Indian Antiquary Vol 54

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 25

JANUARY, 19251
BOOK-NOTICES
BOOK-NOTICES. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MYSORE ABOHXOLOGICAL accompanied Bhadra bahu to Sravana Belgola wa
DEPARTMENT for 1923; Government Press, not the great Mauryen emperor, but Chandragupta Bangalore. 1924.
II who, according to Dr. Shamasastry's calculations, This is an interesting report, containing a record i was alive in A.D. 282. In the light of our present of much good work in the exploration of ancient knowledge, one hesitate to coept these novel temples and other monuments. A curious side theories. At the same time there is much of interest light on old trade customs is furnished by the in the details of Dr. Shamasastry's argument, which Basava temple in Turuvőkere town. In front of it might well be published as a separate pamphlet. stands an old stone framework, known as Chintalu
S. M. EDWARDES. kumbha and consisting of two pillars fixed side by side and a coss-beam furnished with iron rings. SUTTANIPATA. By P. V. BAPAT, M.A., 1924. Turuvőkere, it appears, was once & great centre of
It is a welcome sign of the times that Indian the cotton trade, and all the cotton which left it
scholars, following in the foot-steps of their Eurowas weighed in front of the temple and stamped, the
pean confreres, are taking seriously to the study weight thus determined being accepted as accurate in other markets. A full description, with plates,
of Pali as one of the Indian literatures, and the is also given of a beautiful Vishnu temple at Belvadi,
study of its language and its literature is gaining in dating from A.D. 1300. During the year the popularity. The study of this language and lite archaeological department acquired fifty-three new rature has so far remained practically a European manuscripts, dealing with the Vedas and Upanishads, study, and has received but little attention among with philosophy, grammar and logic, and one Indian scholars and oducationists. In this departhundred and thirty new epigraphical records. Of
ment as in other fields of oriental research it was each of the latter the report gives an English
but right that European scholarship should set the transliteration and a useful note on their con
example, but the only point of regret about this tents and significance. Many of these inscriptions
particular department of Indian studies is that record the death of individuals when assisting to ropel cattle-raids, among the earliest of them being
Indian scholarship did not make any effort to follow one from the Simoga district, assigned to the middle
the good example. A variety of reasons may be of the seventh century A.D., which describos how
offered in explanation, and among them, one of & military commander was killed in a fight with a
the minor ones, if not a really serious one, has been tribe of Bedars forming the army of Mahendra, popular editions of these works with sufficient aid who opposed SilAditya's claim to sovereignty over for mastering the technique of the language and Simoga. Dr. Shamasastry is inclined on palmo.
literature. An attempt is being made in the last graphic grounds to identify Siladitya with Har
few years to remove this drawback, and this Déveshavardhans Siladitya of Kanguj and Mahendra nagari edition of the Suttanipdta is one of these with the first or second Mahendravarma of the early efforts. Pallava dynasty.
The Suttanipåta does not need any introduction An attempt has boon made in the Report to fix to the readers of the Indian Antiquary, as it has definitely the date of the early Guptas, who are been published by the Pali Text Society and an understood to have been contemporaries of the excellent translation of it is available in the Sacred Kadambas, by examining the traditional, astrono. Books of the East by Fausböll. The edition being mical and synchronistic evidence bearing on the in Roman letters, Indian students do not find it chronology of the Brihadbanas, Kadambas, and easy or happy for reading, and the Indian Pandit is Ganga. Dr. Shamasastry rojects Fleet's conclu-
absolutely unable to do so. absolutely unable to
The presentation of sions as to the date of Mahavira's death and the
this in Devanagari would make it owy for those two chronology of the early Guptas, and in the course classes, and, oven the Indian scholar would find of his remarks, which are sufficiently interesting
his work quicker with a Devanagari edition. Prof. to merit separate publication, expresses his belief Bapat has provided a good edition of the text and that Kallai was a historical figure, who lived from has provided the text with an illuminating Introduce A.D. 402 to 472 and commenced a new era in A.D. tion, which gives an idea of the important position 428. His conclusions, which are embodied in a
onclusions, which are embodied in a that Suttanipdua occupies in the Buddhist canon. comparative chronological table, are not likely Wo welcome the edition and the effort that it perhaps to command immediate acceptance; for, makes to bring the Pali text within the reach of in order to make them fit in with accepted facte Indian scholars. We hope the effort will have and probabilities, he is obliged to postulate the sufficiently encouraging reception to cau Prof. existence of two Mihirakulas and two Toramanae, Bapat himself, and other scholars like him, to go for which there is no historical warranty whatever, abead with this good work. He also has to assume that the Chandragupta who
8. K. AITAGAR