There is a tradition in Indian scholarship that when a scholar has been identified as one who has fulfilled a life of eminent contribution to the world of learning, he or she is honored with a book of papers by other scholars of the day. This may mark the centenary of that person, or be a commemorative volume after his or her passing, or as is sometimes done, the volume is presented to the honoree at some auspicious point in life. This last was done for Bimala Churn Law.
In 1945–46 The Indian Research Institute presented Dr. Bimala Churn Law with a two-volume set of papers: B.C. Law Volume part 1 & B.C. Law Volume part 2.
The wonderful introduction to Part 1 by Radha Kumud Mookerji serves as the base of this website’s article on Dr Law. In it Mookerji says of Law’s literary achievements:
‘The above record is to be considered not as a mere personal record of Dr. Law’s intellectual work and achievements. It has an important public aspect, showing to what extent Indian history in general, and Buddhism in particular, are indebted to the strenuous and sustained labours and researches of one man, and of one who has consecrated himself to a career of painstaking scholarship and has been ‘living laborious days’ in a rare spirit of self-denial and asceticism, eschewing a life of leisure and ease appointed for him by his affluence. Very few scholars of his social position and standing have to their credit such a dedicated life or have lived to see its rich fruition in the publication of such a remarkable series of original studies marked by a uniform standard of erudition and scientific method, and also including among these, editions of valuable Buddhist Texts and their translations.’ (p xx)
Though born to immense wealth and honors, BC Law lived frugally, practicing great philanthropy and humility. See Frontpages to BC Law Volume, 1945. It may by be interesting to note that one Indian Rupee in 1945 would buy about the same as $5 US today.
A few of the pdfs linked to below are not of the best quality, but it’s the best we can find at the moment. Most were found in the Internet Archive collection.
For a PDF of this page click here: BC Law pages from DiscoveringBuddha.org
Literary Contributions of BC Law
We may now turn to the work and achievements of Dr. Law in the field of scholarship. The quantity and quality of his literary output are unique in the annals of letters. As has been already stated, he is today the author of more than 40 learned works dealing with different aspects of Buddhism, Jainism, Ancient Indian History, Geography, and Archaeology. All these works, by the thoroughness and standard of their scholarship, mark him out as an lndologist of the first rank. The range and depth of his scholarship will be evident from his numerous publications.
This list originally appeared in BC Law Volume Part I, published in 1945. Since then, there have been other newer works by Dr Law. These have been added to the list with their year of publication added. Works in languages other than English, mainly Bengali, have been listed separately. Those titles marked with a ‘–’ were not available.
His noteworthy contributions to Ancient Indian History consist of the following works :
- Kṣatriya Clans in Buddhist India 1922
- Some Kṣatriya Tribes of Ancient India 1924
- Ancient Mid-Indian Kṣatriya Tribes Vol I 1924
- Ancient Indian Tribes 1926
– 5. Ancient Indian Tribes II
- Tribes in Ancient India in Bhandarkar Oriental Series 1943
- India as Described in Early Texts of Buddhism and Jainism 1941
- The Magadhas in Ancient India (RAS Pub.) 1946
- Ancient India (6th Century BC) 1948
- Early Indian Culture 1948
- Historical Geography of Ancient India 1954
In his several Volumes on Tribes, he presents a comprehensive and systematic account of more than 150 tribes belonging to different parts of India and playing an important part in the early history of India. In these works, he has drawn upon all the available sources, Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain. He has utilised original works in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Tibetan and Chinese, and also epigraphic and numismatic sources, archaeological finds and the itineraries of the pilgrims. A careful and exhaustive study of ancient Indian tribes written in a spirit of scientific research and without any parti pris has been presented for the first time in these books on tribes. One may rightly say with Dr. Sten Konow that ‘the more we had books of the same kind, not only about tribes and clans but also about geographical designations, the better it would be for the world of scholarship.’ ‘He has splendidly enlarged and supplemented the materials which were shortly dealt with by Rhys Davids,’ as remarked by Dr. Geiger. ‘It must be admitted that the future historian of India will find his task substantially furthered both by the wide knowledge and sound judgment of the author.’
