Select Contents of Oriental Journals
Summary
This section summarises articles published in various Oriental journals during 1933‑1934. In the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, A. Venkatasubrahmanian examines how stories of the Pancatantra have been remoulded in different versions and reconstructs original verses by comparing variant readings. Teankishore Mukutahar discusses the date of the Jain author Samantabhadra, challenging K.B. Pathak’s assignment of him to the eighth century and arguing for an earlier date. Bimala Churn Law extracts geographical data from Sanskrit Buddhist literature while a paper on the Adi-bharata and the Natya-sarvasva-dipika argues that references to an Adi-bharata in commentary signify different recensions of the Natyasastra, not separate works. Other articles include an examination of Jaina classifications of mankind by H. R. Kapadia and notes on the date of the commentator Caritravrddhana. The summary also notes publications in the Journal of the American Oriental Society, including L.E. Barnett’s publication of three fragments of the Paippalada recension of the Atharvaveda. The Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society contains articles describing unpublished seals from the Mauryan and post‑Mauryan periods, unique silver coins of the Sunga kings, and a newly discovered pictographic inscription near Ramtek whose signs resemble a bull’s head and conch. K.P. Jayaswal presents an inscription of King Narasimha of Mithila dated A.D. 1435 and discusses its implications for the Laksmanasena era. The section emphasises the diversity of research topics across Oriental journals, ranging from textual criticism and chronology to epigraphy, numismatics and archaeology. By listing these articles, the journal alerts readers to current scholarly debates and discoveries. The selection reflects the interdisciplinary nature of Oriental studies and the importance of examining manuscripts, inscriptions and artefacts alongside literary texts.
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Conclusion
The ‘Select Contents’ section provides snapshots of current research across Oriental journals. Topics include textual studies of the Pancatantra and Natyasastra, debates about the dating of Jain authors, geographical and ethnological analyses of Buddhist and Jaina literature, and reports on newly discovered seals, coins and inscriptions. The summaries underline the breadth of Oriental scholarship and encourage readers to engage with new findings and methodologies across disciplines.