INDIAN MUSIC.

'Introduction to the Study of Indian Music,' by '. Clements of the Indian Civil Service. Published v Longmans Green and Co., Price 6 shillings.

We commend this valuable work to the serious tudy of our countrymen. The theory of Indian usic has been very ably dealt with by Mr. Clements, nd a perusal of his book cannot fail to be profitable. o Bengali readers specially, this book will be an eye pener, accustomed as we have been to look upon ie srutis as thing of the past, and even as creations the imagination.

That this is not so, that even now there are usicians in India who use all the srutis in their aily practice, we have already learnt from Mr. eval's pamphlet. In Mr. Clements' book will be und the uses of almost all the srutis exemplified by ferences to wellknown ragas.

Our best thanks are due to Mr. Clements for the rvice he has done to the cause of pure Indian music ✓ writing this book. We have nothing but praise r a work like this. If we find it necessary to respectlly offer a remark or two on certain points, it is in > spirit of fault finding, but with a good deal of ffidence, in the belief that the author would like to ear these remarks so that he might accept them if ey seem reasonable, or reject them if otherwise.

The first investigator to successfully solve the oblem of the srutis is not Mr. Deval, but the late [r. Saradaprasad Ghose of Bengal. The main part this gentleman's work was done at the end of the st century. In January, 1902, he published a list of ie srutis, which differs from that of Mr. Deval only three places. This list was reprinted in the Modern eview for June, 1911, page 635, and need not be peated here. The difference between Mr. Ghose's nd Mr. Deval's lists are due to the fact that they orked with slightly different sets of srutis,-just as Ir. Clements' list differs from that of Mr. Deval for

le same reason.

On page 50 of Mr. Clements' work occurs the llowing translation of a passage of Bharata's Natya hastra:

"The interval passed over in raising or lowering a by one sruti is the measure of a sruti.'

We are open to correction, but in our humble pinion this passage seems to bear a different meaning. he passage in the original is,

“पञ्चमश्रुत्य त्कर्षादपकर्षादा यदन्तर

#12ʻalaiyamızı aquatogfa: 1”

"The hearing (i.e., perception) of the extent of the ifference arising from the raising or lowering of a ruti of panchama comes from sharpness or flatness." 'मार्दव' and 'आयतत्व' are two technical terms, hich Bharata explains in the following sloka :—

“यतत्व' तु चेन्नौच मृदुत्व तु विपर्ययम् ।
स्वस्वरे मध्यमत्व' च श्र तोनामेष निर्णयः ॥”
Chap. 29th Verse 39.

“If low, it is ‘आयतत्व' the reverse is 'मृदुत्व' ; on its own proper note it is ''; this is the truth about the srutis."

In this passage Bharata treats the srutis as sounds, and speaks of their pitch; which shews that he looked upon them as sound, and not as intervals.

It is true, Bharata uses the word 'antara,' and so does Sharngadeva. This word generally means a gap, a distance, a difference and several other things, but has no technical significance. If anybody spoke of an antara of so many srutis,' his meaning would be perfectly clear, even though srutis were mere sounds and antara were not a musical interval. One man might be said to live three floors above another, and the statement would be readily understood, even though 'floor' does not mean height.

If the srutis were intervals, it would be wrong to consider them even roughly equal, and our old writers would be open to censure for holding such views. If on the other hand srutis were sounds, there would be no such difficulty.

SANSKRIT.

U.

Abhijnana-Shekuntala with the commentary Dingmatradarshana by Abhirama, edited by A. R. Rajaraja Varma, M. A., M. R. A. S., Professor of Sanskrit and Dravidian Languages, H. H. The Maharaja's College, Trivandram. 1913, Price Rs. 2.

Undoubtedly the Sanskrit reading people are greatly benefited by the bringing out for the first time by Prof. Varma, an author of some works in Sanskrit and Malayalam, of Abhirama's commentary on Shakuntala which was hitherto known to them only by name. As the title of the commentary, Dingmatradarshana (fee ameia) implies, Abhirama, unlike the general commentators in Sanskrit is very brief here; yet he does not leave anything which is essentially required for elucidation of the text where he fears that an ordinary reader might not be able to grasp the beauty or excellence of the art shown by the poet. It is evident that the commentary is meant only for the advanced students, and so our author does not explain all the words of the text giving their syno

nyms.

