Acknowledgement

First of all, I acknowledge my heartfelt regards and gratitude to my revered guide Dr. (Mrs) Swapna Devi, Professor in the Department of Sanskrit, Assam University, Silchar and Former Dean, Rabindranath Tagore School of Indian Languages and Cultural Studies, Assam University, Silchar, for her guidance, motherly care and support. Without her constant supervision and encouragement, it would not have been possible for me to give this thesis a final shape. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to her and offer my heartfelt thanks to her.

I convey my sincere gratitude to Dr. Sukhamay Bhattacharjee for his valuable suggestions, encouragement and help.

I offer my sincere gratitude to Prof. Snigdha Das Roy, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Assam University, for her kind co-operation and valuable suggestions that she has given to me during the period of my study.

I extend my regards and cordial thanks to all the venerable teachers of the Department of Sanskrit, Assam University, for their encouragement and support during the course of preparing this thesis.

I tender my special gratitude and thanks to Prof. Mukta Biswas, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University, Assam, for her valuable suggestions, encouragement and all possible help.

I am extremely thankful to my honourable teacher Dr. Rajendra Nath Sarma, Prof, in the Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University, for his encouragement and kind co-operation.

I sincerely thank all the respected teachers of the Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University for their invaluable suggestions and kind co-operation.

I offer my cordial thanks to Dr. Mausumi Bhattacharjee, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Bholanath College, Dhubri, for her encouragement and all possible support.

I remain extremely obliged to the officials of Rabindranath Granthagar, Assam University and K. K. Handique library of Gauhati University for their co-operation and help during the time of collecting study materials and necessary information needed for preparing this thesis.
I am thankful to Sri Arun Bhattacharjee for doing his best in D.T.P for preparing this thesis within a short period of time.

Last but not least I express my deep sense of gratitude to my father Late Indra Prasad Upadhyaya and mother Mrs. Gita Devi. I am also thankful to my sisters Dipali Devi, Madhabi Devi and younger brother Homesh Upadhyaya for their full support and continuous inspiration without which it would not have been possible for me to complete this thesis within the stipulated period of time.

(Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya)