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198
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[OCTOBER, 1926
BOOK-NOTICES.
THE PRAKRIT DHATY-ADESAS, by SIE GEORGE For the Hindus, when they absorbed Western ideas,
GRIERSON, K.C.I.E., Memoirs of Asiatic Society often gave them an Indian setting: and also the of Bengal, Calcutta, 1920.
period of absorption is one of such extreme interest This is another of Sir George Grierson's invaluable
in the history of civilization that any light thrown notes on Indian philology. A dhdtuddaja is
on it from the east is valuable. Therefore this a Prakrit root substitute for a Sanskrit root : such as
later system has been analysed in some detail and whereby Prakrit hoi can be an equivalent for
a brief account of the chief Hindu astronomers Sanskrit bhavati. Sir George then points out
who expounded the Westem astronomy has been that Prakrit roots are (1) identical with the corres.
included," (may I add ?) to the very great benefit ponding Sanskrit roota, (2) regularly derived from
of all studenta. them, (3) unconnected by any admitted phonetic
Mr. Kaye then goes into the earliest works dealing rule, e.g., where Skr.root.cal.equals Prak. root call.
in some way or other with astronomy, and these (4) derived from Skr. roots but having changed
he dates from B.C. 1200 to A.D. 200—all early their meaning, are substituted from some other
Hindu dates are however still controversial-and Sanskrit root with a meaning more nearly akin.
calls them the Periods of the Vedas, Brahmanan Tho last two classes from the ddatas..
und Upanishads, Sūtras and Vedangas. The Ma. Sir George then gives 1590 Prakrit forms collected
habharata, Ramdyana and the Puranas he considers from five standard works. His lists, however, go
apart; and finally he calls the whole of the oldest beyond the true adlias and include "many perfectly
works Period A, which he di vides into Vedic (Al), regular Prakrit words." In discussing the last of the
and Post.Vedic (A2). He then divides the other classes of Prakrit roots above described, Sir George
early writings into Period B (3.0. 400 to 1000), makos a very valuable remark: "there was never
and subdivides them into the Gupta (BI) and one uniform school of Prakrit Grammarians for
Bhaskara (B2). In this period B wrote Pulita, the whole of India. There were certaiy at least
Aryabhaga, Varihs Mihira, Brahmagupta and an Eastern and a Western school, which had marked
Bhaskara. In the Vedic times the year had 360 variations in their teachings .... each school
days with occasional intercalary months, in Postdeveloped independently of the other, so that after
Vedio times there was a five-year cycle of X 366 the lapse of centuries the divergences became
days. In the Gupta times came knowledge of very wide." All this is well worth bearing in mind.
the planets and eclipses of formal astrology and As a matter of detail Sir George points out that the
other details. In the Bhaskara times there was nosalisation of words in modern Indian vernaculars
a further development of these latter matters. is no modern innovation, nor is it accidental, but
Mr. Kaye then examines the texts under the As a development it is at least as old as the dadto
Period Al including the J&takes and pass on to adedas. Here again we have a very valuable
early formal astronomy, i.e., Period A2, "the suggestion.
main astronomical features of which are (a) the
five-year cycle of 8 X 366 days, and (6) the omission R. C. TEMPLE.
of all references to planetary astronomy." Here HINDU ASTRONOMY, by G. R. KAYR. Momoirs of
ho again examines the texte This starta him on the Archæological Survey of India. No. 18.
the dinouasion of definite astronomical subjecta, 1924.
such as the Nakshatras, Stars and Constellations, Of this most useful compilation Mr. Kaye writes
Years and Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes, and in his Preface that " although this summary account
Procession. All this leads him to consider the goes over old ground it is all based upon original
important subject of Vedic Chronology and "a texte." I would like to add that when an expert
number of arguments that have been employed goes to the original texts it matters nothing how
to fix the chronology of the earliest Hindu worlos. much his subject covers old ground. In his In
These are fairly stated and the reader can form his troduction Mr. Kaye carefully scrutinises the history
own opinion of their value. Mr. Kaye then consi of the examination of Hindu astronomy by Eu.
der the Planeta and the week days abjects on mopean students in a scholarly manner and winds
which he is very informing. up with this pregnant paragraph: "In the fol He is then taken to the introduction of Gronk lowing chapters considerable attention is paid to astronomy about 400 A.D., and ite dominating the earlier Greek period of Hindu astronomy, and influence on Hindu astronomical teaching, which the later material might, with some propriety, is admirably exhibited. This brings him to his have been excluded altogether. However, not (second) Period B-the study of Hinda-Grook only has this later period a sort of traditional astronomy and the great astronomers who preclaim to attention, but its study often helps to sented it. Mr. Kayo subjects them to soarohing elucidato obscure points of the earlier period. criticism, and then pemes on to Hindu Astronomical
