PREFACE TO VOLUME V
The fourth volume of the History of Dharmaśāstra was published in October 1953, i.e. more than eight years ago. This last volume was in the Press for more than five years. The delay is due to several causes This volume in two parts contains over 1700 pages. It is thus far more bulky than any of the previous volumes. Nonavailability of sufficient quantity of good printing paper was another cause. The third cause was my age (I am now 82 years old ) and frequent bad health. It is gratifying to my friends and myself that at last this undertaking spread over thirty-seven years is completed.
This volume is divided into ten sections. The first section deals with Vratas and Utsavas ( religious pows and festivals ); the second with Kāla (time), Muhūrta ( auspicious times ), and calendar; the third with Śāntis (propitiatory rites for averting the wrath of a deity, a calamity or unlucky event); the fourth and fifth with Purāṇas and Dharmaśāstra and the causes of the disappearance of Buddhism from India ; the sixth with Tāntrik doctrines and Dharmaśāstra; the seventh with Mimāṁsā and Dharmaśāstra ; the eighth with Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Tarka and Dharmaśāstra ; the ninth with cosmology, Karma and Punarjanma ; the tenth with the fundamental conceptions and characteristics of Hindu ( Bharatiya ) culture and civilization, and future trends.
In the Preface to the 2nd volume I have indicated the reasons for numerous and lengthy Sanskrit quota. tions. In the Preface to the 4th volume I have mentio ned the aim I had in view in bringing together the facts
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in each branch of Dharmaśāstra with detachment and integrity and without bias. The same aim and mental attitude hare been kept in view in this volune also. But it may be argued that when an author selects some of the numerous facts he passes a judgement about the importance of facts and his judgement may be biased all the same. I do not dispute this argu ment, but will only argue that, facts being numerous and there being limitations imposed by the space available, the author has a right to pronounce a judge ment as to the importance of the facts he selects.
As regards volumes two, three and four, I could rely on a tower of strength in the person of Parama hamsa Svāni Kevalānanda Sarasvati of Wai. But, anfortunately the Syāmi passed away in March 1955 before I began to write this last volume, and I could not get the benefit of his wise counsel in this fifth volume.
In this last volume I received help from many people, either personally or by correspondence. I have to thank Mr. M. B. Arte, Dr. R. N. Dandekar, and Prof. H. D. Velankar for help in translating impor tant passages from several French and German works, Prof. Gode, Curator of the Bhandarkar Oriental Resea. rch Institute, Poona, was always ready to render help us to manuscripts and books. He had been a close friend for nearly forty years and his sudden death has meant for me the loss of a learned, sympathetic, and ever-obliging friend. Dr. A. D. Pugalker very carefully read the chapters on Parāṇas and indicated several mis prints and some inaccurate statements. Dr. Raghavan very kindly brought to my notice the calendars in use in Southern India and certain works op Vratas ; Pandit Srījiva Nyāyatirtha sent me in Sanskrit the Naiyāyika view on Kāla; Miss Kunda Sathe (now Mrs. Saykar )
Preface
kindly sent me from Paris information from French scholars on Babylonian, Assyrian and Greek astronomy., I am highly obliged to Dr. B. S. Joshi for sending me microfilms of certain papers ( not available in India ) from Cambridge and Chicago. Prof. Durgāmohan Bha ttacharya kindly sent me a copy of the Kāla-siddhinter darsini. I am under deep obligations to Svāmī Kuva layānanda of Lonarla for reading my chapter on Yoga and suggesting valuable changes and amendments. Prof. Zala gave me details about the Vratas observed in Saurāṣtra. Prof. G. H. Bhatt (Baroda ) and Mr. S. L Katre ( Curator, Scindia Institute, Ujjain ) very kindly showed me the manuscript-wealth of their Institutes and helped me with the contents of several relevant mgs. on Vratus and Kāla. Shri Padeśāstrī of Baroda discussed with me, personally and by correspondence, several points about Ancient Hindu Astronomy. MM. Dr. Umesh Mishra brought to my notice his edi tion of the Vijūānalipikū of Padmapāda and Dr. H. G. Narahari wrote to me about the Prīrabdha-dheanta vidhvansana of Acyutarīva and sent me off-prints of his papers thereon. Mr. Shankarrao Joshi of the Bhārata Itihāsa Samodhaka andala of Poona helped me by bringing to my notice hand-written calendars more than two hundred years old. To all these I offer my best thanks. I am highly obliged to Mr. S. N. Savadi B.A. (HONS.) of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute for help in the correction of the proofs of this volume. I have to thank Mr. P. M. Purandare, Advocate (O. S.), Bombay High Court, Tarkatirtha Raghunāthuśāstri Kokje of Lonavla, and Dr. Bhaba tosh Bhattacharya for reading the printed sheets and making suggestions and pointing out misprints. Mr. N. G. Chupekar, in spite of his being now over 91 years of age, rend some chapters when they were only typewritten, and discussed them personally
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with me for some hours. To him I owe a deep debt of gratitude for having taken so much trouble at such a very advanced age. I am highly obliged to Dr. A. Ghosh, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, and to the Librarian Mr. L. G. Parab and the staff of the Archaeological Library for rendering all help to me while I had been collecting material for this volume.
I cannot find words adequate enough to express my sense of deep gratitude to Dr. Radhakrishnan, now President of India, who has favoured me with many kindnesses during the last fourteen years. As for this volume of the History of Dherma:astra, in the midst of numerous engagements and heavy work, he found time to look into its last two chapters, made vital sug. gestions for their improvement, and finally contributed a learned Foreword.
I am aware that, in spite of so much help rendered by so many friends and well-wishers, this large volume might contain many mistakes, for which I alone am responsible. In the process of printing, some diacritical marks have either been elided or placed in wrong places, for which I seek the indulgence of all scholars and readers.
Lastly, I thank the Manager of the Aryabhushan Press of Poona for carrying out with energy and zeal the work of printing this very large volume bristling with thousands of quotations, in the face of great diffi.
culties caused by shortage of paper, the Poona foods,
· and other unforeseen happenings.
Bombay, July 1962
P. V. KANE,