EPILOGUE
Many friends and well-wishers of the author and some readers of the volumes of the History of Dharmaśāstra have often ( personally and by correspondence) pressed him to furnish some biographical details about himself, about the circumstances in which he launched on this undertaking, about the preparations be made, about the time and labour that this undertaking cost him and also what money it brought to him (a few asked even this ).
To write an autobiography is a most difficult and delicate matter, In an autobiography one has often to use the words ‘I!, Me’, ‘My’ etc, and the writer is liable to be charged with egotism. If he is very frank about his own failings and faults, he may be accused of exhi bitionism. I do not propose to say much about my parents or my ancestors or about my marriage and family life or my likes and dis likes. I had my own share of anxieties, troubles and sorrows, but I shall not say much about them, since the blessings that were showered On me far outweighed the anxieties and sorrows. A brief account of some aspects of my long life may, I hope, be of some interest and belp to those wbo bave to face problems similar to those that I had to face,
I was born on 7th May 1880 in a village called Pedhen or Paraśarima [ because it has & large and famous temple of Parafu rāma, an avatāra of Vigṇu and the patron saint of several brāhmaṇa sub-castes ( such as the Citpāvana)] near Chiplun in the Ratnagiri District at my maternal uncle’s house, My father belonged to a priestly family in a village called Murden near Khed in the Ratna giri District. My father had learnt by heart a great deal of the Rgveda and was being trained for priesthood till the age of 18. He did not like the profession of a priest and left for Poong to learn English along with a friend of his boyhood, the late Shankar Bal krishna Dixit, who later on became famous for his Marathi work on Indian Astronomy which was admired by Dr. Thibaut. Mr. Dixit and my father passed the Matriculation Examination of the Bombay University in 1873. My father stadied for the Pleader’s examination held in those days by the Bombay High Court, passed it and began to praotise as a Taluka lawyer at Dapoli in the Ratnagiri Distriot from 1878. Besides Vedic lore, my father stadied the principal Upanigada
and the Gitā and had many of the former by heart. He practised as a lawyer for about forty years, then retired and passed away in 1920. We were nine children, six brothers and three sisters. I was the eldest of the sons and one sister was older than myself. In my early boyhood my father taught me some elements of astrology and advised me to commit to memory the verses of Amarakośa (of which I had
400 by heart before I was 12 years of age). In 1891 I joined the S. P. G. Mission’s English High School at Dapoli and passed the Bombay University’s Matriculation Examination in 1897 and stood high among the successful candidates. While at school, I began to suffer from hyper-acidity, consequent acute stomach pains and vomit ing at the age of 16 and had to leave school for nearly a year. At the time when I passed the Matriculation there was an epidemic of Babonic Plague in Bombay and Poona, where there was high morta lity. My father was not willing to send me ( whose health was already delicate) to those places where alone College education could then be had. So he asked me to study law under him. I studied it for two weeks, but being repelled soon by the dry study of law, 1 wrote a letter to Dr, Machichan, who was then Principal of the Wilson College in Bombay (and reputed to be very kind ), conducted by the Scottish Mission, asking him whether I could be enrolled as a student in absentia. He asked me to send Rs. 36/-, a term’s fee, get myself registered as a student and stated that as the epidemic was at its height the University might condobe absence, The Bombay University later on did so. I did not attend College in the first term. The epidemic abated, I joined College in June and appeared for the first year’s examination of the Bombay University in Novem ber 1898 ( which was then called the Previous Exam.) and was awarded a scholarship of Rs. 175 and a prize of Rs. 100 for being the first among the students whose second language was Sanskrit. This was the first lucky accident in my life. Life is a mysterious business. It is full of lucky incidents or chances and one must be able to take advantage of them by one’s own efforts. There have been many such incidents and disinterested friendships in my life and I have hardly ever had an enemy to my knowledge in the whole of my rather long life. The ailment of my boyhood pursged me at college, pursues me even now and has become worse, but I did not allow myself to be much disturbed by it, controlled my diet and led a regular and strict life. At the second year’s examination in Arts ( called Intermediate) I was awarded a scholarship of Rs. 180
Epilogue
111
(lump sum ) for standing first among students taking Sanskrit as a second language. Two years afterwards I appeared for the B. A. examination in 1901 and was awarded the Bhau Daji Prize for proficienoy in Sanskrit and stood first among the students of the Wilson College. An idea about how delicate I was in 1901 when I was 21 years old may be had from the fact that, though I was 5 feet 4 inches in height, I weighed only 98 pounds. After the B. A. exa mination I was a Dakṣiṇā Fellow at the Wilson College for two years and lectured to the first two years’ classes at the Wilson College on Sanskrit about three hours a week. In 1902, I passed the First LL. B. examination in the First class and in 1903 the M. A. examination and was awarded the Zala Vedānta Prize of Rs. 400. The peculiarity of this prize is that the paper set is in Sanskrit, the answers are to be written in Sanskrit in three hours, the chief exa miner was to be a Sastri who was proficient in Śhaṅkara Vedānta and had studied it under the old traditional methods. As my father had yet to spend for the education of several sons he asked me either to enter the Education Department as a High School teacher or to become a lawyer in a subordinate court. I did not like the latter idea and applied to the Director of Public Instruction, Poona, for appointment as a teacher in a Govt. High School. Here again Dr. Machichan helped me by recommending me highly to the D. P. I. I was appointed a teacher in the Govt. High School at Ratnagiri in August 1904 on a salary of Rs. 60 per month raised to Rs. 66 per month after a few months ( having been an M. A, with five scholar ships and prizes in Sanskrit). I was at the Ratnagiri Govt. High School for three years, I appeared for the 8. T. O. ( Secondary Teacher’s Certificate ) Examination held by the Department in 1905 and stood first in the whole of the Bombay Presidency (including Sind in those days). In the same year I submitted an essay on * Aryan Manners and Morals as depicted in the Epics’ for the V. N. Mandlik Gold Medal of the Bombay University and was awarded a prize of books worth Rs. 150. For this essay I read both the Maha bhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa. Till now I have read the Mahābhārata thrice and I have yet got the notebooks of extensive extracts, parti cularly from the Mahābhārata. In the next year I appeared for a Departmental Examination for Honours in Teaching and secured first clags in ‘Logic in relation to teaching ‘. The same year ( 1906 ) I sub mitted a paper on the History of Alarkāra Literature for the V. N. Mandlik Gold Medal again and was awarded the medal. At the end
