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FOREWORD
TWO YEARS AGO, the Triad of Bhartphari's Centurios edited
. by Prof. Kosambi with an anonymous southern commentary was published as No. 9 of the Bharatiya Vidyā Series. In my General Editor's Preface, I had announced that a comprehensive and critical editio princeps of the same work prepared by Prof. Kosambi would soon reach the hands of learned readers. This is the work, the twenty-third of the present series, which now becomes available to scholars,
How the idea of editing the present work in this form originate Prof. Kosambi's mind, how he prepared the definitive critical text after procuring hundreds of manuscripts and all available printed editions, has been set forth concisely but attractively in his preface and introduction in words that suffice to acquaint the reader fully with all essential particulars.
As I have related in my introductory remarks referred to above, Prof. Kosambi's main and preferred branch of knowledge is the study and teaching of mathematics. As the senior professor in so outstanding an institution devoted to the profound study of the sciences as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, he ranks among the handful of leading Indian specialists in mathematics. His principal research has been in mathematics. In that subject his valuable contributions have attracted the attention of leading European and American mathematicians, securing him invitations from UNESCO and to visiting professorships abroad.
Prof. Kosambi is the worthy son of my dearly beloved friend and respected contemporary, the late Dharmanandji; and hence, he has belonged from his childhood to the group closest to me; the proof he gave of integrity, concentration, and unflagging love of knowledge drew my heart ever closer to him. It was natural that my heart and soul should feel still deeper and broader a sentiment of "mineness" when I saw him develop as close an acquaintance with the pursuit of Sanskrit studies as with mathematics. Consequently, my mind experiences considerable embarrassment in giving further introductory details about him.
It is painful to record that my dear friend Dharmānandji, who himself first pointed out to me four years ago, the preoccupation of his "Bábä" with the collection and edition of Bhartphari's epigrams and suggested to Baba the possibility of publishing in this Series, is no longer in this world to see with his living eyes the success of his son's researches in Sanskrit text-criticism,
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