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mind. The world (of literature) can boast of few such grand old themes; and few such great men may the world hold to treat of such great topics. We certainly know of many. learned men. Our own Bharta Khanda possesses not a few. How can we even enumerate the scholars of Europe ? Who can realise the magnitude of their learning? We lack the power of even conceiving their consummate perseverance. Still, in all this wealth of erudition we generally miss the divine spark. Max-Müller's intellect does not shine so much by reason of its extent or altitude as owing to the living spark which illumines it. Philosophers are all, of course, so many custodians of knowledge. But Max-Müller Bhatta is as exhaustless a donor as he is a custodian. He not only understands a thing himself, but has the power of making others understand it. This rare quality is the crowning trait of his genius. There must be something more than human in the intellect that seems successfully to grapple with the problem-How came tho human soul to have a knowledge of the unseen but all-seeing Soul Universal !
Such wavelets of thought began to float over my mind on going through the Hibbert Lectures. In the impulse of gratitude I wrote to the author:-Your Lectures, which have acquir. ed such celebrity throughout Europe, may perhaps be studied to some purpose by students like myself; but are they to remain a sealed book for the millions of Aryans who never study a foreign language?" In reply the author lovingly said, "When writing them I was often thinking of my friends in your country more than of my audience at Westminster . . . I am anxious to see them translated into Sanskrit .... I am deeply interested in the effect they may produce in India ...' I mentioned the matter to friends, but none would take it up. I wrote again:-Excuse me for Sanskrit now; but what say you to a Gujarati translation to begin with ?” The author approved of the proposal, again expressing his anxiety and the hope that the Government and the public would assist me, as
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
