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Review
The important papers on the Akhyāna theory (pp.36 ff) and the Vasudevahimdi (pp. 56 ff, 101 ff, have now become easily accessible. Alsdorf's view that the Vasudevahimdi offerred a specimen of Archaic Jain Māhārāștri receives now a powerful support from the language of Pādalīpta's Taramgavai, which even in its preserved abridgement, contains numerous instances of the same archaic features.2
Alsdorf pointed out two new proofs, viz., the Parivrājaka episode relating to the search for alchemic Rasa for the purpose of producing artificial gold (Vasudevahimdi, pp. 146 ff.), and the Kokkāsa episode relating to the flying wooden horse (VH., pp. 61 ff.), for the Indian origin of the Arabian Nights (alias One Thousand and One Nights) (pp. 518 ff.). In further support of this view we may point out here one more similar proof. One of the key motifs in the frame story of the One Thousand and One Nights, viz., the newly married talented queen managing to get her execution postponed by narrating night after night absorbing tales, occurs also in a tale current prior to the ninth century in the Jain narrative literature in Prakrit.3
Alsdorf's critical reviews of P. L. Vaidya's edition of the Mahapurāna (pp. 126-135), H. Jain's edition of the Karakandacariu (pp. 743–746), M, Shahidullah's Les chants Mystiques (pp. 737-742) and three works f L. Nitti-Dolci (pp. 563-567) are greatly instructive.
The Bibliography of Alsdorf's writings (pp. V-XIX) reveals the wide range of his research interests, as also the valuable and manifold contributions he made to Indological Studies.
The students of Middle Indo-Aryan literatures and languages will feel specially obliged to the Glasenapp-Stiftung for this publication.
H. C. Bhayani
Mahavira and His Teachings : Editors: A. N. Upadhye, D. Malvania and others. Bhagavān Mahāvīra 2500th Nirvana Mahotsava Samiti, Bombay, 1977. pp, 8+462+plates. Rs. 50-00.
This volume of articles and papers by different scholars has been published by the Nirvāṇa Mahotsava Samiti of Bombay to commemorate the 2500th Nii vāna year of Vardhamāna Mahāvira. There are thirtynine contributions distributed under the six sections : Literature, Religion, Mahāvīra, Philosophy, History, Art. The contributions are of uneven quality and 2 See Bhayani, H.C., (ed.) Samkhitta Taramgavaikaha (1970). Anulekha (Epilogue)
(in Gujarti) pp. 282–283. 3 See the Tale of the Painter's Daughter (Citrakara-suta-katha) in Gandhi L.B.,
(ed.), Dharmopadešamālavivarana, 1949, pp. 137-138. A Version of the Kokkäsa Tale is also found among these tales, see pp, 189-191,
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