Work

Computational Pathways to Intertextuality of the Ancient Indian Literature: A Multi-Method Analysis of the Maitrāyaṇī and Kāṭhaka Saṃhitās

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper examines semantic similarity and intertextuality in selected texts from the Vedic Sanskrit corpus, specifically the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā (MS; Amano 2009) and Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā (KS). Three computational methods are employed: Word2Vec for word embeddings, the stylo package for stylometric analysis, and TRACER for text reuse detection. By comparing various sections of the texts at different granularities, patterns of similarity and structural alignment are uncovered, providing insights into textual relationships and chronology. Word embeddings capture semantic similarities, while stylometric analysis reveals clusters that differentiate the texts. TRACER identifies parallel passages, indicating probable instances of text reuse. Our multi-method analysis corroborates previous philological studies, suggesting that MS.1.9 aligns with later editorial layers, akin to MS.1.7 and KS.9.1. The findings highlight the potential of computational methods in studying ancient Sanskrit literature, complementing traditional approaches, and emphasize that smaller chunk sizes are more effective for detecting intertextual parallels. These approaches expand methodological frontiers in Indology and illuminate new research pathways for analyzing ancient texts.

Source: Journal of Data Mining & Digital Humanities

DOI: 10.46298/jdmdh.15085

Authors: So Miyagawa, Yuki Kyogoku, Yuzuki Tsukagoshi, Kyoko Amano

Institutions: University of Tsukuba, Leipzig University, The University of Tokyo, Kyoto University

Language: English

Topic: Digital Humanities and Scholarship

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Awards: Studies on Vowel System and Phonetic Values of Doubled Vowel Letters in Old Nubian, Studies of Coptic Vowels in Historical Phonology of Egyptian Language, Applied research towards practical use of Devanagari OCR and utilization of text database, Study of Language Layers in Vedic Literature for the Development of a Program for Age Estimation