Page:Kalhana's Rajatarangini Vol 1.djvu/13

 PREFACE. xv

notes on all difficult or doubtful passages. There seemed also good reason to assume thet a complete English version would not only bring the contents of the Chronicle within easier reach of all students interested in KaSmir and in Indian history generally, but would render reference to them also far more convenient to fellow-Senskritists. I accordingly decided to offer in place of the promised com- mentary the present annotated translation which in view of its bulk and for other practical reasons had to take the farm of a distinct publication.

The object whioh, a8 just indicated, led me to thepreparation of a full translation, accounts also for the form given to the latter. It appeared to me that a close and as far as possible literal version was required in order to convey accurately the interpretation adopted for a text which combines with the intricacies of the florid thetoric of the Sanskrit Kavya so many shscaritics Ine to the subject-matter, the local allusions, and other peculiarities of Kalhana's form of narration. In thet section of my Introduction which deals with Kalhana’s style, I have discussed at length the various causes which have made it often go difficult to ascertain exactly the meaning of particular expressions aud also of whole passages.® Without referring to these here in detail, it will be evident that in the case of such a text where the interpreter can proceed only cautiously, and has often, as it were, to clear his way step by step, a freer form of rendering would be useful only for the purpose of giving an adequate conception of the work as a literary product to readera unable to study the original. Notwithstanding the poetical merit which we may allow to various features of Kalhana’s work, if judged as a Kavya,” it appears to me doubtful whether the interest of that class of readers would ever justify more than comparatively small selections from the Chronicle being treated in the menner indicated.

These considerations have induced me to follow the example set by Professor Bihbler in his above-mentioned specimen-translation, and to adopt a form of rendering that allows the interpreter not only to reproduce plainly the meaning of the text, but also indirectly to indicate often the construction or other exegetical teason underlying bis version, Thin square brackets have been employed through- out to distinguish words which are not actually found in the original, but require to be added in order to meke the context intelligible in English, while tound brackets denote additions having more the nature of glosses. Pedantic as this device may appear, it has often saved lengthy explanatory notes, and its advantages will be readily appreciated wherever reference to the exact words of the Chronicler is essential.”

8 See Introd., §§ 88-40. dicated I have departed only in regard to 5 Compare #., § 87. small number of amare ae a in the From the method of trandlation here in- aggregate, to not more than a hundred