His treatise entitled India as Described in Early Texts of Buddhism and Jainism is a well-written book dealing with the geographical position of India, its kings and peoples, social life and economic conditions, religion, education and learning, based on the early texts of the Buddhists and Jains written in Pali and Ardhamāgadhī, together with relevant Brahmanical texts throwing light on obscure points. The treatment is entirely novel and the results achieved are excellent. In the opinion of Dr. Keith, ‘No author has done as much as Dr. Law has to make living the picture of ancient India and we are deeply indebted to his learning and skill in exposition. This well-arranged and useful book represents the intensive phase which Indian historical studies are now entering as a result of the labours of Indian scholars. A vast array of facts effectively marshalled presents to us kings and courtiers, saints and knaves, calculating money-lenders with their promissory notes and records of wealth on gold and copper plates, resourceful merchants and skilled craftsmen. This conscientious and painstaking work goes to elucidate the progress of the country in the different fields of culture.’
The following are the more notable contributions made by Dr. Law to Ancient Indian Archaeology and Geography :
- Srāvastī in Indian Literature (ASI Memoir No. 50 ) 1935
- Rājagriha in Ancient Literature (ASI Memoir No. 58 ) 1938
- Kauśāmbī in Ancient Literature (ASI Memoir No. 60) 1939
- Pañchālas and Their Capital Ahichchhatra (ASI Memoir No. 68) 1942
– 5. Ujjayinī in Ancient India (Arch Dept, Gwalior) 1944
– 8. Holy Places of India Calcutta Geographical Society Bulletin 3 1940
– 9. Rivers of India Calcutta Geographical Society Bulletin 6 1944
– 10. Mountains of India Calcutta Geographical Society Bulletin 5 1944
- Indological Studies part 3–Ancient Geography 1954
- Avanti in Ancient India BC Law in Vikrama Volume 1948
An attempt has been made in the first five monographs to present a graphic picture of the ancient sites of Śrāvastī, Rājagriha, Kauśāmbī, Ahichchhatra and Ujjayinī from ancient Indian literature, coins, inscriptions as well as from the itineraries of the Chinese pilgrims. These exhaustive and systematic Memoirs will immortalize his name. Indological Studies part 3–Ancient Geography is an anthology of many of Law’s smaller monographs.
His treatise on the ancient city of Ujjayinī gives for the first time a full and systematic account of its history based on all available original sources supplemented by the evidence of coins and inscriptions and the information supplied by the Chinese travellers. This monograph shows what an important place an intensive study of local history and specialized work in a limited field can have in building up the general history of India in all its aspects, political, economic or cultural. There is no wonder that lndologists of the eminence of F. W. Thomas, Barnett, Winternitz, Keith, Johnston, Stein, Geiger, or Oldham, should have spoken so highly of these works. In the opinion of Winternitz, ‘This work adds one more to the long list of highly useful publications which we already owe to him and adds also to our knowledge of the history of ancient India. This excellent piece of work, full of information and completely free from unjustifiable speculation, has received admiration on all hands.’
His excellent Memoir on Rājagriha is an admirable piece of scholarly workmanship. By collecting every detail about this ancient city, he has contributed a new chapter to the work which he has undertaken.
His Geography of Early Buddhism 1932 is undoubtedly an example of his erudition and sound exposition. In the well-considered opinion of the German Orientalist, Otto Schrader, ‘This is indeed the kind of work which is often missed when reading through the Piṭakas and which every Indologist will welcome as a great boon.’ He admires the pains which the author has taken in collecting every available material on the subject. He expresses his opinion that this book will become ‘an indispensable work of reference for all of them.’ The great Russian scholar, Theodore Stcherbatsky, remarks that this book ‘… answers a long-felt need and will be highly appreciated by all students of Buddhist India.’
His Geographical Essays is ‘a really valuable digest of information’, as Dr. Barnett remarks. Dr. Keith says that ‘… it is a most valuable collection rich in accurately stated and carefully collected facts and lays all students once more under a deep debt of gratitude.’
These two works offer us a systematic exposition of geographical and topographical information based on critical study and research, following the lines of investigation started by Sir William Jones, Sir Alexander Cunningham, Buchanan Hamilton, and Mackenzie.