of this year I lost my younger brother by T. B. I was transferred at my own request to the Elphinstone High School in Bombay ag 6th assistant on Rs. 75 in April 1907. There were over 40 teachers in that High School and about 750 students from the 4th to the 7th standard. I was made Head Sanskrit teacher (there were three teachers of Sanskrit and 12 classes in Sanskrit). Towards the end of 1907 the post of Assistant to the Professor of Sanskrit at the Poona Deccan College ( on Rs. 125 p. m.) fell vacant and I applied for the post. But I was not appointed and another person who was an M. A. in Sanskrit, but bad won no prize, scholarship or medal in Sanskrit at any examination from the Matriculation to the M. A, and who was 9th Assistant in the Elphinstone High School ( where I was 5th assistant) was appointed to the post, because he was a favourite stadent of the D. P. I. when the latter was Principal of the Decoano College. I sept a protest through the Principal of the High School. I was informed that a competent authority in Sanskrit had reoom mended that the person chosen was superior to me in Sanskrit and when I requested the D. P. I, to let me know the name of the com petent authority I was informed that my letter was an impertinent one aod deserved no reply. This added insult to injury. This happened in December 1907. I decided to appear for the 2nd LL, B. examination in November 1908 and then to leave Govt, service. My supersession created a great deal of oriticism in the Department and almost all persons sympathised with me and helped me in various ways. I appeared for the 2nd LL. B, examination in Novem ber 1908 and passed it. This created an impression in the Education Department that I meant serious business. Therefore, as a sop to my injured feelings, I was appointed to act as Professor of Sanskrit at the Elphinstone College from February to April 1909 in place of Prof. S. R. Bhandarkar who had been depated on some Govt. work. I reverted to the High School at the end of April 1909 and began to cast about where to practise as a lawyer. I was not inclined to practise as a lawyer in subordinate courts and decided that, if I left service, I would practise on the Appellate side of the High court, where it is a battle of wits and of hard work and one bad not to do what a lawyer practising in the subordinate courts had to do. At that time, the late Mr, Daji Abaji Kbare was almost at the top of the Appellate side Bar ( called Vakils of the High Court). He had some large estates at Dapoli (my native place) and knew my father and myself. I approached him for advice. He told me that I must
Epilogio
have with me at least two thousand rupees in cash, if I wanted to practise in the High Court and to stick to it. I had then not & pie with me and my father who was already sixty years old and had to educate other sons, declined to help. In less than two years from June 1909 I brought out two school books and one annotated book in Sanskrit (the Sabityadarpana ) for College students and was also appointed an examiner in Sanskrit at the Previous and Intermediate Arts Examinations. I thus collected two thousand rupees, resigned from Govt, service at the end of June 1911 and applied for a Sanad (after payiog Rs. 500 as fee for enrolment as a Vakil of the High Court of Bombay) with a certificate of good moral character from Mr. Khare and was enrolled as a Vakil of the High Court on 6th July 1911 when I was in my 32nd year.
Work was slow in coming and the first two years were rather bleak. Having not much to do, I appeared for the LL. M. examina tion in Hindu and Mahomedan law in 1912 and passed it. From 1911 to about 1918 I brought out every year some book or books such as the Kādambarī of Bāṇa in three parts with ample notes, the Hargacarita in two parts, and the Uttararāmacarita. I also condoo ted a private law class for coaching stodents for the High Court Vakil’s examination (in which 60 percent marks were required for passing). This brought in a steady income of about Rs. 100 per month for four years from 1913 to 1917 and, what was more impor tant, this task of teaching single-handed the vast field of law made me proficient in all complicated legal topics. In the meantime, in 1913 I was appointed Wilson Philological Lecturer to deliver six lectures on Sanskrit, Prakrit and allied languages for a lump sum of Rs. 750. In 1913 I became an ordinary member of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and a life.member ( by paying & lump sum of Rs. 500) in January 1915. At the beginning of 1915 I was appointed by the Bombay University a Springer Research Scholar for two years on a salary of Rs. 100 per month, the subject of research being Ancient Geography of Mahārāstra’ (part publish ed in JBBRAS, VOL. XXIV for 1917, pp. 613-657). In 1916 I worked as Honorary Professor of Sanskrit at the Wilson College, when Prof. 8. R. Bhandarkar, who was permanent Professor, fell ill, and I leatured for three hours a week to B. &. classes on the most difficult part of Rāmānuja’s Bhāṣya on Vedāntasātra.
In 1917 June I was appointed as a Professor of Law in the Govt.
Vi
Ristory of Dharmasastra
Law College at Bombay. This was again a case of an unexpeoted event. The Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court had recom mended for a vacancy in the law college two names from among the Vakils on the Appellate side Bar of the High Court, one a very senior gentleman and myself who had less than six years’ practice. The senior gentleman for some reason (not given out) refused at the lust moment and on 20th June, the day on which the Law College was to open, I receired a wire in the Vakil’s room from Government stating that Gort, proposed to appoint me as a Professor of Law from that day and that if I agreed I should see the Principal. This was a comfortable job, the salary being Rs. 350 a month and tbe duties light viz. three or four hours per week in the evening from 5-45 p.m. to 6-45 p. m. I was Professor of Law for six years ( 1917-1923). Hardly any Vakil with less than six years’ practice on the Appellate Side of the High Court had bee) appointed before me as Professor of Law.
