Amarakosa of Amarasingh (A Sanskrit Dictionary of Amarasingh's amalinganusasanam in three Chapters Critically Edited with Introduction and English Equivalents for each word and English Word-Index)

Preface

The study of any Language consists in mastering its vocabulary and Grammar and then its Literature. To master the vocabulary simply becomes a hard task, if some means for remembering the words of that Language are not devised, either by studying the best Literature of that Language or versification of words with their meaning. In no Language except Sanskrit, this feat of versification has been successfully accomplished. Consequently an old Pandit having mastered the versified vocabulary of Sanskrit easily understands or scans any difficult verse given to him without the aid of Dictionary.

In the Sanskrit Language, so far as over 100 such versified vocabularies and old commentaries, have upto now been discovered. While commenting on any Sanskrit work commentators quote such Lexicons as Amarkosa, Vaijayanti, Sasvat Kosa etc., as authorities for the exact meaning of such words, The Chief lexicon, most highly valued by all is Amara's (5th century) Namalinganusasana. It has been commented upon by many excellent scholars, such as (9th century), (A.D. 1431), (12th century), commentary stands first, on account of its richness of quotations from various authors. While editing it with the text of Amara's Namalinganusasana, we have made new arrangements of separately printing the text, so that it could be useful to both students studying Sanskrit through the medium of English and to the Sanskrit knowing persons, by way of enriching their English vocabulary. On account of this want, our Pandit class are at a discount to raise their heads equal to the English-knowing Professors. From the perusal of the text in the following pages, it may be seen that the following changes have been made:

(1) The printing of original Sanskrit words has been made in bold type. (2) While their meaning and their grammatical notes, as given by Amarasinha, have been printed in ordinary types. (3) English equivalents have been given in the margin with their number for each word. (4) The verses considered as by have been separately shown and numbered.

These arrangements would help both the teachers and the taught to study the Sanskrit vocabulary very conveniently. If this book of Amarakosa be studied in the High Schools from Standards IV to VII by convenient divisions for each standard, it would be a boon to the students, so much so that they would be able to read any Sanskrit book easily like an English novel. We conclude, therefore, with a sincere request to the Educational authorities to get this book prescribed in High Schools with convenient divisions of it from St. IV to VII and thus revive the study of the dying Sanskrit Language.