A Classical Dictionary of India

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

No STUDENT of Indian Literature, whether he has studied it in its ancient classic tongue, the Sanskrit, in which its earliest and most original works are written; or has derived his acquaintance with it from the scantier range of some modern Indian vernacular, but has felt the difficulties that arise from the frequent mention of mythical personages, places, and objects, whose very names are so utterly unknown to him that he often even fails to recognise that they are proper names (oriental characters having no capital letters to indicate this) while of the facts concerning them be has little or no means of information. Hence he has to trust to such information as he can obtain from his Múnshi -information mostly very imperfect and often quite incorrect. The course of many years' reading gives the desired knowledge, but it is acquired at the cost of much time, labour, and research-nearly all of which might be saved did any such work exist for the Indian student, as the classical learner has long had in his "Lempriere," and now has in the well-known and far superior Dictionaries of Dr. WILLIAM SMITHI.

The Universities in India have placed the Sanskrit and. some of the vernacular languages, in the same position as The Universities of Europe have assigned to the languages of ancient Greece and Rome. A knowledge of ancient Hindu Literature is therefore now necessary to the attainment of University honours at present there is no work in existence in the form of a Classical Dictionary, designed to afford direct aid to a student in acquiring a knowledge of the Mythology and Antiquities of India

To supply in some measure these wants is the object of the present work. It contains an account of all the Hindu deities, and all the mythical personages and objects, that are likely to be met with in the study of Hindu Literature, whether Sanskrit or vernacular. The various terms of Brahmanical and Buddhistical theology and ritual, and of the schools of Indian philosophy, will be found briefly explained Such information as can be obtained on the subject of ancient Indian Geography has been given. It may be thought that many names of comparatively obscure persons and places have been included. But the Hindus attach great importance to their genealogical lists, and the present work was intended to contain every name occurring in their ancient books, though nothing is recorded of them but the line or family to which they belonged. No doubt many names, some probably of importance, have been omitted; but this is only what might be expected in the first edition of a book of this nature.

**Contents and Sample Pages**