The word is a very favorite one of Sanskrit dramatists. Even the great Kalidasa uses it in his Malavikagnimitra not less than eight times besides those written as stage direction. It is well-known to all that in Sanskrit the word is used to mean both dress and a dressing room for Abhirama, however, in his commentary takes, as pointed out by the editor, for dress

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ing room and derives it saying नेपय्यमलङ्कारः, तदर्थं (p. 2). This is indeed a quite new thing. In this connection Prof. Varma says that "in Southern India Sanskrit books written or printed in the Malayalam or Grantha characters invariably (Italics are ours) have for toilet and for dressing room." His statement may partially be true, for, otherwise Abhirama could not explain the word in the way shown above; but we are not prepared to take the case to be invariably so. Our learned friend Pandita T. Ganapati Shastri of the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series has carefully edited the dramas by Bhasa ( वासवदत्त etc. ), Kulashekhara Varman ( तपती संवरण and सुभद्राधनञ्जय ), and Ravivarma Bhupa (प्रद्य ुम्ना), the manuscripts of which are all in the Malayalam characters as the Introductions. (Svapnavasavadatta, p. 1) show. In these dramas nowhere will be supported Prof Varma's above observation; for everywhere we come across w and not. To imply a dressing room for actors there are only three words, so far as extends our information, in Sanskrit, viz. नेपथ्यभूमि, नेपथ्यग्गृह, and नेपथ्य or नेपथ्यक, and they are used by Fharata in his celebrated Natyashastra (see 1. 51, II. 84, XIII. 2, XXXIV. Prose portion after 198, XII,I 10). Kalidasa has (Malavikagnimitra 1) and नेपथ्य. But नेपथ्य in that sense is not to be found in Bharata or some other authoritative works.

Prof. Varma has shown further in his preface. (p. 2) that the text on which Abhirama's com- . mentary is based denominates the dramatic prolo· gue where is the one accepted by several other commentators reads which is also called, as is generally known to all in extant Sanskrit dramas. This fact, however, is not to be regarded as a peculiar one to Abhirama's text." For the very word स्थापना and not प्रस्तावना or आमुख is also found in all the dramas by Bhasa and Kulashekhara Varman recently published in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series Pradyumnabhyudaya, a drama by Ravivarma-Bhupa of the same series, has, however, प्रस्तावना. Bharata's Natyashastra has the two words only, प्रस्तावना and आमुख (V. 154, XX. 29, 30, 35, 36), and we do not come across

Yet, its origin can easily be traced therein.

In ancient plays, though not in extant ones, according to Bharata, there was a person (a kind of stage. director) almost like the. He was

"seems to have been taken from the above.

The word in this sense is also to be found in lexicons.

Abhirama's "another noteworthy peculiarity continues Prof. Varma, "is that the kings chamberlain is called कांचुकीय and not कंचुकिन् " ( Pref p. 2). But it cannot also be regarded as its special charac

teristic. For in all the dramas referred to which are published in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series काञ्च कौय will invariably be found and not कञ्च किन्. even in a single case. Bharata has both the words (See Natyashastra XX. 51, 56, 58; XIX. 103) In Lalilavistara (24:-17) we also come across काच कौय. As Raghavabhatta, another commenta tor on Shakuntala, quotes (Act V.. P. 154, Nir. Sag.) Matrigupta has used, and it has been derived by Vamana as " कञ्च कौय इति कचि ( कञ्च कमान्मन इच्छति ), * Now कञ्च कौय and काञ्च कौ are the same, for कञ्च क = काञ्च क, as is said by Haradatta in his commentary on Apastamba Grihyasutra (I-8-2) commenting on the word fa.

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ire common to those in the dramas recently issued - the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series referred to, we an safely observe with the editor that Abhirama's ext was of the Southern recension; but it does not necessarily lead to the conclusion at which Prof. Varma has arrived, that our commentator nust have belonged to Madras Presidency. It lemands some further authority to prove it conclusively.

