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I have been working on this edition off and on since 1961 and it was a pleasure to be associated with this remarkable Poet for such a long period, during which I was living, as it were, two existences, the present one and that of Bhavabhūti and Vākpatirāja. in the eighth century. Dr. Upadhye stood by me all along through thick and thin, spurring me on from time to time whenever he found me slack in my efforts. Himself an eminent high-ranking scholar of Indology, he plays the laudable rôle of a mentor to many of us, giving us inspiration for work by his own example and guiding us all along in our difficulties. An outward expression of a few words of gratefulness would be quite inadequate to tell him what I feel about him for all the help he gave me in my work.
I am also indebted to Pandit D. Malvania, the Secretary of the Prakrit Text Society, for including my Edition of the Gaüdavaho in the Society's plan to bring out new editions. of ancient Prakrit literary works and I do sincerely thank him for it. Dr. P. L. Vaidya, President of the Prakrit Text Society of India and an eminent savant of Indology has graced my edition of the Gaüļavaho with a Foreward, for which I am deeply grateful to him.
As the work went to the press, the problem of proof-reading stood before me like a bug-bear in my present physical condition, handicapped as I was, by age and impaired eye-sight. I was relieved, however, when my cousin, Prof. N.V. Vaidya, Professor of Prakrits, Fergusson College Poona, (retired), offered to help me in. this connection and I am glad to say that he did this job very well. I feel it is my duty to thank him for this help, although he may, not like it.
The printing work has been expeditiously. done in the Aryabhushan Press under the vigilant supervision of its meticulous. Manager, Shri. V. A. (Shasaheb ) Patwardhan, who guided and goaded me throughout during the last year and half. I am
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