Making many original contributions to our knowledge and literature contributions based on deep thought, extensive research and literary acumen, Dr. Ashok Aklujkar has made a name for himself as a Sanskritist and Indologist. His reputation has been strengthened through frequent presentations in seminars and conferences in many parts of the world and teaching at high-class universities. He has also become known for personal attributes that matter very much for the creation of a successful teacher. It is in honour of this outstanding and world-renowned scholar and teacher that the present volume has been compiled and published.
Several leading and gifted scholars from across the world have contributed a wide range of interesting research articles to this special volume. The articles deal with major areas of Sanskrit and related studies such as philosophy, religion,linguistics, poetics, art and sociology. Here, as a befitting tribute to the scholarly interests and attainments reflected in the published works of Professor Aklujkar, essays exploring the complexities of Sanskrit grammars and Indic linguistic philosophy take the centre stage. However, care has also been taken to devote sufficient space to poetics and to the relationship between Sanskrit and Pali, which are the two other areas on which Professor Aklujkar has focused from time to time.
In this collection of absorbing articles authored by senior and well-known scholars, articles of several young scholars of considerable merit appear alongside almost in an equal measure; the latter too have offered the fruits of their original and critical work.
The result: a panorama of interesting readings that introduce the reader to the unique diversity and richn of Sanskrit from various vantage points.
Chikafumi Watanabe received his M.A. degree from the University ofBritish Columbia and Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. His primary research interest is Mahayana Buddhism. He teaches Religion and related Subjects at Osaka University.
Michele M. Desmarais received her Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. She is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is the author of Changing Minds: Mind, Consciousness and Identity in Pataniali'e Yoga Sutra and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Yoshichika Honda received his Ph.D. from Hiroshima University. He is Assistant Professor in the Department of Indian Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Hiroshima University. He studied the first book of the Vakyapadfya or Trikandi with Professor Aklujkar in 1996.
Professor Dr. Ashok Narhar Aklujkar is known to the community of scholars as a distinguished scholar and excellent teacher. He served at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada for 37.5 years and retired as Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit and related studies on January 1 in 2007. We, his kalydnamitras and sisyas, are presenting the present felicitation volume to him in recognition of his outstanding contributions to knowledge.
Professor Aklujkar's research and teaching pertain to a wide range of subjects in Indology: Sanskrit grammar and its philosophy, Indian philosophy, Classical Sanskrit in general, poetry and poetics, manuscriptology, pedagogy, and so on.
Professor Aklujkar has authored and edited several scholarly books, and written more than ninety articles. His book Sanskrit: an Easy Introduction to an Enchanting Language is a systematic primer and reader of Sanskrit, based upon several years of experience of teaching of Sanskrit. Its value is gratefully acknowledged by students and scholars all over the world.
Professor Aklujkar has been engaged in the project of preparing critical editions of Bhartrharr's works and their commentaries for the last four decades. We are looking forward to the publication of the result of his many years of continuous research.
I wish to express my debt to the Editorial Board of the Festschrift project:Professors Shoryu Katsura (Ryukoku University), Shrikant S. Bahulkar (Central University of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath), Tom T.J. Tillemans (University of Lausanne), Akihiko Akamatsu (Kyoto University), Hideyo Ogawa (Hiroshima University), and Toshihiro Wada (Nagoya University). Each of these contributed invaluable suggestions and practical support toward the publication of this volume
. In addition, I would like to thank Professor Shrikant S. Bahulkar and Dr.Vencenzo Vergiani for their careful reading of the entire volume.
This Festschrift was planned in 2007, but its publication was delayed for a number of reasons. I offer my sincere apologies to all the contributors of this volume for the inordinate delay that has occurred.
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