian woman are '''Vidushi''' <ref>https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/sumana-ramanan/behind-the-titles/articleshow/55043901.cms</ref><ref>https://www3.nd.edu/~adutt/Links/documents/NagandGhosh2016.pdf</ref> or '''Pandita'''.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/obituaries/pandita-ramabai-overlooked.html</ref>

Few examples are, Vidushi [[Kishori Amonkar]], Vidushi [[Prabha Atre]], Vidushi [[Gangubai Hangal]], Vidushi [[Padma Talwalkar]], Vidushi [[Veena Sahasrabuddhe]], Vidushi [[Aruna Sairam]], Vidushi [[Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande]], Vidushi [[Kaushiki Chakraborty]], Vidushi [[Mita Nag]]<ref>http://sangeetpiyasi.org/style/images/media/2019/The_Statesman_14092019.pdf</ref> Vidushi [[Anuradha Pal]],

etc. <ref>http://sangeetpiyasi.org/style/images/media/2019/The_Statesman_14092019.pdf</ref>

===Synonym===

As Ustad is equivalent to Pandit but used for a Muslim man, similarly a music title that is equivalent to Pandit and used for an Indian man itself is given the title of '''Vidwan'''. Generally this title is given to a male Carnatic classical singer or instrument player. One prominent example is of [[Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram|Vidwan Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram]].

 

For a women Carnatic classical singer or instrument player, the title of '''Vidushi''' is given.

* [[Purohit]] - a house priest<ref name=michaelsharshav190/>

*{{Commons category-inline}}