I had undertaken about 1911 an edition of the Vyavahāra mayūkha with explanatory notes on the advice of Prof. S. R. Bhad darkar who was one of the General Editors of the Bombay Govt’s Sanskrit Series. But, owing to fluctuations in my own fortunes, I had neglected the work and had almost decided to give up the under taking altogether. The Bombay Govt.’s Sanskrit Series came to be transferred by Govt. to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute that had been started in Poona in 1917. The authorities of the Institute pressed me to carry out my undertaking. I agreed and began to read the vast Dharmaśāstra Literature for that purpose. The edition of the Vyavabāramayūkba of Nilakantha (text based on three printed editions and eight mss., an Introduction of 47 pages and exhaustive notes ) was published in 1926 by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poong. In the brief Preface to that edition of 1926, I announced that I bad undertaken to write the History of Dharmaśātra Literature,
Dr. R. G, Bhandarkar had expressed a desire to donate bis large library of thousands of books to some Institute that would properly house them, take care of them and make it a centre of Sanskrit studies, Dr. Belvalkar, Dr. Gude and several others suppor ted the idea and about thirty people including myself contributed Rs. 500 each for the purchase of a big vacant plot of 30 acres in Poona and, after setting aside nearly half of the purchased plot forEpilogue
VII
the Institute to be named after Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar, distributed the rest among the original contributors as plot-holders. The public and Govt, supported the Institute and the famous Tatas donated money to construct a suitable building. The first project undertaken
was the publication of the critical edition of the Mahābhārata. Gort. made grants, transferred the Bombay Sanskrit Series to the Institute, the Chief of Aundh promised a lakh of rupees for the Mahābhārata edition with pictares and later the Nizam of Hyderabad contributed a large som for building a guest-house for scholars from India and abroad.
The first volume of the History of Dharmaśāstra, which was published in 1930, deals with the chronology and relative importance of famous and less known writers and works and covers 760 pages. As I regarded myself as one of the original founders of the B. O. R. I. and as I was a sacoessful lawyer on the Appellate side of the High Court, I offered the volume to that Institute for publication without any agreement about payment. The Preface to the first volume makes it clear that I intended to finish the whole history in two volumes and that even at that time I suffered from a painfal complaint ( daodenal ulcer) which has dogged my footsteps throughout up to this day. The second volume of the History of Dharmasastra covering 1368 pages (including about 300 pages on Śrauta ritual, not included in the original plan) was published in June 1941 ( i. e. eleven years after the publication of the first volume), when I was already 61 years old and pursued by an impla cable ailment. The third volume containing 1088 pages was published in October 1946 and deals with only three topics “Rājadharma, Vyavabāra, and Sadācāra’ (customs and customary law). On account of the 2nd world war there was paper shortage and the finances of B, O. R. I. were at a low ebb. I had therefore to advance three thousand rupees to the B. O. R. I, and had to purchase paper worth several hundred rapees for expediting the printing, in view of the fact that I was in my 67th year and that my physical condition was causing anxiety. The 4th volume is spread over 926 pages, was published in October 1953 ( when I was in my 74th year) and deals with Pātaka ( sins ), Prāyaśoitta (expiation), Karmavipāka ( fruition of evil deeds ), Antyesti (rites on death), Atanoe ( impurity on death and birth ), Suddhi ( purifioation ), Sraddha, Tirthayātrā ( pilgrimages to sacred places ).
VIII
History of Dharmaścīstra
The (fifth and ) last volume deals with numerous topios, as the Table of Contents will show. The first part of 718 pages dealing with Vrata ( sacred pows, observances and festivals) and Kala vas separately published in 1958 ( as I had then an attack of heart trouble, and it was thought that I might not survive, being more than 78 years old at that time). The second part now printed deals with Santis, Purāṇas in relation to Dharmasastra, causes of the disappearance of Buddhism from India, Tantras and Dharnalastra, Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Tarka and Dharmaśāstra, Pūrvamimārisā and Dharmaśāstra, Cosmologs, doctrine of Karma and Punarjanta, dominant characteristics of our Indian culture and civilization and future trends. This volume has been in the press for over five years and has involved an enormous amount of varied reading and writing for over eight years from 1953.
In describing how and in how many years the H, of Dh, deve loped, I have not said anything about the environment in which I had to Tork. From about 1918 I began to have good work as a lawyer. I not only conducted cases in the Bombay High Court, but I appeared before the District Courts of the wofussil in several districts such as Khandesli, Nagar, Poona, Sholapur, Satara, and Ratnagiri. I owe a great deal to my college friends, to my students that passed the High Court Vakil’s examination after attending any private law class and to Mr, MK. Atbaple of Sangli and Mr. C. M, Saptarishi of Ahmednager for sending me much legal work.
I took part in many of the intellectual activities in Bombay and Poona. I was a member of the Senate of the Bombay Univer sity from 1919 to 1928, I have been throughout a member of the Regulating Council of the Bhandarkar Institute and of its other bodies. I was closely connected for over 40 years with the Marathi Granthasangrahālaya of Bombay in various capacities and with the Brāhmaṇasabha of Bombay in many capacities as Chairman of the Managing Committee, a Trustee for 21 years and Adviser from
1918 to this day.
I had argued gratis several cases for some societies and indivi duals. Mr. Jaydekar, lawyer of Dhulia, espoused the cause of people who had grievances against the Indian Railways, I conducted many such railway cases and cases of poor and helpless people, One of these latter was that of a poor untonsured brāhmaṇa widow who had been prevented by the priests in the temple of Vithoba at Pandharpur
Epilogue
IX
from offering worship to the image by placing her head at the feet of the image ( because she was untunsured ) as all Hindus, male or female, of all castes were allowed to do. I had to go to Pandharpur thrice at my own expense and spent in all seven days in court. The court decided in favour of the widow. The case is referred to in the History of Dharmaśāstra, vol. II p. 593 and the arguments are set out on pp. 587–593 of the volume.
