terature, especially that
of India. To interpret to the West the thought of the East, to bring
her best and noblest achievements to bear upon our life_,--_that is to-day
the problem of Oriental philology._

_The Harvard Oriental Series embodies an attempt to present to Western
scholars, in trustworthy texts and translations, some of the greatest
works of the Hindu literature and philosophy and religion, together
with certain instruments, such as the Vedic Concordance or the History
of the Beast-fable, for their critical study or elucidation. Some
account of the volumes completed or in progress may be found at the
end of this book. Dr. Ryder, passing by for the present the more
momentous themes of religion and philosophy, has in this volume
attempted to show what the Indian genius, in its strength and in its
weakness, could do in the field of literature pure and simple. The
timeliness of the Series as a whole is an eloquent tribute to the
discernment of my loved and unforgotten pupil and friend, Henry Clarke
Warren. In him were united not only the will and the ability to
establish such a publication as this, but also the learning and
insight which enabled him to forecast in a general way its
possibilities of usefulness. He knew that the East had many a lesson
to teach the West; but whether the lesson be repose of spirit or
hygiene of the soldier in the field, whether it be the divine
immanence or simplicity of life or the overcoming of evil with good,
he knew that the first lesson to be taught us was the teachable habit
of mind._

C. R. L.

June, 1905

PREFACE

The text chosen as the basis of this translation is that given in the
edition of Parab,[1] and I have chosen it for the following reasons.
Parab's edition is the most recent, and its editor is a most admirable
Sanskrit scholar, who, it seems to me, has in several places
understood the real meaning of the text better than his predecessors.
This edition contains the comment of Prthvidhara; it is far freer from
misprints than many texts printed in India, and, in respect to
arrangement and typography, it is clear and convenient. Besides, it is
easily obtainable and very cheap. This last consideration may prove to
be of importance, if the present translation should be found helpful
in the class-room. For the sake of cataloguers, I note that the proper
transliteration of the Sanskrit names of this title according to the
rules laid down by the American Li