Indian Etymologists and Their Etymologies

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I thank Shriman Nabanarayan Bandyopadhyay, the young acting director of the School of Vedic Studies, Rabindra Bharati University, who readily agreed to publish the present work when I enquired about any such possibility.

I also take this opportunity to express my indebtedness to my teacher late Professor Shiva Chandra Nyayacharya (1926-1995) of Varanasi who first drew my attention to the difference between the varnavikaravadins and the Naiyayikas and Panini as described in this work.

I dedicate this book to his hallowed memory.

The book originated as three lectures delivered under the Wilson Philological Lectureship Endowment at the University of Bombay in 1987. The lectures had been arranged by Professor Sindhu S. Dange, R. G. Bhandarkar Professor of Sanskrit, University of Bombay with active encouragement from her predecessor and husband late Professor S. A. Dange. The illustrious Indologist couple always treated me with unlimited affection.

Some change had to be made when I rather quickly prepared the press-copy. These have not been many and no material difference has been made to occur. The main thrust of the book has been on the rituo-philological ideology of ancient etymologists. They were not ritu-alists in the sense in which the word yajnika is used. The Nairuktas regarded the prayer itself as the main ritual. It was the power of prayer which counted for Yaska and which he aimed at enhancing through etymology.