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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1898.
that he insisted on articles relating to India being written in English for the Vienna Oriental Journal, and that he persuaded even the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Vienna to print in its Proceedings papers in the English language, - es be once said to one of his English friends, not to save you trouble, but for the good of those in India. His friendly relations with the Natives of India enabled him to find many things which no other European could have found; they also enabled him to gain an insight into the inner life and thought of the Indian people, such as only few Europeans, though they may have spent years in India, have been able to obtain. And it was this intimate acquaintance with Hinda modes of thought and with the inner life of the Hindus, which made intercourse with Bühler, and above all his academical teaching, so very inspiring and so extremely instructive.
In fact, what was said of Benfey, that his inspirations were more wonderful than his science,' applies even in a greater measure to Bühler, Benfey's great pupil. It was impossible for any one, whatever special department of Indian research he might be interested in, to converse with Bühler even for half an hour only, without gaining from him new points of view and many new inspirations. How much more must this apply to those who like the present writer) have actually had the good fortune of sitting as pupils at Bühler's feet? When in 1880 the Indian climate affected his health and he had to leave India, he was speedily appointed to the chair of Sanskrit and Indology in the University of Vienna, and with unabated energy he devoted himself to the duties of his chair. Even when teaching the elements of Sanskrit, he was inspired by the same enthusiasm as that with which he pursued his important archæological and epigraphic researches and worked out the most difficult problems of Indian history. It was a real pleasure to attend his Elementary Course of Sanskrit.' The same practical method of teaching the elements of Sansksit, which he and Prof. Bhåndarkar had, with such great success, used in Indian Colleges, was introduced by him in the University of Vienna. For this purpose he published, in 1883, a practical handbook for the study of Sansksit, - his Leitfaden für den Elementarkursus des Sanskrit. When I began the study of Sanskrit in 1881, he was just printing this Leitfaden for use at his own lectures; and how we rejoiced at every new sheet that came from the press! An English translation of this Handboole, under the title Sanskrit Primer, was published in America by Prof. Perry (Boston, 1886). His Elementary Course of Sanskrit' was followed by the reading of easy texts, and never shall I forget the happy hours when I read with Bühler the immortal Nalopákhyána. When we had surmounted the initial difficulties of the study of Sansksit, he began to initiate us into the different branches of Sanskrit literature by reading with us specimens of the ornate style of classical Sanskrit poetry and poetical prose, e. g., Baņa's Kadambari; we were introduced to Paņini by the reading of the Siddhantakaumudi, to the Alankárasástra, by Vámana's treatise, to Hindu philosophy by the Vedúntasára and the Tarkasoshgraha, to the drama by Kilidasa's Malavikágnimitra to the Veda by reading & selection of hymns with Sayana's commentary, to the Dharmasastra by the interpretation of the Mitákshará, and at the same time he lectured to us on Sanskrit Syntax, on Indian History, on Epigraphy, on the history of the Hindu law books, etc.; and both within and without the lecture room he took the greatest personal interest in every one of his pupils : like a true Indian Guru, he was as a father to his disciples, who will cherish his memory with anceasing gratitude.
As Professor in the University Bühler was also anxious to make Vienna a centre of Oriental studies. With this end in view he became one of the Editors of a literary and criti. cal supplement to the Monatsschrift für den Orient, edited by the Vienna Oriental Museum, in which he published several important reviews (1884-86). Shortly before the Congress of Orientalists held at Vienna in 1886, he founded, together with the other Professors of Oriental languages at the University and with the assistance of Baron von Gautsch who was then Minister of Public Instruction, the Oriental Institute of Vienna University. I still remember the the proud satisfaction and delight, with which he walked through the two rooms of the University di yoted to this Institute, and how pleased he was to see his papils working in it.