Another case that I conducted gratis is that of the Deccan College, Poona. This College was started by Govt. bat a Parsi Baronet, Sir Jamsetji, made in the early sixties of the 19th century a munificent donation of about two lakhs with the stipulation that it was to be maintained as an educational Institution for ever on the lines already laid down. The British Govt. on the suggestion of an Indian Minister wanted to close the College and made a contract for sale of the site and buildings for a Parsi Public School. Some of the Old Boys of the College such as Prof, S. G. Sathe and Dr. Belyalkar consalted me what to do, though I was not an old boy of the Deccan College. I first suggested that a member of the Bombay Legislative Council should ask a question whether the Deccan College was not an Institution held in trust by Govt. The Gort, replied that it was a trust property, but that Govt. would approach the Distriot Court of Poona for permission to sell it for the purpose of a public school. Govt. applied to the District Court at Poona for permission to sell it for the purpose of a public school. I appeared for the old Boys’ Association and requested that the Association should be made a party to Govt’s application, The Court allowed the application. I had agreed not to charge any fees. I suggested that Mr. M. R. Jayakar, who had a great regard for me and was a very successful advocate in Bombay ( who later became a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England ), shonld be briefed in the matter. The Association said that they had not money enough to pay Mr. Jayakar’s heavy fees. I requested Mr. Jayakar not to charge any fees. He complied with my request and the whole case took about 15 working days in court, besides many days of prepara tion, Mr. Jayakar, having once agreed to work without fees, put his heart and soul in the matter and the District Court in a long judgement of about ninety typed pages held that the Deccan College was a trust and could not be sold. Govt. went in appeal to the High Court of Bombay, but by that time a popular Ministry with the
History of Dharnuaśastra
late Mr. B. G. Kher as Chief Minister had come to power and compromised the matter by agreeing to conduct the Deccan College as a Research Institote for Vedic studies and classical Sanskrit, Ancient Indian History etc. The Association made Mr. Jayakar and myself Honorary members of the Old Bugs’ Association. I have been on the Managing Council of the Deccan College Research Institute since 1938 to this day.
In 1944 I was appointed by the Bombay University Sir Lallabhai Shah Lecturer aod delivered four lectures on Hindu customs and modern laws. The lectures have been published in book form by the University.
In 1927 at thr time of the Ganapati festival in Bombay, a mela (Party of worshippers) of the Mahar caste (held untouchable) approached the authorities of the Brāhınanasahhi for permission to come for darśan of thr image installed by the Sabhā and stated that they would be content if they were allowed to come as near the image as Parsis, Christians and Moslems would be allowed to do. I was then Chairman of the Janaging Committee and called a meeting of the Committee to decide whether the request should be granted. In the Committee the voting was exactly half for and half against. I had to give a casting vote for granting permission, since I was of the opinion that the request was a very modest one and in view of the changing times should be acceded to. A suit was filed in the Bombay High Court by certain orthodox people against the Brāhmanasabhā, against myself as Chairman of the Manag ing Committee and the Secretary for a temporary injunction res training us from bringing the Mahar Mela jaside the building where the image was and for a declaration that the Sabbā through its office-bearers had no right to do what had not been pre vionsly done, It must be said to the credit of the members of the Sabhā that in a meeting of the general body of members my action was supported by & pery large majority. There was great excitement and it was feared that violence might result. The High Court retased io grant a temporary injunction and later the suit was withdrawn by the members seeking legal relief. Our Constitution bas abolished untoucbability but that was in 1950 and this excite ment arose in 1927.
I have been a member of the Managing Committee of the Bombay Asiatic Society for about 45 years, a Vice-President and one
Epilogue
of the editors of the Journal of the Society for many years. I con tributed many long articles to the Journal of the Society and to the Annals of the Bhandarkar Institute. In 1946 at my request Dr, B. C. Law, a great scholar, whom I had never seen but who had become an admirer of my books, donated Rs. three thousand ( for purchase of books for the Society) and donated five thousand rupees for founding a medal called P. V. Kane Gold Medal to be awarded once every three years to a scholar who had done sabstantial research in subjects in which I was interested.
On 7th May 1941, in honour of my 61st birthday. A volume of studies in Indology’ was presented to me edited by Dr. S. M. Katre and Prof. P. K. Gode and published by Dr. N. G. Sardesai of the Oriental Book Agency, Poopa. My friends and admirers had formed a Committee with Dr. V. S. Sukthankar as Chairman and invited papers. Many contributions came in, of which 74 are contained in that work, mostly written by Indian scholars ( a few by scholars from abroad also ).
In 1942 the British Govt. conferred on me the title of Mahd mahopādhyāya and the Allahabad University conferred on me the Honorary Degree of D, Litt. In 1946 I was asked to preside over the All India Oriental Conference held at Nagpur. In 1947 Mr. B, G, Kher, then Chief Minister of the Bombay State, pressed me to become Vice-Chancellor of the Bombay University for two years and I agreed after some hesitation owing to my age ( about 68). There was no salary attached to the post nor was there any sumptuary allowance nor any other allowance. In the years 1947 to 1949 I had three matters on my hands, my legal practice, the History of Dharmaśāstra and the work as Vice-Chancellor ( which was heavy in those days, sometimes three hours a day). Mr. Kber pressed me to remain Vice-Chancellor for three years more, offered to make it a salaried post of 2000 Rs. per month and requested me to give up practice as Advocate. The then Gorernor of Bombay, Sir Maharaj Singh, as Chancellor, also pressed me, but for various reasons ( the foremost being that the work on the History of Dharma tāstra would make slow progress if I spent five or more hours a day in the University ) I declined. The Session of the All India Oriental Conference was held in Bombay in 1949. I was Chairman of the Reception Committee. On my request the Sakuntala of Kālidāsa was performed in Sanskrit with songs, the director being Mr. K.C.M,
XII
Bhatavdekar who is a fine-looking and tall inan, an excellent actor, a good Sanskritist and a singer. It was a great success. Embolde ned by this success I suggested that other Sanskrit drames should be put up on the stage. Mr. Bhatawdekar and Mr. P. P. Joshi, two enthusiastic workers of the Sanskritic Samili (Cultural Committee) of the Brābwanasabbā at Bombay, worked hard and at different times and in different places ( Delhi, Bombay, Ujjain, Poona ) put up on the staye ten Sanskrit dramas, sīkuntula, Mrochakatika, Katnāvali, Venisalihāra, Uttararimacarita, Modrārākṣasa, Vikramorvasiya, Mālavikāgoimitra, Svapnavāsa vadatta and Sangita Saubhadra (tran slated into Sanskrit by Mr.S. B, Velaukur, Indian Postal Service, from the original Marathi by Anna Kirloskar). These performances became very popular. The sale of tichets yielded 150,000 Rs, out of which about thirty thousand were saved after meeting all expenses as a fund to fall back upon when they performed one of these plays at different places.
