नानार्थसंग्रह: Nanartha-Samgraha (An Old and Rare Book- Only 1 Quantity Available)

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Several factors have weighed with the Publication Board, Assam, in undertaking to reprint the priceless works of the great Sanskrit scholar, Anundoram Borooah, which were first published about a hundred years ago. Our prime consideration has been the fact that Anundoram Borooah belonged to that pioneering and noble band of Indian scholars who had addressed themselves to the task of rehabilitating the glory and greatness of the Sanskrit language, Sanskrit literature and Sanskrit education. Secondly, the brilliance and profundity of the commentaries and criticisms written by him on a number of important Sanskrit books are almost without parallel in the whole range of Sanskrit literature. Thirdly, by reprinting his works we aspire to rediscover for lovers of Sanskrit all over the world a find of literary treasures which is now almost forgotten. Finally, we do hope that our endeavour will enable present generations of Indians to become acquainted with the achievements of one of the most eminent scholars of Assam and of the country as a whole who died at the early age of thirty-nine.

People of today cannot but marvel at Anundoram Borooah's stupendous creative genius which found its fulfilment within the span of a short life and which refused to be bogged down in the day-to-day problems of administration that he had to tackle in the capacity of a high official in the civil service of the British Government. The short biography included in the book would help readers to have an idea of the richness and vitality of his wonderful mind. In those days few Indians could aspire to a fame that extended beyond the frontiers of the country, and this was true especially for a man belonging to this remote corner of India. But Anundoram's deep devotion to literature and his great erudition had won for him the appreciation and admiration of scholars from all over the world. The truth of this is amply borne out by the tributes which are included in the appendix of this book. Anundoram was the first graduate from Assam and the first and the only member of Indian civil service from this State.

Anundoram Borooah's entire life was dedicated to literary pursuits. In fact, the story of his brief life may be said to be a story of the love and devotion which inspired his studies of Sanskrit literature. Only a few others can rival him in the zeal that he brought to bear upon his efforts to restore Sanskrit literature to its rightful pre-eminent position. The noble faith that informed his pursuit of Sanskrit literature is clearly ex-pressed in the following words quoted from the book, Mahā-viracharita: "To me, Sanskrit is dearer than any other language. Its music has charms which no words can express. Its capability of representing every form of human thought in most appro-priate language is probably not rivalled, certainly not surpassed, by any other language. Most touching scenes have been drawn in heart-rending words. Most noble images have been clothed in most sublime language. Most terrific pictures have been couched in terror-producing expressions; and among the foremost to elevate the language and enrich the literature of ancient India stands the name of our poet Vaśyāvāk Kāśyapa Bhavabhuti Srikantha. His plays have been all translated into English, two by more than one writer, and it can be confidently predicted that before another hundred years, they will be rendered into almost every language of civilized Europe. May we hope that with the diffusion of Sanskrit, he will be as appreciated in the furthest corners of the world as he is on the banks of the Sipra and near the ruins of Vijaya-nagara.

1. In this volume, I intend to treat of letters and their changes. There is no grander subject for the student of science-none more interesting to the student of language. The immense power which man now wields over matter and force which is daily astonishingly increasing and which has contributed so much to widen his material comforts is not a little due to the most wonderful medium of thought, which has enabled us to utilize the labours of our forefathers, to thoroughly test and fully and correctly store up our knowledge, and to accurately convey it to others. It is this invaluable inheritance which has unapproachably raised us above other animals. It is this inestimable boon which props up our social organization and makes it spiritual and God-reaching. Its influence is greater, greater the scale of civilization. In the most civilized countries, it directs our destinies and models our movements. What this language is how it has grown and developed is necessarily of the deepest human interest and must command the sympathies of the most materialistic man.

2. Thanks to the disinterested labours of great western scholars, much progress has been made in the study of these profound questions. We have come to recognize resemblances even in the face of distant nationalities separated by forms, sounds, and systems and to form some idea of the different states of civilization in the different stages of human progress. But we have scarcely advanced beyond the threshold of the grand museum of philology-we have hardly formed even a rough idea of its outlines and the variety of its contents. We see लग् of Sanskrit is the same as लग्ना of Hindustani-lego of Latin and so on. But what is this लग्, through what stages (if any) it has passed and how has it come to possess the senses assigned to it-questions like these are utterly unsolved and we are completely shut out from the truths directly and indirectly underlying their solution.

3. It will be asked what is the good of these enquiries? Whether we can arrive at any definite results and if so whether we shall be gaining by such discoveries? To the first objection, I reply that it is too hasty to prejudge a question. If workers have hitherto failed, it is partly due to the imperfect materials at their command and partly to filling up the long gaps by their own imagination. Their very errors ought to make us more cautious to draw more from facts and less from imaginaion. It is never easy to discover truths. But the honest searchers deserve as much sympathies as the fortunate discoverers, who have immensely profited by the labours of their predecessors. The second objection is easily met. If we can satisfactorily prove the evolution of any one language from the simplest elements of animal life, we prove the evolution of every language we see more clearly the connection and inter-dependence of different languages and have a firmer grasp of human life its origin, course, objects, and end. There are philosophers who see no good except in material comforts and who would, if they could, put down with a high hand all classical studies. They forget that mind is the seat of all pleasure that there are purer and loftier pleasures than matter can ever afford and that so long as man and mind are constituted as they now are, knowledge will ever continue to be the most prolific source of human happiness.