His Holy Places of India, Mountains of India and Rivers of India are the publications of the Calcutta Geographical Society. They are historico-geographical sketches of subjects presented for the first time. The holy places of India connected with the three religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, have been arranged regionally and illustrated with maps and sketches. The first named work places the educated India of to-day under a deep debt of gratitude by describing the holy places of India in a very picturesque manner, combining the historian’s desire for detail with a scrupulous attention to the tourist’s or pilgrim’s need of topographical information. The result of this happy combination makes these works indispensable guides to these places of pilgrimage. By his first-hand study of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit literature, he is eminently qualified to write this book and his geographical training has added to the utility of the text by enriching it with three maps showing eastern India, north and north-western India and southern India respectively.
His monograph on the Rivers of India presents a systematic account of the rivers of India, dividing them into the Sindhu, Desert-River. Ganga-Yamuna, Bhagīrathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra-Meghnā, coastal rivers, Godāvarī, Krishṇā, Kāveri, Penner and Narmadā-Tāptī systems.
His Mountains of India presents likewise a systematic account of the mountains of northern, western, eastern, central and southern India based on the materials available from Indian literature, the accounts of the Greek geographers and the itineraries of Chinese pilgrims.
Dr. Law is a life-long student of Jainism with an intimate acquaintance with its literature and historical traditions. His publications in this important branch of Indology are not so numerous as in other branches. But his book entitled Mahāvīra: His Life and Teachings 1937, gives us an objective account of what may be learnt from the Jaina and Buddhist texts regarding the historical founder of Jainism. It is characterized by the same accuracy, the same careful choice of facts, the same objectivity and sobriety of judgment which form the marked features of all his writings. It will be difficult to find out a book which gives a clearer and more systematic description of the life and teachings of the Great Jain leader. It is no exaggeration to say that this very suggestive account has been written in a spirit of impartiality and freedom from the narrow prejudice that so often vitiate the writings of sectarian authors. In the opinion of Geiger, ‘It is an excellent comparative study of Mahāvīra and Buddha, which sheds a flood of light on several points at issue.’ We welcome the publication of this kind which contains valuable details some of which deserve careful consideration, as has been rightly pointed out by the well-known German Indologist, Glasenapp.
Dr. Law has unrivalled knowledge of Buddhist literature, religion and philosophy. All his works on Buddhism and Buddhist thought are very important, as they help much to elucidate many difficult and knotty points. A brief account of these may here be given.
A History of Pali Literature 1933 (two volumes in one): It is a comprehensive work of Pali literature. It is a clear and exhaustive exposition of all the important problems of the subject and is marked by the sober and impartial judgment of the author. It contains a very learned and important discussion of the relative chronology of the canonical texts, which means, according to Geiger, ‘… a considerable progress beyond what Rhys Davids has said on the subject.’ In the opinion of Winternitz, ‘This is the most comprehensive treatment of Pali literature that has so far been published. The well-known French savant Finot so much liked the book that he was frank enough to say : ‘It seems to me extremely well-devised to provide tillers in the Buddha-kṣetra with an invaluable stock of information and references. The author has worked hard for this result and undoubtedly he will reap in return much puṇya with the gratitude of the whole paṇḍitajana.’
The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa 1923: This book is the first systematic treatment of Buddhaghosa as a man and as a Pali commentator. The late lamented Mrs. Rhys Davids in her Foreword to this book, says: ‘The book is all the more needed now as a very useful compendium of what we yet know of Buddhaghosa both from his own works and from other documents. It is a well-executed piece of work in which the author has collected all the historical and semi-historical materials bearing on the life and labour of the great Master of the Law and sifted them with considerable ability, supplementing these by chapters on the origin and development of the standard commentaries on the Buddhist scriptures (a very interesting expose), on Buddhaghosa’s successors, and on his writings.’ Geiger and Carpenter have expressed their admiration of this book. The former considers it to be ‘an excellent monograph’ on the celebrated commentator of the holy Buddhist scriptures and the latter takes it to be a very important book on the subject. He also thinks that the chapters on the origin of the commentaries and the interpretation of Buddhism by Buddhaghosa ‘may bring many valuable sidelights on the history of Buddhism and its consolidation as a system of thought in the Theravāda.’
Historical Gleanings 1922: This is an interesting and well-written collection of essays on historical topics. In the opinion of Dr. E. J. Thomas, ‘The book gives much more information of Buddhist notions than can be gained from the usual books.’
