2023-07-15 11:42:04 by ambuda-bot

This page has not been fully proofread.

GENERAL PREFACE
 
The Samskrit Education Society is one of the latest efforts
made by lovers of Sanskrit in Madras to check the erosion or
elimination of Sansk it which is imminent in the different sectors
of its studies in this part of the country, not withstanding that
South India has been a stronghold of this language in the past
amongst all those who prize intellectual stimulation and spiritual
inspiration. The Society was started with the blessings of H. H.
Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvati, Sankaracharya of Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetha, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his
accession to the Peetha. I have had the pleasure and privilege
of being connected with its management from the inception..
 
In spite of the difficulties of the present situation and the
many causes demanding the help and patronage of the philanth-
ropists, we may assert that during the short period of our
existence, we have made fairly steady progress, although it is not
spectacular. In Pettai, near Madras, we have a large area of land
where our buildings are coming up and a Sanskrit advance study
centre is functioning. We have been concentrating in training
young Pandits already qualified in one Sastra to become equipped
in another Sastra. We have started a few research projects and
publication schemes: a Concordance of Verbal Derivatives, a New
Model Sanskrit Grammar and a Dictionary of Indeclinab les. Another
undertaking of ours is the book on The Teaching of Sanskrit. This
and the Concordance of Verbul Dericatines-Part I, I had the pleasure
of releasing to the public last year.
 
The maintenance and promotion of Sanskrit study in the
schools face two difficulties today, one stemming from the language
formulae of the Government which is explicitly unfavourable to
Sanskrit and secondly, the lack of improved methods of making
its learning easy and popular. The Society may well congratulate
itself on having addressed itself to the latter problem and brought