Publisher’s Note
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute has great pleasure in publishing the first part of the fifth and last volume of Mahāmahopādhyāya Dr. P. V, Kane’s monumental History of Dharmaśāstra. This part comprises two sections. The first section deals at length with many important vratas and utsavas such as Krspajanmāṣtami, Durgotsava, Diwāli, Saṅkrānti, Mahāśivarātri, Holikā, and also includes brief notices of about 1100 vratas, pājās and utsavas with references; the second section deals with Kāla (Time), and its philosophic conceptions from Vedic times downwards; Indian Astronomy and Astrology and the theories of Western scholars about them; nakṣatras and astrology based on them; muhurtas and their employment in religious rites; the Zodiacal signs; planets and week-days; principles laid down in Indian astrological works; calendar, eras and intercalary month; Yuga, Manvantara and Kalpa; Yoga and Karaña; and reform of our calendar.
The second part of this volume will treat of such topics as sāntis-Vedic and post-Vedic; Purāṇas and their influence on Dharmaśāstra, society and Buddhism; Tantras and Dharma sastra; Pūrvamimāmsā and other darśanas in relation to Dharma śāstra; cosmology; the theory of punarjanma; the essential characteristics of our culture through the ages; and future trends.
All prefatory matter, including list of abbreviations, brief synopsis of the contents, list of works consulted, etc., as also General Index for the whole volume, will be given in the second part, which we hope to publish before long.
R. N. DANDEKAR Honorary Secretary.