Heaven and Hell in Buddhist Perspective 1925: This is a comprehensive treatment of the eschatology of popular Buddhism. Geiger, Carpenter, Pargiter and Rapson have greatly appreciated this work and one of them goes so far as to say that ‘It is full of rich illustrations of the working of the principles of Karma in producing merit and guilt. A comparison of these with similar conceptions in Brahmanism would show how much folklore was common to the two groups of teaching.’ Lord Zetland who has contributed a Foreword to this book introduces it saying: ‘If the reader after perusal of the volume has not acquired a comprehensive knowledge of the eschatology of popular Buddhism, he will have no one but himself to blame, for Dr. Law has admirably accomplished the task which he set out to perform.’
The Buddhist Conception of Spirits 1923: This book acquaints the reader as far as possible with what the ancient Buddhists thought about the spirits and spirit world. A study of the preta belief among the southern Buddhists is bound to be attractive. Geiger says: ‘this book has preserved no doubt the popular beliefs spread all over India. It shows us that Buddhism did not annihilate the older creeds and ideas but the teacher adopted them and inserted them into his own system.’ Hopkins points out that it fulfils its purpose admirably in giving a very clear notion of what the Buddhists understood by the spirits departed and others.
Women in Buddhist Literature 1927: It contains a clear and comprehensive account of women in early Buddhism. It deals with marriage and marital relations, position of slave girls, the place of dancing girls and courtesans in society, female education, female character, influence of Buddha’s doctrine on women, the origin and constitution of the order of nuns, and prominent Buddhist women. This subject has been ably tackled for the first time by Dr. Law before I. B. Horner and others.
Concepts of Buddhism 1936: This is a publication of the Kern Institute, Holland. It is a scholarly analysis of some of the important concepts of Buddhism based upon a careful study of original texts. It deals with eleven Buddhist concepts. Dr. F. W. Thomas considers it to be ‘an excellent work, one of the best of the author’s writings.’ ‘The precision and exactness of its statements and the aptness of its citations render it eminently suitable for forming and conveying to students a correct idea of the main features of Buddhist doctrine.’ Dr. Keith remarks that ‘the author has aimed at presenting us with a large mass of material carefully chosen, accurately interpreted and skilfully co-ordinated, bearing on the essential ideas of Buddhism as it is presented to us especially in the Pali texts. Dr. Law’s work is of permanent value.’
A Manual of Buddhist Historical Traditions (Saddhamma Saṅgaha) 1941: This book which is a publication of the University of Calcutta is the first English rendering of an important text of Theravada Buddhism. The Saddhamma-Saṅgaha is said to have been compiled by Thera Dhammakitti of Ceylon at a great monastery called Laṅkārāma built by the great king Paramarāga. It comprises 11 chapters; and its introduction contains a very good summary of the contents, chapter by chapter. The historical value of this work is enhanced by the inclusion of the account of two Buddhist Councils held in Ceylon during the reigns of Devānaṃpiyatissa and Vaṭṭagāmanī. There is a very important and interesting account in this book as to how the four great Nikāyas were entrusted to various Theras at the First Council. The story of the Buddha’s prediction about the establishment of the sāsana in Ceylon has been developed a step further in this book than elsewhere. We get a very interesting account of the three original commentaries on the Tripiṭaka. The translation is very satisfactory and Dr. Law has indeed rendered a great service to the students of Buddhism and Buddhist history by preparing this valuable translation written in a scholarly style. The book is indeed a valuable asset to the library of Buddhist literature.
Designation of Human Types 1924, is a publication of the Pali Text Society. It is the first English rendering of the fourth book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka called Puggalapaññatti. According to Geiger, ‘The translation is very well made and remarkably correct.’
The Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon, Part 3 — Buddhavaṃsa and Cariyāpiṭaka, included in the Sacred Books of the Buddhist Series contains an English version of the Buddhavaṃsa and Cariyāpiṭaka by Dr. Law whose love for Indology and scholarship in Buddhist literature needs little or no mention to students of Buddhism. Not available, but The Cariyapitaka with English Intro & Devanagari text 1924 is included here. We apologize for the poor quality of the scan.
