Indian Antiquary Vol 56

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 74

58
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ MARCH, 1927
date further back than the fifth century A.D., | DJAWA , TIJDSCHRIFT VAN HET JAVA and here Mr. Shastri makes a useful observation: 5e Jaargang, No. 3 en 4, Mei-September 1925. "as is apparent from the titles and names of the Secretariaat van het Java Instituut, Weltevreden twenty-one Târas I do not think they should be
These numbers of Djawa give a full report of the taken as distinct forms of the goddess; they are
Congress of that body held at Jogjakarta, 24-27 rather the attributes which & votary has in view
December 1924. During the Congress an exhibition while worshipping the divinity who is one through
of Javanese architecture and furniture was held, out." In form Târå is either pacific or angry-a
and an exceedingly interesting lecture was given by typical primitive goddess.
Dr. F. D. K. Boech on "The Praru banan Temple," R. C. TEMPLE.
to which there are two beautiful illustrations, one
of the temple before restoration, the other of the INTERNATIONAL LAW IN ANCIENT INDIA, by S. V.
restored south door. The lecturer, After examining VISWANATHA, 1925. Longmans, Green & Co.,
the question of the date of the temple and its purBombay.
pose, speaks of its architecture and carvings. This book deals with "International Law"
Another paper was read by Thomas Karsten on in India up to A.D. 500, and the writer intends
the value of recent Javaneee architecture. There to compose & companion volume on Medieval
were also papers and discussions of matters of less Indian Diplomacy. He explains that by the term
general interest, e.g., Old Javanese Monuments in International Law he means a "body of custom,"
connection with Javanese culture of the present and indeed that is the most that can be claimed
and future, and native culture in Javanese education. for a condition where man-made law is not
M. J. B. enforcible by any authority. He is also aware of the difficulty of using terms applicable to modern
ANNALES DU MUSÉE GUIMET. Trois Conférences society to describe the conditions that obtained in the ancient world, and he seeks to clear the air by
sur les Gatha de l'Avesta, par A. MEILLET. setting himself three questions (pp. 5, 6):
Paul Geuthner, Paris, 1925. (1) Whether there were nations in ancient India,
This little book will be of much interest to Parsis (2) Whether there was a general code of laws
and students of ancient Iranian culture. It conto regulate their dealings with one another,
tains three lectures delivered at the Upsala Univer. (3) How far this body of doctrine was actually sity, Sweden, by M. Meillet, who was a former pupil carried into execution.
of James Darmesteter. Indeed he dedicates the He answers the first in the affirmativo. As to
.book to the memory of his teacher, though, as he the second question, he says that international is careful to point out in the preface, his views on Law-.e., the body of custom, which we now call
the subject of the Gathds differ widely from those of International Law-"was accepted by all Indian
Darnesteter. The subject matter of the lectures States--for it was based on Dharma [duty: that
are (a) the date of Zoroaster, (b) the composition which should be done), which regulated also the
of the Gathås, (c) the character of the teaching of conduct of the individual society." In dealing
the Gathas. The author claims to have followed with the third question he replies that in theory
Darmesteter's advice in two directions, viz., first, it was--at any rate in as great & part as now
he has tried to formulate clear and definite conclucarried into practice, running through the stages of
sions, easily capable of refutation, if they are fruti (revelation) and smriti (tradition), and visible
erroneous; secondly, he has sought to envisage the in the Epics and the Puranas, in the secular writers
facts from the standpoint of the historian, who, not of arthasastra (administration) and the like, in the
content with mere words, strives to evoke the actual Asokan Edicts, and in the accounts of Megasthenes
character of past events and clothe them with and Yuan Chwang.
reality. I leave it to Iranian scholars like Dr. J. J. Here we have the author's position, on which he
Modi to decide how far M. Meillet's views deserve has built his remarks, with a wealth of reference to
acceptance.
S. M. EDWARDES. ancient authorities which cannot but rouse the admiration of his readers. The nature, however, of such authorities as have survived through the
BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF INDIAN ART, by ANANDA K. ages only permits him to make remarks of a general
COOMARASWAMY, D.Sc. (LONDON). Boston, description on all the many points which he has
Massachusetts, 1925. taken up.
This work is stated in the preface to be a partial It is a thoughtful and impartial book of great reprint, with additions, from the first, second, and learning, honestly compiled, and shows once more fourth parts of the Catalogue of the Indian Collections that the ancient civilisation was in its edentials in the Museum of Fine Arts, published in Boston; very like that of modern times.
and the author to some extent disarms criticism by R. C. TEMPLE. an admission that none of the bibliographies