Prof. Varma speaks highly of the reading adopted by Abhirama. But, though in some cases he is quite right in passing such remark yet in most parts, and specially in Prakrita portion Abhirama's readings seem to us to be far inferior to those adopted by other commentators. As the instances are too many to be shown completely in the pages of such a magazine we shall be very

brief here.

विश्वस्तां (p. 18) is preferable to विमुब्ध ; and so is अविरल लदा (p. 49) to विरइदलदा ; मलयतडम्मे लिया (p. 102 ) to मलयतरुमूलिग्रा ; तदुतिापि (p. 115 ) t farfar at; कशावNा (p. 116 ) to लतावजा ; व्रीड़ा (ल) वनम्र : (p. 137) to ब्रीडाविलक्ष: ; and soon.

But the list of the inferior readings will be far longer : अणिअन्तणानुत्रोश्रो is a far better reading than affosì in Abhirama's text (p. 32); and so is धर्मारण्य प्रविशति than धर्मारण्यं व्रजति च (p. 37). Here.is superfluous and fa can never convey the significance which is absolute y required and supplied by fanfa, which cannot be replaced by any other word within the whole range of Sanskrit literature; fag than fa

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(p. 79). The former is how much better may very easily be understood even by a novice student to Rhetoric. The author of Sahityadarpana has quoted (IV.) the entire verse with the former reading and observed " श्रच तु इति निपातस्य अनुतापवाकत्वम्” भाव' प्रहारिय धौर than भावस्य प्रहारि अधौर (p. 113). It is naturally expected here that Shakuntala at that her critical moment cannot but say to her heart to be. And so on.

We have somewhere observed that the Prakrita portions in the extant Sanskrit dramas have become very obnoxious owing to the deplorable indifference of Sanskrit, scholars to Prakrita. Prof. Varma's edition of the text of Shakuntala (and we may add

* In a foot-note on p. 77 Prof. Varma prefers the reading “चमवाश्रवह आमन्त दि. सहअर” to “चकवाश्र वह (or वह्नए) ग्रमन्तं हि सह. " Bat in our opinion, the latter is more excellent in all respects as it more skilfully indicates to Shakuntala to bid the king good-bye.

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here, some other editions of the same book in Calcutta which are meant for the University students) is quite apt to support our this view. Truly speaking, the Prakrita portion of the edition under review is so spoiled that we can hardly recommend to place it at the hands of those who care for Prakrita to some extent. Almost every page of the text containing Prakrita is marked by us to denote some inaccuracies. Even the very simple rule that and become iu. Prakrita (Hem. VIII. 2. 74) is not followed throughout the book, and so one will find in the very first line of Prakrita in the text (p.3) afa instead of दूयं मिह, and on page 127, instead of बम्हणे - or बन्मणे Blunders of this kind are too numerous to mention here. Besides, the speeches of the afat etc., in the beginning of the Act VI of the pres-nt edition are in pure Magadhi () as corroborated by Hemchandra, the celebrated author of Prakrita Grammar, who has copiously quoted a number of passages from it. On comparing these lines in Hemchandra (see VIII. 4. 299, 301, and 302) with those in Prof Varma's edition one would become "tterly disappointed. In some recensions of the text well known to us in Bengal at the end of the Act Vthe portion containing the speeches of the fishermen etc., which describes the way by which the ring was regained is marked as an i it is supported to be so by Vishvanath Kaviraja's statement (see Sahilya. VI-311). But the text adopted by Abhirama or Raghava Bhatta designates it ÌNH to the Act VI. We desire to leave the question to the readers to decide it conclusively. There is another diversity. The speeches of Priyamvada and Anasuya in the beginning of the Act IV are named ¶ in Abhirama's text; but it should be विष्कम्भ or विष्कम्भक as in other texts. For Shakuntala's two constant companions Priyambada and Anasuya cannot be taken as नौचपावs.

In conclusion, as regards the commentary, we have not the least hesitation in saying that it deserves to be strongly recommended to the readers.

