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Book Reviews
Abhidhā by Tapasvi Nandi, L.D. Institute of Indology, L.D. Series 131, Ahmedabad -380 009, 2002, price Rs. 120.00
The Abhidhā, a treatise of 76 pages of quarto size, is a remarkable contributions to the field of literary criticism, particularly to the category of meaning. This monograph contains the lectures delivered by Professor Nandi at the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. In this treatise, the author has discussed Abhidhā from rhetorical point of view. The treatment of the subject is historical. It transpires from the preface of the writer that this is a small portion of his bigger project on “Thought-currents in Indian Literary Criticism”. We all hope that when the whole work is published it will be a great contribution to the history of Sanskrit Alamkāra literature. In the words of the author, “Abhidhã ............. is the power of word yielding the expressed or conventional sense”. The view is upheld by Anandavardhana, Abhinavagupta and Mammața and subsequently followed by Hemacandra, Vidyādhara, Viśvanātha, Appayadikṣita and Jagannātha. The analysis of the subject is remarkable and proves the critical accumen of the author. I am sure that the readers will be much benefited by reading this monograph.
Satya Ranjan Banerjee
Sambodhi (Vol XXIV, 2001) - edited by J.B. Shah, L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad-380 009, 2001.
This is a trilingual Journal in English, Hindi and Gujarati. It is published by the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. The Journal has a quality of its own. In this number, some papers are worth mentioning; these are Tātparya in Bhoja by T.S. Nandi, the Lalitavistara-tikā of Haribhadrācārva by K.A. Shah and the Gandassa Kahānavam edited by J.B. Shah. The Gandassa Kahānara is for the first time edited from a single manuscript. K.R. Candra's article on the different readings of Agama texts is worth reading and he has collected lots of interesting passages from Jaina Agama texts. Although some of his readings might be disputed, on the whole the paper is interesting. The quality of paper and printing is very good and the Journal is worth consulting for research purposes.
Satya Ranjan Banerjee
Jain Education International
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