“We are very glad to welcome a second edition of Professor Griffith’s admirable translation of the well-known Sanskrit poem, the Kumárasambhava. Few translations deserve a second edition better.”—Athenæum.
Post 8vo, cloth, pp. 432, price 16s.
A CLASSICAL DICTIONARY OF HINDU MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION, GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, AND LITERATURE.
By JOHN DOWSON, M.R.A.S.,
Late Professor of Hindustani, Staff College.
In this work an endeavour has been made to supply the long-felt want of a Hindu Classical Dictionary. The late Professor Wilson projected such a work, and forty years ago announced his intention of preparing it for the Oriental Translation Fund, but he never accomplished his design. The main portion of this work consists of mythology, but religion is bound up with mythology, and in many points the two are quite inseparable. Of history, in the true sense, Sanskrit possesses nothing, or next to nothing, but what little has been discovered here finds its place. The chief geographical names of the old writers also have received notice, and their localities and identifications are described so far as present knowledge extends. Lastly, short descriptions have been given of the most frequently mentioned Sanskrit books, but only of such books as are likely to be found named in the works of English writers.
This work will be a book of reference for all concerned in the government of the Hindus, but it will be more especially useful to young Civil Servants and to masters and students in the universities, colleges, and schools in India.
“It is no slight gain when such subjects are treated fairly and fully in a moderate space; and we need only add that the few wants which we may hope to see supplied in new editions detract but little from the general excellence of Mr. Dowson’s work.”—Saturday Review.