As an editor of Pali texts, too, Dr. Law stands pre-eminent. Besides being an editor of the journal Indian Culture, he has edited the following books:
Thūpavaṃsa 1935, edited for the first time by him for the Pali Text Society.
R. Bhandarkar Volume 1940. This book has been well received by Indian and European scholars all over the world. It is undoubtedly a very valuable contribution to ancient Indian history.
Buddhistic Studies (First Half & Second Half) 1931. Buddhistic Studies is a collection of essays written by scholars of repute on Buddhism and Buddhist thought. Dr. Keith points out that the editor has succeeded in securing ‘many and varied communications which together form a very important addition to our knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and religion, history and philology.’ In the opinion of Dr. Barnett, ‘the publication of this fine spiritual puṣpāñjali is a puṇya of a high order and Dr. Law has laid the world of scholarship under a deep debt of gratitude to him.’ Buddhistic Studies (1931) included four Articles by BC Law.
Gautama Buddha and the Paribrajakas
The Buddhist Conception of Mara
A Study of the Mahāvastu 1930 and Supplement (not available): The Mahāvastu which is an encyclopaedia of Buddhist legends and doctrines is one of the important Buddhist books. Dr. Law has given a bird’s-eye view of this text. He has ‘succeeded in reducing its confused mass to a comprehensive shape,’ as Dr. Hopkins points out. Dr. Barnett considers it to be ‘a very helpful book which may serve as a guide to the student through the wilderness of the original text.’ Rapson congratulates him on ‘his patience in analysing this encyclopaedia of Buddhist lore and his skill in making such an interesting selection from its contents.’ The celebrated German Indologist Hermann Jacobi remarks that ‘all students of Buddhism will be glad to use this guide to the bewildering contents of that important text.’
Dr. Law has published in Devanāgarī characters with an English translation, the texts of the Dāṭhāvaṃsa 1925 (the history of the tooth-relic) and the Cariyāpiṭaka (the collection of ways of conduct) with their English translations. (see above)
He has also enriched Bengali literature by his well-known publications entitled Gautama Buddha, Licchavi Jāṭi, Preta Tattva, Bauddharamaṇī, Bauddhayuger Bhūgola, Jainaguru Mahāvīra, Bhārater Puñyotīrtha, and Saundarananda Kāvya. He has translated Aśvaghoṣa’s Saundarananda Kāvya into Bengali language long before the appearance of Johnston’s English translation, which acknowledges the help derived from Dr. Law’s Bengali rendering of the work.
The Law of Gift in British India (First Edition 1924 and second Edition 1926) : This book collects in one place all that is to be said on the subject of gifts, a subject upon which the theocratic principles of Hindu Law do not always coincide with the secular view of Roman and English Jurisprudence, and what is its modern equivalent in this country, the rules of justice, equity and good conscience. It is a complete and comprehensive treatise on a subject which is often before the Courts. It is an intelligent attempt to co-ordinate the texts and case-notes into a coherent commentary which is bound to be of use to legal practitioners. A critical study of the ancient texts and of the improvements made by judicial decisions on the law laid down in the texts are not the least interesting features of the work. The book discloses great originality and research and is bound to provoke thought on the theories put forward by the author who has fully dealt with the entire case-law up-to-date. A jurist of repute like Sir George Rankin remarks that ‘the exposition of the principles of the Law of Gift is clear and his discussion of the caselaw is well-arranged and accurate.’ We are sorry, but this book cannot be found in digital form.
Full books by BC Law since 1945 include the following:
Aśvaghosa 1945
Debates Commentary 1969
On the Chronicles of Ceylon 1947
Sasanavamsa – The History of the Buddha’s Religion SBB 17 1952
Some Jaina Canonical Sutras 1949
It may be noted that many of Dr. Law’s works have found their publishers in several learned Societies such as the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the Pali Text Society of England, the Kern Institute of Holland, the Archaeological Department of the Government of India, the University of Calcutta, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, the Calcutta Geographical Society, the Archaeological Department of the Gwalior State, and the Indian Research Institute, Calcutta.
