Barbara Stoler Miller
Encyclopedia
Barbara Stoler Miller was a scholar of Sanskrit literature. Her translation of the Bhagavad Gita
was extremely successful and she helped popularize Indian literature in the U.S.
on August 8, 1940, she attended Great Neck High School on Long Island
in New York
, graduating in 1958. She went on to Barnard College
and Columbia University
, where she earned her B.A. in philosophy
from 1959 to 1962 and her M.A. in Indic Studies from 1962 to 1964. During this period, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, was awarded the Montague Philosophy Prize, and was awarded her B.A. magna cum laude at Barnard in 1962. Miller proceeded to earn a Ph.D. in Indic Studies, with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1968. She was one of the last of the era of scholars trained by the W. Norman Brown
and Stella Kramrisch, her two supervisors.
The department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College in New York City was the site of her floreat; she was made an Assistant Professor in 1968, and promoted to a full Professor from 1977 before being made the departmental head in 1979. In 1983 she was made the Samuel R. Milbank Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures. As part of her research, Miller frequently traveled to India
.
Miller edited and translated many works of Sanskrit poetry and drama. These included Bhartrihari: Poems (1967): Phantasies of a Love-Thief: The Caurapancasika Attributed to Bilhana (1971): Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gitagovinda (1977): The Hermit and the Love-Thief: Sanskrit Poems of Bhartrihari and Bilhana (1978): Theatre of Memory: The Plays of Kalidasa (1984, with Edwin Gerow and David Gitomer): and The Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna's Counsel in Time of War (1986). All of these texts were published by Columbia University Press
(and, in the case of the Bhagavad-Gita, by Bantam Books also). Her translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the most popular of the Hindu
texts, was extremely successful, surpassing the popularity of many prior translations. Her work introduced a broad American audience who had not heard the Bhagavad Gita until they encountered the Bantam edition. She was known among the academic community in humanities and South Asian studies for her ability to present Indian poetry to the layperson in a manner that was aesthetically pleasing and academically rigorous. She popularised Indian literature without diluting the intellectual integrity. Miller’s enthusiasm for responsible popularization was demonstrated in the pride she took in her role as advisor to the director Peter Brooks
in his production of the Mahabharata
, which was mounted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
in 1978 and televised on the Public Broadcasting Service
, an event that was seen as watershed in American popular awareness of Indian culture.
In addition to her major translations, Miller wrote a number of articles and edited several books, including Explaining India's Sacred Art: Selected Writings of Stella Kramrisch (1983), a work of dedicated to her former teacher; and Songs for the Bride: Wedding Rites of Rural India (1985), a book of essays by W. G. Archer, which she edited after his death. In 1989, she published another edited volume, The Powers of Art: Patronage in Indian Culture from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1900, which was derived from a symposium that she planned and conducted at the National Humanities Center
in October 1985, in conjunction with the Festival of India in the United States. In 1997, she published a book, Love Song of the Dark Lord, the English translation of the well known Sanskrit epic poem, Gita Govinda
. Miller’s work was not confined to Sanskrit; she published a translation of the Spanish poems of Agueda Pizarro: Sombraventadora/Shadowinnower (1979).
Miller was an active and powerful presence in shaping the future direction of Barnard and Columbia. She served on the executive committee of the Southern Asian Institute at the School of International Affairs, was president of the Society of Fellows in the Humanities, and was the co-director of the Barnard Centennial Scholars Program, and was part of the editorial board of the Columbia University Press series of Translations from the Oriental Classics. She nurtured many students and fought strongly to ensure that their talents were rewarded and encouraged by grants and research posts. At a time when female scholars were still very much in the minority, Miller was trailblazer. She served on the P.E.N. Translation Committee, as Director-at-Large of the American Oriental Society, was on the Board of Directors of the American Council of Learned Societies and of the Taraknath Das Foundation, and she waspresident of the Association for Asian Studies
in 1990. Miller was a Guggenheim Fellow and was given grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities
, the Ford Foundation
, the Smithsonian Institution
, the American Council of Learned Societies
, the American Institute of Indian Studies, and the Social Sciences Research Council.
During the final months of her life, she continued to work from her hospital bed, finishing her translation and analysis of the Yogasutra of Patanjali, which was published posthumously as Yoga: Discipline of Mind and Spirit.
She died in New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center of cancer on April 19, 1993. Her long battle had seen her hospitalized on many occasions.
Other
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...
was extremely successful and she helped popularize Indian literature in the U.S.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 8, 1940, she attended Great Neck High School on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
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...