The International Congress of Orientalists was held in Paris in 1948. The Indian Govt, sent a delegation of three, Dr. 8. Radha krishnan as leader and Dr. S. K, Chatterji and myself as two Dembers. In 1951 the International Congress met in Istanbul and the Indian Govt. sent a delegation consisting of myself as leader ), Dr. R. O. Majumdar and Prof. Siddiqui. At this conference I sponsored a resolution that the Unesco should make a substantial grant to the project of a Sanskrit Dictionary on Historical Principles undertaken by the Decoan College and it was unanimously passed by the Conference and subsequently Unesco made a grant of 5000 dollars to the Deccan College. In 1954 the Session of the Inter pational Congress of Orientalists was held at Cambridge to which the Govt of India sent a delegation consisting of myself ( as leader), Dr. 8. K. Chatterji and Dr. R. N. Dandekar. From Cambridge I went at any own expense to U. 6. A. and visited the Library of the Congregs in Washington for two days, the University of Princeton, Harvard University and the University of Rochester, where may younger son was studying for the Ph. D. degree in Atomio and Nuclear Physios. The Governing Body of the London School of Oriental and African studies of the London University was pleased to nominate me as an Honorary Fellow, I being the only Indias among the present 25 Honorary Fellows of the School. In December 1963 I presided over the session of the Indian History Congress at Waltair.
Epilogue
Xiii
In November 1963 the President of India was pleased to nominate me as a member of Parliament i e. of the Rājyasabhi (Council of States ) and when my term expired on 1-4-58 I was again nominated for six years. While in Parliament I worked on several committees such as the Committees fur considering the Hindu Adoption Act, the Hindu Marriage Act, the Hindu Succession Act. I pressed on the Govt, that they should start a Central Institute of Indian Studies. This has been now accepted in principle and a committee has been appointed to suggest a constitution and other matters. I have also been a member of the Central Sanskrit Board. On 15th August 1958 the President of India was pleased to grant me a certificate of merit and an annuity of Rs. 1500 a year. In August 1959 the President was pleased to nominate me as National Professor of Indology for five years on a substantial salary, the only condition being that I should carry on research as I have been doing. I resigned from Parliament in September 1959, because as I beld an office of profit under Gort, I had to do so according to law. In 1960 the University of Poona conferred on me the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters,
From the beginning of 1955 I did not take any fresh legal work and by March 1956 I got all my cases disposed off. Since April 1956 I have systematically refused all pressure to accept briefs. Since April 1956 I have devoted my time to Parliamentary work (till September 1959 only) and to the last volume of the History of Dharmasastra.
I had substantial legal work from 1919 to about 1949. For the benefit of those who made inquiries and of those who desire to pursue literary studies while working as lawyers, I shall briefly state how I saved time for literary work. The High Court worked for five days in the week. I always atilized all holidays for literary work, Saturday and Sanday have always been my busiest days. There were always two Benches ( sometimes three Benches also ) on the Appellate side of the High Court. Often ten appeals were placed on the board for each Bench every day, since the practice of the Court has been that if an Advocate had two matters, one in each of the different courts and he was engaged in one court, his case in the other court was kept back till he became free. So when an advocate had even one appeal in one court and that too very low down in the list, even then he had to be present in court from the beginning, since appeals
XIV
lower down on the Board might be taken up by the Court if the lawyers therein were available, Most lawyers when free spent their time iu chitchat in the Advocates’ room. I spent such time in the Library for preparing my briefs that were likely to be taken up in the next few weeks. I hardly ever read my briefs at home. Therefore, I could devote every day some hours in the morning and eveuing to my work on Sanskrit studies. I always worked for eight or pine hours a day and sometimes ten to twelve hours from 1911 to 1948, except when I was not in Bumbay. I bave never slept or even taken a nap ly day from 1904 to 1958; even when I went to see a drama at night and came home at 2 A.V. I awoke at 6 A.M. and slept a little earlier on the following night. After the mild heart trouble in 1958, I tried sleeping a little by day, but not being used to such a thing I gave it up in a few months. For fifty years I have been taking morning walk for about one hour on the Chow pati sea face in Bombay and at the Hanging Gardens since 1912, but stopped going to the Hanging Gardens from about 1956.
That I had duodenal ulcer was discovered by X-ray therapy about 1925. Some doctors advised an operation. Others opposed it, I consulted the then most eminent surgeon in Bombay, Dr. G. V. Deshmukh, and he advised me not to go in for it. Again in 1937 when I undertook a trip in European countries for three months, I consulted in Vienna an eminent German doctor who advised me to continue my dietetic methods and not to undergo an operation, when I was nearly 58 and the disease was of very long standing.
A few words about my method of collecting materials for my . History of Dharmasastra, I have about a bundred pote-booka, some of them subjectwise and some with pages marked from A to Z, in which I noted important pages and passages extracted from the works read. For example, I have a big oblong notebook ( leather bound ) of about 500 pages devoted to Purāṇas only.
