Review of Proto-Indic Religion

Mr Srikantha Sastri who is already well known to students of History by his “Sources of Karnataka History” has in his treatise analysed the nature and affinities of the religion of the Proto-Indic people. His research is penetrating and detailed and his conclusions cannot be brushed aside.

-Prof V. Rangacharya (07 March 1943) - "The Hindu"

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Prof S. Srikantha Sastriar’s book contains a very learned Sanskritic and anthropological study of the nature of Proto Indic Religion. Even for Specialists, it is perhaps too learned….a mass of detailed learning.

This kind of careful solid objective study is a credit to Indian scholarship.

-Prof V. Rangacharya (07 March 1943) - "Madras Mail"

Sri Sastri's brochure provoked inquiry.

- The Aryan Path (September 1943)

One Problem of utmost importance was the study of the finds from the point of view of the religion – the early primitive religion……this line of study was wanting hitherto and we are pleased indeed to note that Mr. Srikantha Sastri has begun this important line of research. A more careful and extensive study of these finds in their religious and mystic significance, should there be such, was required and Mr. Sastri seems to be very well qualified for attempting this task systematically and the work before us gives evidence of his qualifications for this task….We commend the work of Mr. Sastri as a first effort on a very important line of investigation and we hope that he would pursue the study further and carry the investigation to a successful conclusion.

- "Journal of Indian History", Vol XXI, Pt. 3, P. 250, Dec 1942, S. Krishnaswami Iyengar

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A Credit to the critical sense and scientifc honesty of the author.

- New Review November. 1943 Fuchs

This is a close study of a difficult subject. He writes persuasively and his study requires the earnest attention of all scholars interested in the great but complex subject.

- Mysore Economic Journal, July 1943.

He has attacked the problem with a remarkable knowledge not only of Vedic Literature and its exegesis, but of the history and archaeology of Mohenjo Daro and of a Sumerian, Hittite and allied people. In dealing with this complex problem he has shown a high degree of critical and constructive power and his arguments are well sustained by adequate data, the collection of which postulates wide and intensive study. Few doctorate theses accepted in our universities in India or Great Britain reach its level of erudition and critical scholarship. In the dearth of material and in the present state of mind - Asian studies, caution is enjoined in accepting any conclusion on the problems relating to Proto Indic origins and cults as yet final; but every attempt made to solve with adequate data with an open scientific mind is worthy of welcome. Mr Srikantha Sastri's essay presents such an attempt.

- Quarterly Journal of Mythic Society, July 1944, P. 49, S. Srikantayya 3

It is with pleasure that we know that a competent scholar like Mr. Srikantha Sastri of Mysore University should have taken up on himself a systematic study of the archaeological finds with a view to their Vedic affiliation....Mr. Srikantha Sastri arrives at very important conslusions by even comparative studies of archaeological finds of West in modern times...We are indeed very grateful to find that Mr. Srikantha Sastri has carried on his investigation into this comparatively new and we should rather say, unfamiliar subject to purpose and has arrived at conclusions, which on the face of it, are startling.

We congratulate Mr. Sastri in what he has done and trust he will carry on the study further and more completely.

- Journal of Indian History, Aug 1945, Vol. 24, P. 87 S. K. Iyengar.

The author of the present treatise has tried to establish that the Proto-Indic civilisation was predominantly the Vedic Culture as revealed in the Atharva Veda. credit lies to him that he has been able to collect from various sources the useful facts in support of this view....The subject matter of this treatise is interesting and further researches on the same lines will be greatly welcome.

- Journal of Bihar and Orissa Research Society, Vol XXIX, Pt. IV, 1943

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