Notes and Queries

“Notes and Queries,” edited by Dr. D. C. Sircar, presents a series of short scholarly discussions on diverse historical topics. The first note responds to Dasharatha Sharma’s interpretation of the title Balavalabbibbujanga borne by the Bengali scholar Bhavadeva Bhaṭṭa. Sharma suggested that the title means “conqueror of Balavalabhi,” implying that Bhavadeva earned it by leading military forces. Sircar points out that Bhavadeva himself records receiving the epithet while still a student. Since the title is linked to his early scholastic achievements, Sircar questions the martial interpretation and argues that it more likely relates to a scholastic victory or a poetic epithet. The second note examines the use of the Śaka era in South India; Sircar discusses inscriptions from Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil regions, noting that the Śaka calendar was adopted for administrative and religious purposes alongside local eras. He highlights how variations in the reckoning of months and intercalary days complicate chronological calculations and urges epigraphists to carefully correlate regnal dates. Other notes address minor textual emendations, the meaning of obscure words in inscriptions, and questions posed by readers. Each short piece clarifies a specific issue, often by consulting primary sources such as epigraphic records, literary works or commentaries. Sircar’s notes exemplify the meticulous methodology of historical scholarship: they weigh philological evidence, cross‑reference multiple sources and refrain from speculative conclusions. Collectively, the section serves as a forum for addressing unresolved queries and disseminating corrections or clarifications. It underscores the collaborative nature of historical research, where scholars respond to each other’s hypotheses and refine interpretations through dialogue.

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