, graduating in 1958. She went on to Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where she earned her B.A. in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from 1959 to 1962 and her M.A. in Indic Studies from 1962 to 1964. During this period, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, was awarded the Montague Philosophy Prize, and was awarded her B.A. magna cum laude at Barnard in 1962. Miller proceeded to earn a Ph.D. in Indic Studies, with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1968. She was one of the last of the era of scholars trained by the W. Norman Brown
W. Norman Brown
William Norman Brown was a distinguished Indologist, Sanskritist who established the first academic department of South Asian Studies in the U.S. and organized the American Oriental Society in 1926...
and Stella Kramrisch, her two supervisors.
The department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College in New York City was the site of her floreat; she was made an Assistant Professor in 1968, and promoted to a full Professor from 1977 before being made the departmental head in 1979. In 1983 she was made the Samuel R. Milbank Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures. As part of her research, Miller frequently traveled to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Miller edited and translated many works of Sanskrit poetry and drama. These included Bhartrihari: Poems (1967): Phantasies of a Love-Thief: The Caurapancasika Attributed to Bilhana (1971): Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gitagovinda (1977): The Hermit and the Love-Thief: Sanskrit Poems of Bhartrihari and Bilhana (1978): Theatre of Memory: The Plays of Kalidasa (1984, with Edwin Gerow and David Gitomer): and The Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna's Counsel in Time of War (1986). All of these texts were published by Columbia University Press
Columbia University Press
Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
(and, in the case of the Bhagavad-Gita, by Bantam Books also). Her translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the most popular of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
texts, was extremely successful, surpassing the popularity of many prior translations. Her work introduced a broad American audience who had not heard the Bhagavad Gita until they encountered the Bantam edition. She was known among the academic community in humanities and South Asian studies for her ability to present Indian poetry to the layperson in a manner that was aesthetically pleasing and academically rigorous. She popularised Indian literature without diluting the intellectual integrity. Miller’s enthusiasm for responsible popularization was demonstrated in the pride she took in her role as advisor to the director Peter Brooks
Peter Brooks
Peter Brooks is Sterling Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Yale University and Andrew W. Mellon Scholar in the department of Comparative Literature and the Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is formerly Professor in the Department of English and School of Law at the...
in his production of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, which was mounted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
in 1978 and televised on the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, an event that was seen as watershed in American popular awareness of Indian culture.
In addition to her major translations, Miller wrote a number of articles and edited several books, including Explaining India's Sacred Art: Selected Writings of Stella Kramrisch (1983), a work of dedicated to her former teacher; and Songs for the Bride: Wedding Rites of Rural India (1985), a book of essays by W. G. Archer, which she edited after his death. In 1989, she published another edited volume, The Powers of Art: Patronage in Indian Culture from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1900, which was derived from a symposium that she planned and conducted at the National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center
The National Humanities Center is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities. It is the only major independent institute for advanced study in all fields of the humanities in the United States. The NHC operates as a privately incorporated nonprofit and is not part of any...
in October 1985, in conjunction with the Festival of India in the United States. In 1997, she published a book, Love Song of the Dark Lord, the English translation of the well known Sanskrit epic poem, Gita Govinda
Gita Govinda
The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
. Miller’s work was not confined to Sanskrit; she published a translation of the Spanish poems of Agueda Pizarro: Sombraventadora/Shadowinnower (1979).
Miller was an active and powerful presence in shaping the future direction of Barnard and Columbia. She served on the executive committee of the Southern Asian Institute at the School of International Affairs, was president of the Society of Fellows in the Humanities, and was the co-director of the Barnard Centennial Scholars Program, and was part of the editorial board of the Columbia University Press series of Translations from the Oriental Classics. She nurtured many students and fought strongly to ensure that their talents were rewarded and encouraged by grants and research posts. At a time when female scholars were still very much in the minority, Miller was trailblazer. She served on the P.E.N. Translation Committee, as Director-at-Large of the American Oriental Society, was on the Board of Directors of the American Council of Learned Societies and of the Taraknath Das Foundation, and she waspresident of the Association for Asian Studies
Association for Asian Studies
The Association for Asian Studies is a U.S. society focused on facilitating contact and information exchange among scholars of Asian fields. It is the self-proclaimed largest society of its kind. The Association consists of eminent Asianists, and is a non-profit organization...
in 1990. Miller was a Guggenheim Fellow and was given grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
, the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
, the American Institute of Indian Studies, and the Social Sciences Research Council.
During the final months of her life, she continued to work from her hospital bed, finishing her translation and analysis of the Yogasutra of Patanjali, which was published posthumously as Yoga: Discipline of Mind and Spirit.
She died in New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center of cancer on April 19, 1993. Her long battle had seen her hospitalized on many occasions.
Books
TranslationsOther