VIDHUSHEKHARA BHATTACHARYA,

Abhijnana-Shikuntala with a new and exhaustive commentary by H. H. Rama Varma, Prince of Cochin and K. Rama Pisharoy, Senior Sanskrit Pandit, College, College, Ernakulam, Ernakulam, Mangalodayam Co., Ltd. Trichur, Price 1-8.

There are several important works in Sanskrit which owe there exsitence to different Indian Kings. But those lucky days are now gone. And

therefore, it is extremely gratifying to see in the present age that one of the two authors of the new Sanskrit commentary written masterly is an Indian Prince. The edition of the text under review has been prepared following mostly the readings adopted by Abhirama, and we have, therefore, nothing to say about them more than what has been remarked of Prof. Varma's edition. We should, however, add that owing to the carelessness or indifferance to Prakrita the readings in this portion have become more unreliable than those in the edition of Prof. Varma.

The commentary is also based principally on that by Abhirama, and some other commentar es which are not extant only in the Kerala country and still unprinted as well as those which are already in print have also been made use of in writing it.

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That the commentary is an exhaustive one is true to the letter. It attempted to interpret almost all the words of the text and to give their suggestive senses (IIT) of various kind. It quotes parallel passages from different works and supports its own view by abundant quotations Besides, it sets forth the रस, भाव, धनि, and अलङ्कार etc., of almost every line of the text. The commentary reflects great erudition of its authors in the science of Rhetoric. Diversities of opinion in discussing the figures of speech etc., are in some cases unavoidable; but sometimes the authors seem to know no bounds in giving the suggestive sense of a word. For instance, “इहेत्यनेन लतावलयस्य gunaqa' al@à" (p. 226); but how it is so we cannot apprehend. We are also unable to understand whom the commentators refer to by saying “तस्य दमित्यर्थं केर प्रत्वयमित्याहु:" (p. 305 ). How, then, will they account for or in the passages like "" (Act VI. p. 363), "" (Act VII. p. 438)? The word will nowhere be found in pure Sanskrit which is used in Prakrita.

In spite of all these defects, we strongly recommend the commentary to the advanced students in our Sanskrita Pathashalas.

BIDHUSHEKHARA BHATTACHARYA.

GUJARATI.

Swami Ramtirtha, Sermons, Part VII, translated by Chandulal Chhotalal Shah, and published by the Society for the encouragement of Cheap Literature, Printed at the Diamond Jubilee Printing Press, Ahmedabad, Cloth bound pp. 233. Price Rs. 0-8-0 (1914).

This part comprises about ten sermons of the Swami and is in keeping with the previous volumes in the excellence of the translation.

Kasik Vartao, by Ram Mohan Rai Jaswantrai, Prin at the Satya Prakash Printing Press, Ahmedabad, Pa cover, pp. 143. Price Rs. 0-8-0 (1914).

These are short stories, translated from English and published at different times in various magazines They are now collected in a book form and presented as a gift to the subscribers of the Sundari Subodh The stories claim to be "a complete collection of the pictures of social experience." They are certainly readable, though a bit flabby and limp.

Lohana Jnatini Utapatti ane teno Itihas, by Thakor Uddhavji Tulsidas Tanna, printed at the Manhar Printin Press, Ahmedabad, cloth bound, pp. 282. Price Re. 1-8-0. (1914).

The Lohanas form a very important part of the population of the Bombay Presidency. In fact Cutch, Kuthia wad and Sind, are the busiest centres of the activity of this community. In Northern India, they are spread far and wide, and in Central Asia and Afghanistan, one finds their colonies. They claim to be descended from the old Aryan Kshatriya stock, and their descent from that stock is historically traced in this work. We have found it very interesting, and the writer has studied every available work to support his thesis. We hope every Gujarati speaking Lohana would take the trouble of perusing this work and thus learn what a splendid past he possesses.

Vividh Sukhabhas, Prathamabhas, by the late Vaidya Shastri, Ratnasinh Govindji Dharaden, Printed at the Sub dhini Press, Bazargate, Fort, Bombay, cloth bound, with phot of the author and Mr. Devji Trikamdas Thakkar, B. d. LL. B.. pp. 368. Price Rs. 2-8-0 (1914).

