Purva- Mimamsa- In Its Sources

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The idea of a History of Indian Philosophy first dawaned upon my mind when I began a study of Mādhavāchārya's Sarvadarśanasamgraha in the year 1908. This ida deepened when as Curator of the Government Oriental MSS. Library at the Deccan College Poona. in 1912, I was called upon to make a Descriptive Catalogue of Sāmkhya and yoga MSS., as well as to complete the work of my predecessor in the office, Dr. S.K. Belvalkar, on Nyāya and Vedānta MSS., and to see through the press proofs of the Descriptive Catalogue of Veda and Brāhmaṇa MSS. When he was away on study leave for a Doctor's Degree at Harvard. Dr. Belvalkar in his studies of Greek and European Philosophy at Harvard was also contemplating a similar History of Indian Thought. I was very happy to see that our ideas had entirely coincided, and when he returned to India at the beginning of the last war, we made a scheme of a History of Indian Philosophy and submitted it to the Bombay University, under whose patronage two volumes have appeared, and a third may appear sometime hence. It was apparent, however, after we had spent a number of years on this scheme, that the work of a History of Indian Thought was a task to be attempted only on a co-operative basis. In the meanwhile, works from the pen of Sir S. Radhakrishnan and Dr. S.N. Das Gupta had already appeared. So, when at the First Philosophical Congress at Calcutta Sir S. Radhakrishnan and myself met together in 1925, we formulated a scheme for an Encyclopedic History of Indian Philosophy on behalf of the Academy of Philosophy and Religion, which had been founded in 1924. this scheme received the support of many great scholars in and outside India, but there came in the way another difficulty, namely, that of adequate financial support for such a large undertaking. It was due to this particularly, that an adequatefulfillment of the task remained pending. One volume of the Series was published years ago; another, though ready, could not be brought out on account of financial stringency : but this volume which was first projected on behalf of the Encyclopaedic History and which was undertaken by the late Dr. Sir ganganatha Jha is being offered to the world to-day.

It is Professor Ranade's wish that I should write a few introductory words. I has the privilege of collaborating with my father in his revised translation of the Kāvyaprakāsha and in the edition of the poet Chandra's Maheshavānī. Unfortunately, my own leanings have always been for literature and drama, and my philosophical attainments, in spite of the valuable opportunities I had at home, are nil. I connot, therefore, say anything useful about this work. But as a child I remember the daily labours of my father both at home and at the residence of Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Chitradhara Mishra. I remember the care with which he used to correct the proofs of the Tantra-vārttika and Shlokavārttika as they came from the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Indeed. I cannot recall any time when he was not reading or writing. At College he had to teach, unaided, all the six classes, from the Intermediate to the M.A.; he had to work at Boards and Committees, Senate and Syndicate; at Benares he had heavy administrative duties as Principal of the Sanskrit College, Superintendent of Sanskrit Studies, and Registrar; on coming back to Allahabad, he had charge of the reorganised University, which for five years controlled the affiliated colleges also; he was head of a large family; towards the closing days of his life, he suffered several domestic bereavements. But during the entire period of forty years, over which I can look back. I do not remember a single day when he was without his books and when he was not engaged in literary work. And it was not all philosophical work. He contributed regularly to the Leader “Musings of an Idler”, in which he discussed almost every topic under the sun, religious, educational, social, political. As a member of the Council of State, he took a leading part in its deliberations. He delivered several Convocation Addresses. He delivered presidential addresses at the Oriental Conference and the Philosophical Congress. He delivered a series of lectures on Poetry for the Hindustani Academy, and a series of Hindi lectures for the Patna University. The only light reading he indulged in for relaxation was in biographical literature. We, who industry and his versatility. In his last days he was anxious that his work on Mīmāmsā should appear early; he was anxious about the Introduction which he had undertaken to contribute to his revised translation of the Chhāndogya Upanishad; he was anxious to correct the last portions of the proofs of the Vivādachintāmaņi, which he had translated for the “Gaekwad Oriental Series”. He had no other anxieties. He was ready and willing to depart. It is the pious privilege of the survivors to see to the publication of the last works which, despite feeble health and failing sight, he has completed.

**Contents and Sample Pages**