Select Contents of Oriental Journals
Summary
The “Select Contents of Oriental Journals” section acts as an extensive digest of articles published in various scholarly journals across India. Each entry briefly summarises papers and notes, providing readers with a panoramic view of ongoing research in Oriental studies. From the Annals of Oriental Research (Madras University), the digest reports on T.R. Raghavan’s continued corrections to the Yuktidīpikā and the Naitākalakṣaṇaratnākara, textual guides to classical Sāṃkhya and dramaturgy; an article by K. Kunjunni Raja attempting to identify the commentator Durgaprasadāyati with Narayanapriyāyati; and a study by S. Subramania Sastri comparing the doctrinal differences between the Bhāṭṭa and Prābhākara schools of Mīmāṃsā. Another piece analyses the epic confrontation between Rāma and Vālin as narrated in Kampa’s Tamil Rāmāyaṇa and Tulasīdāsa’s Hindi Rāmacaritmānasa. The Bulletin of the Chunilal Gandhi Vidyabhavan includes an archaeological report on fluted chalcedony cores and potsherds from Vastan Dungri in Gujarat, suggesting an ancient iron-smelting industry as well as papers on early mediaeval sculptures from Kashipura, a note on humour in Sanskrit literature, and a Bengali treatise on tantric categories. The Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society offers summaries of articles on medieval Andhra temples dedicated to Śiva, Viṣṇu and the Buddha; lists of lesser dynasties from 1000–1500 A.D.; and a detailed description of the Bhīmeśvara temple at Drakṣārāma built by the Eastern Cālukyas. Essays on the spread of Buddhism in Andhra, the later Sangama rulers of Vijayanagara and comparative historical studies continue this regional focus. The digest moves on to the Journal of the Ganganath Jha Research Institute, mentioning papers on gifts in the Matsya Purāṇa, philosophical discussions of the nature of meaning, debates over whether the character Śarvilaka is a native of Ujjayinī, and analyses of ancient Indian society from dharmasūtra texts. Further entries note investigations into Vedic interpretative schools, similes in Śaṅkara’s Bhāṣya on the Kāṭhopaniṣad and speculative geography in the Ṛgveda that links the Rīma and Rāsam peoples to the Mediterranean and Russia. Additional notes mention papers on Vedic gods in gṛhya sūtras, Kautalya’s Arthaśāstra, humour in Sanskrit literature, tantric philosophy, the Charak Puja in Bengal and numerous copperplate inscriptions from Orissa. The digest concludes by announcing the publication of an edited version of Viśvanātha Kavirāja’s play Candrakalā Nātikā with an extensive introduction. By collating research from disparate journals, this section serves as a valuable reference tool for scholars seeking to stay abreast of developments in Indology, archaeology, philology and regional history.
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Conclusion
This digest provides a cross-sectional survey of Oriental scholarship, summarising studies ranging from Vedic interpretation and Mīmāṃsā philosophy to temple architecture, regional dynastic histories and archaeological discoveries. By compiling abstracts from journals across India, it highlights both the diversity of topics—textual criticism, comparative epics, copperplate inscriptions—and the geographical spread of research, from Andhra to Bengal and Gujarat. The section underscores the vitality of Oriental studies in the mid‑twentieth century and offers researchers a springboard for further exploration.