As regards the writing of the History of Dharmasastre my method was as follows: I wrote in my own band a first draft, collected a hundred pages or so and then carefully read those pages. Sometimes I tore off several pages and prepared a new draft. I cannot type well, having had no time to cultivate the habit of using a typewriter. Then I got the matter typewritten by an exoellent typist, Mr. G. R. Barve, who was my neighbour and who could decipher my bad writing tolerably well and paid him his usual
Epilogue
XV
charges. I sent to the Press only the handwritten original of the first volume. It was from the 2nd volume onwards that I got one or two copies typewritten (two when there was danger of bombing Bombay in 1942 ) and sometime afterwards I read the typed copy myself and put in the diacritical marks. This was sent to the Press in Poon! I examined three (rarely four ) proofs of all forms myself, but the press had directions to send a oopy of the third page proof to a good Sanskrit scholar in Poona who was to read it and make corrections (not in the matter but only as to diacritical marks, spelling, stops etc. ) and to send the corrected proof to me and I incorporated his corrections (if accepted by me) in my own copy of the third proof, which was sent to the Press as the final proof. The Indexes to all the five volumes were prepared by me. The Indexes to volumes I-IV alone come to 289 pages. The total prin ted pages of all works written and printed by me and of the numerous papers that I contributed to the Journal of the Bombay Asiatic Society, the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Institute and to other Journals would come to at least twenty thousand pages. To the typewriters of vol. II to V, I paid about 2500 rupees out of my own pocket and about 600 rupees to the correctors of the page proofs (of volume II to V). I went to places that had collections of Sanskrit Mss, such as Poona ( very often ), Baroda, Benares ( several times ), Madras ( several times), Tanjore and Ujjain at my own expense for reading several mss. and getting copies made of a few of them. In our country, there are no large libraries like those in Europe and U. 8. A. So I had to spend money on securing micro-films of certain articles in foreign journals and copies of certain Mog. I have no accounts of the travelling charges but about making copies of some mss, and microfilms I can say that they came to about 200 rupees. The Press was in Poona and I was in Bombay and the proofs ( along with the original copy at the time of the despatch of the first proof ) had to be sent by post for about 30 years ( sometimes one form, sometimes two and rarely three at a time). Besides, the original ms, had always to be sent in small packets (of from 50 to 100 handwritten or typed pages) by registered bookpost. No, accounts are kept of this but probably Rs. 400 would be a very modest estimate. The honorarium paid (and to be paid ) to me
for all the five volumes is given in the table below :
For the information of those who have already inquired or
XVI
XVI
might inquire hereafter about the cost of this undertaking vie., . History of Dharmaśāstra, a table is appended: Volumes Year of Cost of Printing,
publication paper, binding Honorarium
Rs. as.
Rs. ag. 1930
4814 - 12
2433 - 0 II pts, I and 2 1941
8828 - 12
4239 - 0 III
1946
8605 - 13
2256 - 0 IV
1953
11092 - 9
2873 - 0
part I part II
- 1962
25,000 - 0 (Approximately)
7000 - 0 (Approximately ) the II part is to be hereafter published
18802 - 0
58311 - 13 18802 - 0
77,143 - 13 3900 copies of volumes II-V are unbound as follows.
Copies unbound Vol. II parts 1 and 2
1000 Volume III
800 Volume IV
1000 Volume V pt. 1
1100
3900 copies The charges for binding these 3900 copies at Rs. 2/- ( per copy) would be Rs. 7,800 ( 3900 x 2).
Thas the cost of the whole series would be Rs. 84,943-13-0 ( 77,143-13 + 7,800 ). It must be mentioned that the Executive Board of the B.O. R. I. paid me Rs. three per page ag to Volumes I, II and IV and only Rs. two per page for vol. III and propose to pay me Rs, four per page for Vol. V, leaving me to bear all expenses for typewritten copy, for correction of one proof by a third person, all postage, travelling expenses and for copies of mes, and microfilms.•
Epilogue
XVII
The usual method in India as regards Histories or Encylo pædias in several volumes ( running into thousands of pages ) is to appoint a Director or Chief Editor (on a salary of Rs. 1500 per month ), an Assistant Editor (op a salary of Rs. 600 or Rs. 750 per month ) and to pay contributors at Rs, five or so per page, beside an office and a staff of clerks and typists. The Director’s salary on the usual scale for one year alone would come to Rs. 18,000. The payments made and to be made to me for writing the work of over six thousand pages spread over 37 years come practically to one year’s salary for a Chief Editor ( or rather less by Rs. 3700 which were spent for typewriting, correction, and copies eto, as stated above). I do not like this distasteful task. I had, however, to write about this matter because I wanted to dispel the queer notions about my profits that some people appear to entertain and made inquiries. It is owing to one individual’s sacribce that all the volames ( containing over 60C0 pages) can be sold by the Bhandarkar Oriental Institute for only Rs. 180. If the usual method had been followed, these 6000 pages would have had to be priced at Rs. 400 or more.
I could not arrange or plan my life. I had to oscillate bet ween education, literature and law, between Government service and an independent profession like that of law, I have, however, lived a very active, full and varied life for over sixty years. Thinking over the vast Sanskrit literature and the labour and time that I had to spend on one branch of it, I am inclined to close this Epilogue with two lines from Browning’s poem “ The last ride together”
Look at the end of the work, contrast The petty done, the undone vast.’
