Risht Samucchaya

Author(s): Durgadevacharya, A S Gopani
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 26

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as donors like himself were there. He smiled at it with a suppressed sense of satisfaction and also remarked that he had to assume the role of a negotiator for a buyer who he himself was eventually to be. He considered seriously my candid utterance and made up his mind from that moment, lucky of course for the Bhavan, to donate the Library to the Bhavan. He invited the professor concerned to his residence and talked in my presence about the approximate cost of the whole collection which appearing rather more to him and to me, the bargain could not be struck. He himself thereafter suggested to me to go in for the Nahar collection and promised with his usual preparedness to make complete arrangements in due course of time for the same. As was natural with him, he disallowed me at the same time from making known his intentions to any From close association with him I very well knew this aspect of his sobre mind. This taciturnity of his mind was so much developed that even his sons who are equally able and worthy did not get a clue to his intentions till they were put into practice. But to our great mishap he did not live long enough to present this literary treasure to the Bhavan himself; but his eldest son and my beloved friend, Babu Shri Rajendra Singh has fulfilled his father's wish though he was totally ignorant of it and has got this unique collection for the Bhavan and spent Rs. 50,000/- for the purpose.
one.
Singhiji began to take keen interest in the progress and development of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, seeing that it had at last become the centre of research and literary activities of Shri Munshiji and mine. In his last visit to Bombay he had also expressed to me his sincere desire to come and stay occasionally with us in the building of the Bhavan at Andheri when it is made over to us after the war.
At this time he also expressed with great enthusiasm his generous desire in clear terms as to how increasing progress of the Series can be achieved and how more works can be brought out with added speed. He also told me to make an arrangement, as I wished, regarding as much publication as possible of the works in the Series till I and he were alive, whishing me not to worry at all concerning the expenses. He mentioned that