→ Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindoos, has been termed the language of the lan guages and is even regarded, as the key to all those termed 'Indo-Buropean' including the Teutome family, French, Italian, Spanish, Sclavonian, Lithuanian, Greek, Latin and Celtic. It is found to bear such a striking resemblance both in its more importaut words and its grammatical forms to the Indo-European languages, as to lead to the conclusion that all must have sprung from a common source-some primitive language, now lost, of which they are all to be regarded as mere varieties." It is very painful, for these reasons to find that Sanskrit does not possess an Etymological and Explanatory dictionary worthy of its importance and status. And when we consider the circumstances prevailing among our intelligentsia, it is idle to hope that the study of Sanskrit would receive any very serious impetus for some time to core-at any rate in these Provinces. However, it is our sacred duty to help the praiseworthy efforts of those who are still inclined to study Sanskrit. With this object in view, the present work was undertaken and this very simple compilation is placed before the public. There are two other valuabic works on the subject-one by Dr. A. A. MacDonell and the other by the late Principal Varman Shivaram Apte. But they could be of use to those only who know English. The great work known as the great Vachaspatya is a standard work and is very useful for scholars. But until a well edited edition of the work comes out, it could not be of much help to even an average Sanskrit student. There are three other works, vi, the Padmachandra Kosha, the Chaturvedi Kosha and the Yugal Kosha, which can help a Sanskrit reader, but they are tou small for much practical use. It is, therefore, hoped that the present work will answer the needs of those Hindi and Sanskrit-knowing students who are studying Sanskrit in a college or school or privately. It is designed to be an adequate guide to a knowledge of Sanskrit words. It contains as many explanations and details as were permitted by the limited space at the disposal of the compiler. No doubt the work could be improved and enlarged, but there was a danger of defeating the very object of the compilation by such improvement. For an enlarged volume should have increased the price and thus it should have been out of reach of the Sanskrit students who are the poorest students in this poor country. The compiler is doubtful if the cost and price of the book-low as they are are not already high for the Sanskrit students. The compiler acknowledges with thanks the many works he has consulted in preparing this work. They are too numerous to be enumerated in a short preface. He must, however, acknowledge his special gratitude to the late
