Reviews
By Sushil Kumar De, Nalinaksha Dutt, Mano Mohan Ghosh, Indubhusan Banerjee
Summary
The reviews section covers three notable publications. First is the Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, compiled from Haraprasad Sastri’s notes and revised by Cintāharaṇa Chakravarti. The catalogue lists over a thousand tantric manuscripts and includes original works, digests, rites manuals, yoga texts and devotional hymns. Although many are of ritual character and of limited historical value, they illustrate the diversity of Tantra worship in Bengal and the widespread popularity of Sakti cults. The volume is well‑edited and includes an introduction and indexes. The second review is of P. Krishna Aiyangar’s edition of the second half of the Acyutarayabhyudaya, a Sanskrit epic on Vijayanagar emperor Acyutaraya. The reviewer appreciates the careful collation of twelve manuscripts and notes that the poem recounts the emperor’s life, providing insights into Vijayanagara history and cultural links between Bengal and the Colas. The third review discusses the Catalogue of the Anup Sanskrit Library, prepared by C. Kunhan Raja and K.M. Krishna Sarma, which describes the Bikaner Government’s manuscript collection. Together these reviews highlight recent efforts to edit and catalogue primary sources for Indological research.
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Conclusion
The reviews inform readers about recent scholarly publications: a catalogue of tantric manuscripts that showcases the diversity of Sakti worship, a critical edition of the Acyutarayabhyudaya chronicling Vijayanagara history, and a catalogue of the Anup Sanskrit Library. These works underscore continued efforts to edit and describe primary sources and provide valuable resources for Indology.