Reviews
Summary
The ‘Reviews’ section of this volume gathers critical assessments of several recently published works across diverse fields of Indology. The first review examines L. V. Ramaswamy Iyer’s ‘A Brief Account of Malayalam Phonetics,’ applauding the author’s pioneering attempt to classify Malayalam sounds and advocate for a systematic phonetic discipline within Dravidian linguistics. The reviewer notes that while the study could have benefited from more extensive treatment of neutral vowels and suprasegmental features, it provides a much‑needed foundation for future linguistic research. The next review discusses Manindra Mohan Bose’s ‘An Introduction to the Study of the Post‑Caitanya Sahajiyā Cult,’ a monograph on the esoteric Sahajiyā movement that flourished in post‑Chaitanya Bengal. The reviewer appreciates the valuable appendices, including a descriptive catalogue of Sahajiyā manuscripts, but points out numerous misprints and pleads for more careful citation of sourcesimage/. In a review of Sukumar Sen’s edition and translation of the medieval Bengali romance ‘Śekā Śubhodaya,’ the critic highlights the work’s significance for understanding syncretic Indo‑Islamic narratives, noting how the editor contextualises the tale within Bengali literature and provides a sketch of its linguistic peculiarities. The section then turns to a review of the first fascicle of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute’s critical edition of the ‘Mahābhārata’ prepared under V. S. Sukthankar; the reviewer commends the project’s international collaboration and careful classification of manuscripts, describing it as a monumental contribution to textual criticism. Another review assesses R. C. Majumdar’s ‘Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East: China,’ praising the author for shedding light on the largely neglected subject of Hindu maritime expansion and the interaction between Indian and Chinese cultures. Finally, the review of N. Bandyopādhyāya’s ‘Kātyāyanamatasamgraha’ acknowledges the usefulness of collecting verses of the ancient ritualist Kātyāyana but criticises the edition for including interpolated passages and for failing to cross‑reference commentaries of Devaśeṇācārya and others. Together, these reviews not only inform readers about new scholarly resources but also reflect the rigorous critical standards of the journalimage/.
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Conclusion
Covering works on phonetics, religious history, narrative literature, textual criticism, Southeast Asian studies and Vedic ritual, the ‘Reviews’ section highlights the breadth of contemporary Indological scholarship. The reviewers offer balanced appraisals, acknowledging each book’s contributions while noting areas for improvement, thereby guiding readers and researchers toward fruitful engagement with these texts.