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND THANKS
During the last thirty-seven years from 1926 to this day I have received from hundreds of friends and others, institutions and books, assistance of various kinds. Now that this undertaking is drawing to a close, I should like to mention with gratitude all of theo that I can remember. In the Prefaces to the several volumes of this History I have acknowledged the help received from individuals in writing the separate volumes. Here at the end of the whole work,
XVIII
I shall try to mention in one place the Institations, the series of books and individuals to whom I have been indebted,
INSTITUTIONS
Among Institutions the first place must be assigned to the Library of the Bombay Asiatic Society (formerly called Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society ). It was in this Library that I passed several hours almost every day (except on holidays ), when I was in Boinbay. It has also a large collection of Sanskrit Mgs. The materials for the first four volumes were collected mainly in the rooms of this Library. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to this Library and to all persons in the service of the Library from the highest to the lowest, I must bext mention the Library of the Bombay University, which was also of great use to me, The Library of the Bombay Asiatic Society is a circulating Library with a large membership, but the Bombay University Library permits only the members of the Senate to have books issued to them for reading at home. I could secure books urgently needed by me from this Library, when I could not get them from the Asiatic Society’s Library ( because some members had taken them ). Besides, it possesses a large number of Sanskrit Mss. I tender my thanks to the Bombay University and its Library, to the staff of the Library and particularly to Mr. D. N. Marshall, the present Librarian, Since November 1353 when I was nominated a member of Parliament (Rājyasabhā) by the President of India, two more Libraries became available to me. One was the Library of Parliament which contains a large number of books on many subjects including Sanskrit Litera ture, Ancient Indian History, and the Library of tbe Archaeological Department in New Delhi. I thank the staff of the Parliament Library. Dr. A. Ghosh, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, made special arrangements for seating me in the Archaeological Library and made me a corresponding member, Dr. Chabbra, Joint Director of that Department, also was very kind and helpful. I am under great obligations to these high Officers. When at the end of 1953, I went to the Library of the Archaeologioal Department, the Librarian was a young man, Shri L. G. Parab, a double M, A, of the Bombay University, & B.T. and holder of a diploma in Librarianship. He is a very industrious and enthusi astic young Librarian, who made great efforts to keep the Library
Epilogue
XIX
full of Sanskrit books, full of books both on ancient and medieval history of India and of other countries, and of books on all archae logical studies, such as architecture, iconography and painting, kept the Library uptodate and took a keen interest in my work and a great deal of trouble to accommodate me in various ways ( too many to mention ) from 1954 to the present day. Much of the material for this lengthy 6th volume was collected in the Archaeological Library and a good deal of the text also was written there, I am under a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Parab and also thank all bis assistants, particularly Messrs. Kapur and Mr. A. 8. Dhavle and his Jamadar, Bhagavat Sabai.
Then I most mention certain Series of books and certain Presses that have printed and published a large number of books, such as the Anandāśrama series (Poona), the Bibliotheca Indica Series the Bombay Sanskrit Series, the Kāvgamālā and the Nirnayasāgar Press, Calcutta Oriental Series, Chowkhamba 8. Series, Cultural Heritage of India, volumes I-IV (Calcutta), the Gujarati Press and its Sanskrit Series, the Gaikwad Oriental Series (Baroda ), Haridas Sanskrit Series (Benaras ), Harvard Oriental Series, Kashi Sanskrit Series, Jivanand Vidyasāgar’s numerous pablications, Prājāapatha. fālā Mandala’s volumes of Dharmakośa and Mimārsā-kośa ( Wai), Kashmir Sanskrit Series, the Manikyachandra Digambar Jain
Series, Jain Grantha-mala Series, Pali Texts Society’s Series, Prince te of Wales Sarasvatībhavana Series of texts and Studies, Pandit S. D.
Datavalekar’s Series of Vedic Samhitās, Sacred Books of the East Series ( 50 valumes including the valuable Index Volume), St. Petersburg Dictionary by Bohthlingk and Roth, the Vaidika Rasmśodhana-magdal’s volume of 18 Upaniṣads with valuable foot notes and Index (Poona ), Trivandrum S. Series, Vedic Index ( in two volumes ) of Macdonell and Keith, Vijianagram 8. Series,
Among periodicals I must mention, the Epigraphia Indica, the Indian Antiquary and those indexed under the word ‘Journal’.
I am highly obliged to many scholars who contributed apprecia tive and encouraging reviews in several journals and newspapers. The first and third volumes received the largest number of reviews, I shall mention only a few for each volume. The first was reviewed in the Bombay Law Reporter, volume 32 (Journal pp. 94-96 ), in J. A. 0. 8. for 1931 volume 61 pp. 80-84 by Prof. Hopkins, in JRAS, for 193% pp. 158-161 by Prof. S. V, Fitzgerald, I. H. Q.
Xx
for 1932, pp. 805-807 by Amareshwar Thakur, J. of Oriental Research, Madras, for 1931 pp. 231-233 by Prof. Kuppuswami Sastri, by the ’ Kesari’ of Pooua in three issues dated 7th, 10th, 14th March 1931 (in Marathi); Volume II was reviewed by Prof. K. V. Rangaswami siyangar in very eulogistic terms in Adyar Library Bulletin for 1944 pp. 75-86, in J. R. A. S. for 1942 pp. 106-107 by Prof. Brough; Vol. III was reviewed in “Indian Culture” by Dr. B. C. Law, Volume XIII for 1947 pp. 119-23, in Journal Asiatique for 1948, vol. 236 pp. 149-150 by Prof. L. Renou and also in his book " Sanskrit et Culture" (Paris, 1950) pp. 126-136, in J. A. 0. 8. Vol. 67 pp. 232-234 by Dr. Ludwik Sternbach, in M. L. J. Vol. 93 for 1947 (Journal pp. 33-38), in newspaper " Hindu" of 25. 5. 1917 ( Dadras ) by Prof. K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar, in Bom. Law Reporter for January 1947 (Journal pp. 13-15), in the “Bombay Chronicle " of 9-2–1947 by Mr. Prabhu and in the Times of India ‘of 13. 6. 1947, by Mr. N. C. Kelkar in “ Kesari” of 2nd and 5th December 1947, in ‘Prabhāt (& Marathi newspaper ) in seven issues in March and May 1947 by Shri N. G, Chapekar; Volume IV was reriewed at some length by Prof. Hans Losch of Boon in %. D. M. G. Volume 107 pp. 217-221, and in 56 Bom. L. R. (1954 pp. 34-35 Journal), in the Journal of the Ganganath Jha Research Institute, volume X pp. 168-172, in J. A. O. 8. Vol. 74, pp. 371-273 by Dr. Sternbach, in the Bulletin of the London School of Oriental and African Studies, Volume 17, , part 3 for October 1955 pp. 620-21 and in the “Kesari” of 26th September 1954 by Mr. J. S. Karandikar; Volume V part I was reviewed in J. A. O. 8. for 1959 by Dr. Sternbach, in J, R. A. S. 1960 pp. 193–194 by Dr. Derrett. Volumes I to IV were reviewed by Prof. V. I. Kalyadov in the Quarterly Journal of the Indo-Soviet Caltaral Society, volume VII No. 4 pp. 7–10 (1960). The pumber of Individual authors whose works I read or whom I consulted in 37 years may run into thousands. Authors and works referred to only once or twice are not collected here, but they have been men tioned in the several separate Indices to the five volumes. Only very eminent writers or authors who wrote several valuable works and papers or were personally consulted are named below.