The above record is to be considered not as a mere personal record of Dr. Law’s intellectual work and achievements. It has an important public aspect, showing to what extent Indian history in general, and Buddhism in particular, are indebted to the strenuous and sustained labours and researches of one man, and of one who has consecrated himself to a career of painstaking scholarship and has been ‘living laborious days’ in a rare spirit of self-denial and asceticism, eschewing a life of leisure and ease appointed for him by his affluence. Very few scholars of his social position and standing have to their credit such a dedicated life or have lived to see its rich fruition and fruitage in the publication of such a remarkable series of original studies marked by a uniform standard of erudition and scientific method, and also including among these, editions of valuable Buddhist Texts and their translations.
In this connection a reference may also be made to what is not so much known outside the inner circle of his friends. It is the help that he has been always rendering to his poor fellow-workers in the field of Research by way of granting them subventions in aid of their publications. He has been also rendering that help in another form by undertaking financial responsibility for conducting renowned Research Journal known as the ‘Indian Culture’ on behalf of the Indian Research Institute of Calcutta. Tribute is due to Dr. Law for his efficient editorship of this important Journal.
He is one of the editors of the Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology published by the Kern Institute, Holland. He acted for sometime as the editor of Bengal, Past and Present, which is the organ of the Calcutta Historical Society.
Besides books, Dr. Law has to his credit numerous papers contributed by him on the basis of laborious and much original research to different learned Journals and also to Conferences. The total output of his activities in this field may be understood from the list given below:
Contributions to Commemoration and Presentation Volumes
Pathak Commemoration Volume (1934) :
Social, Economical and Religious Conditions of Ancient India, according to the Buddhist Texts.
Dr. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar Commemoration Volume (1936) :
South India as a centre of Pali Buddhism.
Woolner Commemoration Volume (1940):
Drugs and Diseases known to the Early Buddhists.
Studia Indo-Iranica (Ehrengabe Für Wilhelm Geiger) (1931) :
– ‘Cetiya’ in Buddhist Literature.
Dr. Bhagwanlal lndraji Commemoration Volume (1939) :
(Journal of the Gujarat Research Society, Vol. I, No. 4, October, 1939).
-Dependent Origination.
A Volume of Studies in Indology presented to Prof. P. V. Kane (1941) :
]aināchārya Shrī Ātmānand Centenary Commemoration Volume (1936) :
Prof. K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar Commemoration Volume (1940) :
The Cultural Heritage of India (Sri Ramakrishna Centenary Memorial, 1936) :
Eschatological Aspect of Nirvāna.
The Cultural History of India (was updated to a 7-volume set in 1958.)
R. Bhandarkar Volume (1940) :
Contemporaneity of the Kings of India and Ceylon.
Radha Kumud Mookerji Presentation Volume (Bhārata-Kaumudī):
Contributions to Conferences
Indian History Congress (3rd Session, Calcutta, 1939) :
Contemporaneity of the kings of India and Ceylon.
Third Oriental Conference, Madras (1924) :
The Buddhist Conception of Māra.
Fourth Oriental Conference, Allahabad (1926) :
Female character as depicted in the Pali Texts.
Oriental Conference at Benares (1943) :
-Ayodhyā in Ancient India.
Presidential Address delivered at the Vaiśākhī Pūrṇimā Anniversary Day convened by the Mahabodhi Society in 1944 :
-Śākyasiṃha. (Mahabodhi journal, May-June 1944).
Lecture delivered at the Discussion Meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal on the 3rd August, 1944 – Published in ABORI 1945:
Ancient Historic Sites of Bengal, Illustrated by lantern slides (not found).
Contributions to Learned Journals
JRASGBI:
(1) Formulation of Pratītyasamutpada (April, 1937).
(2) Some Observations on the Jātakas (April, 1939).
(3) Acknowledgement of Gift from BC Law JRAS GBI 1947
JRASBgl:
(1) A Note on Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries (1919).
(2) Influence of the five heretical teachers on Jainism and Buddhism (1919).
(3) A Short Account of Wandering Teachers at The Time of The Buddha (1919).
(4) Taxila as a Seat of Learning in Pali Literature (1916).
(5) The Licchavis in Ancient India (1921).
(6) Data from the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, Buddhaghosa’s Commentary on the Dīgha
Nikāya of the Sutta Piṭaka (1925).
(7) Anga and Campā in Pali Literature (1925).
– (8) Gautama Buddha and the Paribrājakas (1925). See Buddhistic Studies
(9) The Aśmakas or Assakas in Ancient India (1924).
