Preface to volume 5

Volume V of the translation of the Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra has been completed under a Fulbright grant.

I am under obligation to Muni Śrī Puṇyavijayajī, disciple of Muni Caturvijayajī, for assistance on Book VIII given some years ago; and for the loans of MSS from the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidya-Mandir in Ahmedabad. I am under especial obligation to Nyāyatīrtha Nyāyavijaya Mahārāj, disciple of the late Vijaya Dharma Sūri, now at Mandal, Gujarat, for suggestions on some difficult points and one brilliant emendation.

As always, I am indebted to Pandit L. B. Gandhi, now retired from the Oriental Institute, for much assistance on doctrinal points; and to Mr. H. M. Shah, B.A., of Ahmedabad for his help in many ways, especially as interpreter.

There have been many changes in the staff of the Oriental Institute since my last stay in Baroda; but under the new Director, Dr. B..J. Sandesara I have had the same facilities, and special assistance from Mr. J. S. Pade, M.A.. Research Officer, and Mr. M. R. Nambiar, Assistant Editor of the Rāmāyaṇa Department.

In addition to the Poona MS that I have used throughout, I had loans of two MSS from the Jñāna Mandir in Baroda; of one from Chāṇī; and of three from the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidya-Mandir. Any corrections that I have made in the text have MS authority, except an occasional one from the same passage in the Yogaśāstra. Hemacandra is not consistent in his spelling of proper names and I have kept his spellings. Though uniform spelling would be desirable, I did not feel justified in changing Hemacandra’s spelling. The Sanskrit words that have been retained in the translation are included in the English Index with an explanation for the reader who does not know Sanskrit.

Baroda
January 5, 1962.