Abhyankar, Vasudevasastri (M. M. Pandit ); Prof. K. V. Abhyankar ( son of the preceding ); Aiyangar ( Krishna ), (Prof.) K. V. Rangagwami Aiyangar, Dr. Krishnaswamy Aiyangar, Dr.
Epilogue
XXI
A, 8. Altekar, Arthur Avalon ( Sir. Juhn Woodroffe ), Mr. M. B. Arte, Sri Aurobindo, Prof. P. V, Bapat, Shri. N. C. Bapat, Prof. A. L. Basham, Mr. Y. A. Bhat, Dr. 8. K. Belvalkar, Pandit Bhagavad datta, Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar, Prof. G. H. Bhatt, Mr. ( and now Dr.) Bbabatosh Bhattacharya, Dr. Benoyatosh Bhattacharya, M. Bloomfield, G. Būhler, A. Burnell, Dr. Caland, Prof. Chinta heran Chakravarti, M. M. Cakravarty, Mr. N. G. Chapekar, Mr. M. A, Chinnaswami Sastry, H. T. Colebrooke, A. Coomaraswamy, E, B. Cowell, Dr. K. L. Daftari, Dr. R. N. Dandekar, Dr. Matilal Das, Prof. Das Gupta, Datar Chintaman Sastri, T. W. Rhys Davide, Prof. S. K. De, Paul Deussen, Dr. ( Miss ) Indo Dike, Mr. D. B. Diskalkar, Mr. P. C. Divanji, Shri R. R, Diwakar, Pandit K. S. Dravid (Sāmaveda expert), Prof. P. E, Dumont, Will Durant, M, N, Dutt, Prof. Edgerton, Julius Eggeling, V, Fausböll, Prof. Filliozat, J. F. Fleet, A. A. Fūhrer, Dr. D. Gaastra, Dr. G. S, Gai, Pandit T. Ganapati Sastri, R. Garbe, G, T. Garrat, Dr. U. N, Ghoshal, Dr. G. 8. Gburye, Prof. P, K, Gode, Prof. N. A. Gore, M.M. Gopinath Kaviraj, G. Gorer, H. 7. Gowen, R. T. Griffith, F. Hall, Martin Hang, Dr. R. C. Hazra, A, Hillebrandt, Prof. M. Hiriyanna, Dr. R. Hoernle, Prof. Hopkins, R. E. Hume, Col. G. A. Jacob, H. Jacobi, W. James, K, P. Jayaswal, Dr. Ganganath Jha, Julius Jolly, Dr. B. S. Joshi, Tarkatirtha Lakṣmapa Sastri Joshi, Mr, S, N, Josbi ( Poona ), Pandit Kamalkrishna Smrititirtha, Mr. S. L. Katre Dr. 9. M. Katre, A, B, Keith, H. Kern, Mr. Kesayan (National Library, Calcutta ), Dr. S. V. Ketkar, Swami Keralādanda, Mr. G. H. Khare, Pandit Balacharya Khaperkar, F. Kielhorn, W. Kirfel, Tarkatīrtha Raghunath Shastri Kokje, Sten Konow, Prof Kunhan Raja, Prof. Kuppaswami Sastri, Shri Kuvalayānanda, Dr. B. C. Law, Sylvain Levi, H. Lūders, A. A. Macdonell, MacTaggart, Dr. R. C, Majundar, V. N. Mandlik, Prof. Mangal Deva Shastri, Sir R. P. Masani, F. Max-Mūller, Dr. V, V. Mirashi, Rajendralal Mitra, Dr. M. M. Umesha Mishra, Dr. R. K. Mukerji, Mr, Y, M. Mulay, Prof. Neugebauer, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, K. L. Ogale, Hermann Oldenberg, Pandit J. 8. Pade, Shankar Pandurang Pandit, Prof. A. M, Paramasivanandan, Prof. V. G. Paranjape, Peter Peterson, A. 8. Pringle-Pattison, Mr. P. M. Purandare, Ds. A, D. Pusalker, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Ranga. charya Raddi Shastri, Dr. V. Raghavan, V. K. Rajwade, Prof. R. D. Ranade, Prof. P, T. Raju, Prof. L. Renou, R. Roth, Mr. R. S. Sarma. Prof. G. Sarton, Miss Kanda Sathe (now Mrs.
XXII
Savkar), P, P. S. Sastri, Pandit Aiyanath Sastri, Dr. Dakshinaranjak Shastri, M, M. Sridhar Sastri Pathak, Satyavrata Sanaśrami, Mr. 8, N. Sayadi, Pandit Srljiva Nyāyatirtha, Pandit V, A, Ramswami Sastri, Pandit S. D. Satavalekar, R, Sbam Sastri, V, A. Smith, Prof. P, A, Sorokin, Dr. Sternbach, Pandit Sudhakar Dwivedi, Dr. V. S. Sakthankar, Dr. A. Schweitzer, W. W. Taro, C. H, Tawney, R. H, Tawney, K, T. Telang, G. Thibaut, K. P, Trivedi, Prof. A. N. Upadhye, Prof. H. D. Velankar, Swami Vivekānanda, Prof. A. R. Wadia, A. Weber, H. G. Wells, W. D. Whitney, Monjer Williams, H. H. Wilson, M. Winterbitz, R. C. Zaehner, H. Zimmer,
I beg to be pardoned it, through loss of memory, I bave omitted the names of persons to whom I have been indebted for advice, guidance or information,