In the forefront of this book, one finds a more thas detailed biography of Mr. Devji Trikamdas Thakkar. B. A., LL. B., a Vakil practising in the local Small Cause Court, to whom the deceased author feels deeply grateful for assistance given in the printing and publication of his work. It makes out Mr. Devji to have attained to his present position out of sheer persistence and industry, it also makes him out to be a very great benefactor of his caste; all this and much more in a like strain must prove very flattering to him as perhaps it would lead his friends to see him presented as a completely transformed entity. The ob ject of the book-which is an incomplete story-is to set out the evils of following impulses due to Rajas and Tamas and the good of following those generated by Satwa. The narrative has nothing original about it, but the earnestness of the writer is sure to appeal to the reader.

Sparshasparsha, by Shambhuprasad Shivprasad Mehta, B. A., Printed at the Bombay Samachar Printing Press, Bombay. Cloth bound, pp. 143. Price Re. 1 (1914).

Mr. S. S. Mehta contributed a series of articles to the local daily, on this subject. They are now collected and published under the above title. His object is to convince his readers that the policy of keeping the depressed and untouchable classes at a distance is suicidal, and that Hindu society must rouse itself and stop the evil. He draws his arguments from many sources, the Hindu Shastras included. The work must set one thinking, that is the least one can say.

K. M. J.

Partition of Mymensingh.

The proposal to divide the district of Mymensingh into two or three districts is not of such urgency that its carrying out could not have been put off till after the conclusion of the war. The announcement that that district will be divided into three parts, made now, has made it difficult for the aggrieved population to make themselves heard; for any agitation at this juncture is inexpedient, and even if undertaken, it would not receive any attention from any quarter. So the announcement has been ill-timed for the people, though it may have been well-timed for the bureaucracy. Nevertheless let us try calmly and briefly to say what we have to say.

When the proposal first came before the public Lord Carmichael promised promised that he would listen patiently to the objections of the people. That clearly meant that Government would make known the reason or reasons for the partition, and the people would have an opportunity to discuss the same. This promise Lord Carmichael faithfully kept. But now when the decision to partition the district is announced, we find that none of the old reasons are assigned, but an entirely new one is brought forward,-viz., that it is necessary to partition the big district of Mymensingh in order to make local selfgovernment successful. Plainly then Government has shifted its ground. So, Lord Carmichael's promise requires that he should declare that the decision is not yet final and that he would take into consideration what people may have to urge against the fresh reason that has been sprung upon them by his advisers.

Let us examine the reason a little. If local self-government cannot prosper in big districts, then it certainly fares better in smaller ones. But there is not an iota of proof to show that it is in a more vigorous or advanced condition in small districts like Birbhum, Bogra or Bankura than in big districts like Mymensingh, Backergunj and Tippera. We do not remember to have read in any past

administration reports remarks to that effect. It there be such, we hope they will be quoted.

The magistate of the district is the head of the police and head of many other departments, too. He does not and is not expected to look into the detailed working of any department. Officers, like the District Superintendent of Police, in charge of departments, do that sort of work. The magistrate exercises general supervision. This is practicable both in small and big districts. Since the days of Warren Hastings, the first GovernorGeneral, the British Indian Empire has increased very largely both in extent and population. But for that reason, it has not been decided that it is too large a charge for one Governor-General, and that, therefore, the Empire requires to be cut into two or three under the charge of as many Governors-General.

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To speak in round numbers, the population of Mymensingh district is the same as that of London County. The local government of the latter is carried on by the London County Council. This shows that the carrying on of the local government of Mymensingh district by the district board is not an impossibility. No doubt the area of Mymensingh is much larger than that of London Country. But the remedy lies in increasing the means of communication.

The official explication of the reason is that local government cannot succeed in India unless there is close supervision exercised over it by the district officer, and this close supervision is impossible unless the district be small. In reply we have already said that this work of supervision may be done by one or more executive officers subordinate to the magistrate.

But we think the official idea of local sel-government is fundamentally wrong. It cannot be self-government unless people are given very much greater liberty to manage their own affairs than they now possess. They must be to a great extent free to make mistakes, to go wrong and even to