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PRELUDE
We have great pleasure in offering to the world of scholars this Volume of Collected Papers of the veteran indologist Professor Madhukar Anant Mehendale, the erstwhile Professor of Sanskrit at the Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute (Pune) and Joint General Editor of the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Sanskrit on Historical Principles of the same Institute, and currently Editor of the Epilogue of the Mahābhārata at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Insitute (Pune), his contributions in all these positions being exemplary. Prof. Mehendale's reputation as a scholar specialized in the diverse fields of Veda and Avesta, Pāli and Prakrit, Historical Linguistics, Inscriptions and Epics has spread far and wide through his sustained and penetrating contributions in these areas. He has also written a few articles in Sanskrit and numerous ones in Marāthi showing concern over contemporary linguistic usages. The famous Kälidāsan line "na khalu dhimatan kaś cid avisayo nāma" (Šakuntala IV. 17, line 4) thus easily comes to mind here. Prof. Mehendale has also guided several students working for research degrees of different Universities, who have made mark later in their respective fields.
Prof. Mehendale's students and admirers had long cherished the idea of getting his published research papers collected in a single volume and making these (except those written in Marathi and Sanskrit) easily available to interested scholars. A Felicitation Committee for the purpose was formed, with Prof. R. N. Dandekar as President, Profs. A. M. Ghatage and C. G. Kashikar as Vice Presidents, Prof. K. V. Sharina as Advisor, Prof. S. D. Laddu as Secretary, Dr. T. N. Dharmadhikari as Treasurer, and some renowned scholars, mostly local, as its Members. Also, an Editorial Committee was formed comprising Prof. S. D. Laddu, Dr. T. N. Dharmadhikari, Dr. Smt. Pratibha Pingle and Dr. Smt. Madhavi Kolhatkar.
An Appeal circulated to a few scholars for financial support in the undertaking met with an enthusiastic response. This, starting from the Editorial Comunittee, was prominently from scholars like : R. N. Dandekar, A. M. Ghatage, C. G. Kashikar, K. V. Sarma, V. N. Misra, M. R. Yardi, A. R. Kulkarni, G. B. Palsule, Saroja Bhate, Shri & Sint. M: G. Dhadphale, A. B. Marathe, Shri & Smt. Vijay Bedekar, Shri & Smt. K. S. Arjunwadkar, M. P. Rege, G. N. Joshi, Ruyintan Peer, H. C. Bhayani, M. A. Dhaky, Jitendra B. Shah, Gerdi Gerschheimer, Ashok Aklujkar, Madhav Deslipande, Uma Chakravarty, A. C. Sarangi, S. S. Bahulkar, W. K. Lele, Yashwantrao Lele,
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