(10) Early Buddhist Brothers and Sisters BC Law JRASBgl (1945)
(11) Principles of Jainism BC Law JRASBgl (1947)
(12) Mathura In Ancient India BC Law JRASBgl (1947)
Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute:
(1) Pali Chronicles (1932).
(2) Geographical Data from Sanskrit Buddhist Literature (1934).
(3) Countries and Peoples of India–Epic and Pauranic Part 1 & Part 2 (1936).
(4) Some Ancient Indian Tribes (1941).
(5) Non-Canonical Pali Literature (1931).
(6) Nirvāṇa and Buddhist Laymen (1933).
(7) Magadha and Rājagriha in Pali Literature (1932).
(8) Chronology of Pali Canon (1931).
(9) Ancient Indian Tribes (1940).
(10) Mind in the Dhammapada (1939).
(11) Aśvaghosa’s Philosophy (1947).
Epigraphia Indica :
(1) A Pali Counterpart of Nālanda Text of Pratītyasamutpadavibhaṅga (1936).
(2) Bhikkhuṇīs in Indian Inscriptions (1938). (Sorry, poor quality scan.)
JBBRAS:
(1) Studies in the Apadāna (1937).
(2) Buddha’s First Discourse 1939).
(3) The Aṅgas in Ancient India (1944).
Indian Culture :
(1) Some Ancient Indian Tribes – Kiratas (1935).
(2) Kośala (1935).
(3) The Vaṅgas (1937).
(4) Some Notes on Tribes of Ancient India – Salvas (1934).
(5) Buddhist Pāramitiā (1934).
(6) Did Aśoka become a Bhikkhu? (1934).
(7) Importance of the Bhābrū Edict (1934 ).
(8) The Damiḷas (1937).
(9) Aspects of Nirvāṇa (1936).
(10) Aśvaghoṣa the Poet (1936).
(11) Aśvaghoṣa the Philosopher (1936).
(12) Ancient Indian Tribes (1937).
(13) Distinguished Men and Women in Jainism (1936).
(14) Telakaṭāhagātha (verses on oil-pot) (1938).
(15) Some Ancient Indian Tribes – Kuntalas (1940)
(16) Ancient Indian Geography (1943)
(17) Ancient Indian Flora (1948)
– Journal of Indian History :
(1) The Puṇḍras of Ancient Bengal (Vol. XII ).
(2) Buddha’s Life in Art (Vol. XVIII).
(3) The Ambaṣṭhas (Vol. XIII ).
(4) The Kāśīs in Ancient India (Vol. IV).
(5) Some Tribes of Ancient India (Vol. XX. Pt. I).
(6) The Utkalas and Uḍras in Ancient India (Vol. XIX, Pt. 3).
– Journal of the U. P. Historical Society :
(1) The Mālavas in Ancient India (Vol. VII, Pt. 2 ).
(2) Sacred Places of the Jains.
(3) Sacred Places of the Vaiṣṇavas (Vol. X, No. 1).
Journal of the Department of Letters, Calcutta University :
Buddhist Conception of Dharma (Vol. XXVIII, 1935).
Journal of the Bihar & Orissa Research Society :
Buddhaghosa’s Visits to Ceylon and Burma and his reminiscences of the Island of Laṅkā (Vol. VIII. 1922 ) .
– Jaina Antiquary :
(1) The Kalpasūtra (Vol. II, No. 4).
(2) Vaiśālī and Mahāvīra.
Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society :
– (1) The Yaudheyas in Ancient India (Vol. XXV).
(2) Geographical References in the Ceylonese Chronicles (Vol. XXII).
(3) Pali Tracts in Inscriptions (Vol. XXII, N. S., No. 4. p. 399).
(4) Mathura: An Ancient Indian City (Vol. XXXII, No. l, July, 1941, p. 1).
– (5) A short account of the Damilas (Vol. XXVII, p. 26).
Indian Antiquary :
Buddhist Women (1928, March-May).
New Indian Antiquary :
(1) Flying Mechanism in Ancient India (Vol. II, No. 1. April, 1939, p. 62).
(2) Ārjunāyanas: Prārjunas (Vol. I, No. 7, October 1938).
