A Short History of Sanskrit Literature

It is an irony of things that though Sanskrit literature is a product of Indian mind, very few Indians have attempted the history of it, with the unfortunate result that in order to know how we look, we have to use some one else's spectacles! Of the few such histories written by Indians, the present one by H.R. Aggarwal has long been acclaimed as one of the finest and the handiest. In this second revised and enlarged edition of the book, the author, backed by several years of his practical teaching experiences, has solved many of the difficulties, which generally confront the students in understanding the subject. Analytical in approach, direct in presentation and graceful in style, this edition makes the subject easier and more attractive. Avoiding all quibbling and hairsplitting which are a common feature of histories, the book, true to the dictum of Mallinatha, includes all that is important and leaves out all that is unimportant to the students. This gem of a work has many facets-almost too many to enumerate. It has a number of appendices the most important of which is an outline of the Vedic period which will be of immense value to the Post-graduate students. There is another appendix which reproduces in one place the resolutions of the Sanskrit Vishva Parishad which are of significance in moulding the study of Sanskrit in this country in the years to come. There are others, which trace the origin of the Indian alphabet and the spread of Sanskrit in the West. If the Sanskrit quotations used in the course of the text for purposes of illustration are given there in Roman transliteration for the benefit of the non-Nagari knowing readers, the same is shown in Nagari script in an appendix for the convenience of the students. In short, this is a book, which is indispensable to students and a 'must' for the libraries.