Page:Prabôdha chandrôdaya, or, Rise of the moon of intellect- a spiritual drama ; and, Âtma bodha, or, The knowledge of self (microform) (IA prabdhachandr00krsnrich).pdf/7



INTRODUOTION.

The word Prabédha is derived from pra—meaning forth, or before, and bédha—knowledge, hence, it signifies the knowledge which dispels ignorance. In Professor H, H, Wilson's Dictionary, we find the following equivalents :—wakefuiness, active or vigilant state of being ; intellect, understanding, knowledge, wisdom. In the Marathi Dictionary, published under the direction of the Board of Education, in Bombay, the learned shastris aud pandits say that Prabédha means the knowledge which removes the darkness of wgnorance caused by the illusion of Maya, and shaws the relation- ship of self, or soul, with the Universe of matter and spirit, Mr, J, Taylor,the author of the work usesthe word “Intellect,” for Pra- bédha ; but it does not convey the full and comprehensive meaning as explained in Marathi Dictionary.

The word Chandrédaya.—from Chandra, the Moon, and udaya, the dawn, meaus—‘ The dawn or rising of the Moon.’ ‘The word ‘Moon’ is also used to express the God presiding over the mind, and sometimes the mind itself, There is such a close relation between the Moon and man's mind that the changes in her position affect the mind, either physically or morally, and produeo either good or bad results,

Prabidha Chandrédaya,—The Title of this book, may, therefore, be properly said to imply either “The dawn of the light, or knowledge dispelling the darkness resulting from the ignorance of mind, caused by the illusion of Maya” ; or “The spiritual awakening of the mind.”

This volume being simply a repriat of the translation, we retain the original Title of the book though, in our humble opinion, it does not convey fully the sense.

The work was written by Krishna Misra of Maithila, one of the greatest scholars and ‘philosophers of his time, to expose, ridicule, �