(3) A Note on Some Ancient Indian Tribes (Vol. I, No. 9, Dec., 1938, 598–99).
(4) Expansion of Buddhism in India and Abroad (Vol. II, 1939-40, p. 695 & Vol. III, 1940–41, p. 17).
– Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology (published by the Kern Institute).
Publications relating to Ancient Indian Geography (Vol. X, p. 12) .
Buddha Prabhā (Journal of the Buddha Society, Bombay) :
(1) Jivaka Komārabhacca (Vol. VI).
– (2) Buddha and Contemporary Teachers (Vol. VII.).
(3) The Life of the Buddha Ch 3 (vol V.)
– Buddhism in England :
Caste in Early Buddhism (Vol. VIII, 1933, p. 15).
– Science and Culture :
Sir Alexander Cunningham (Vol. V, p. 410).
– The Buddhist :
(1) Gautama Buddha (June, 1936).
(2) Buddhist Cave Temples in India (May, 1937).
(3) Nālandā (May & June 1934).
Journal of the Ganganath Jha Research Institute :
- Ayodhyā in Ancient India (1944). (Also in Indian Culture vol 11).
- Some Ancient Sites in Bengal (1945)
- A Note on the Jaina Praśna-Vyākarana Sutra (1948)
- Slavery as Known to Early Buddhists (1948)
- Geographical Data in Indian Inscriptions (1950)
- Videśā In Ancient India (1951)
- Three Gems in Jainism (1956)
- Studies in Ind Hist & Geo Based on Early Greek Accounts (1959)
- India as Known to the Early Greeks (1960)
- Studies in Aṅguttara Nikāya of Suttapiṭaka (1965)
– The Indian Geographical Journal, Madras :
Ancient Indian Geography (Jan.–March 1944, Vol. XIX, No. 1).
– Prācyāvāṇī—the Journal of the Prācyavāṇī Mandira, April 1944, Vol. I, No.2:
Mahāvīra and his Doctrine.
Amrita Bazar Patrika Pujah Number :
– (1) Caste System in Buddhist India (1933) .
– (2) Tribal Organisations in Ancient India (1943).
– (3) Indian Rivers (1944).
(4) Disposal of Dead Bodies in India and Abroad (1950).
(5) Sheriffs in Western Countries (1953).
(6) Early Indian Kingship BC Law (1954).
(7) Some past Luminaries of West Bengal (1955).
(8) Varddhamana Mahavira and His Religion (1956).
– Hindusthan Standard :
Mountains and Hills in India (Pujah Number, 1944).
– Calcutta Geographical Review :
(1) Holy Places in South India (September, 1940).
(2) Geography in National Life (Vol. Ill, No. 3, September, 1941).
Mahabodhi :
(1) Magadha of the Orient (Vol. XLIII).
– (2) Sukha-Dukha in Buddhism (March–April, 1944).
– Calcutta Police Journal :
City Guards in Ancient India (Vol. I, No. IV, p. 292).
– Landholders Journal:
Bengal Zemindars (Vol. VII, No. 5, February, 1939, p. 362).
Aryan Path:
Reincarnation in Buddhism (November, 1940, Vol. XI, No. 11, p. 569).
Calcutta Review :
Manners and Customs of the Licchavis of Ancient India (June, 1922).
Indian Historical Quarterly :
(1) The Kośalas in Ancient India (Vol. I, No. 1, March 1925).
(2) Marriage in Buddhist Literature (Vol. II, No. 3, September 1926).
Book Reviews by and of BC Law
BC Law has contributed many Book reviews to various journal over his career and has in turn been reviews by the same scolars that he reviewed. Here is a selection of these reviews in two batches:
Reviews on the works of BC Law
The Literary Contributions of BC Law in Bengali etc., may be found here.
The above constitutes a unique record of learning and scholarship, of liberality and philanthropy, deserving of public and permanent recognition in a fitting form such as that projected in this Presentation Volume made up of learned articles contributed by so many scholars of different lands as tokens of their appreciation of Dr. Bimala Churn Law’s life and work.
Radha Kumud Mookerji.
[1] His middle name is sometimes spelled Charan
[2] It may by be interesting to note that one Indian Rupee in 1945 would buy about the same as $5 US today.
[3] Mostly by Mookerji, but updated by DiscoveringBuddha.org