Autobiographical Notes of Mm. Dr. Sir Ganganatha Jha

We have great pleasure to present our readers with the Autobiographical Notes of Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganatha Jha in the XXXth volume of our Journal It is a fit homage to the great scholar who had in him a rare combination of the traditional erudition and critical approach and the wide outlook of the modern scholarship. We owe much to Dr. Ganganatha Jha. Without his works on Mimist, Nyaya and Vedanta, the European as well as the Indian scholars could not have succeeded in their contributions.

The existence of this work was brought to our notice first in the year 1974 when we were preparing for the Centenary celebrations of Dr. Ganganatha Jha. We invited Dr. Hetukar Jha of Patna University to participate in our functions and he was kind enough to read out some selected portions of the Autobiographical Notes in the presence of scholars and lovers of Dr. Ganganatha Jha. It was at that time that we decided to take up this honourable work of publishing the Autobiographical Notes of Dr. Ganganatha Jha. Due to circumstances, beyond our control, its printing is much delayed and for this we beg to offer our sincere apologies to our readers.

This work has never been published before and brings out many interesting facets of the life of late Dr. Ganganatha Jha which have so far remained unknown even to his close associates, disciples and lovers. Apart from this, the facts about the conditions prevailing in the country in general and educational, social and political in particular, are also brought to the notice of the readers, We earnestly believe that this work will be a valuable addition in the list of the Autobiographies published so far and will be a veri table source of inspiration for the students and scholars of Indology.

We are glad to put before the scholars of Indology, the Auto biographical Notes of the late Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Sir Ganga Natha Jha. Dr. Hetukar Jha at the request of Dr. Aditya Natha Jha, the youngest son of Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit G. N. Jha, has put in a shape the scattered notes written by Panditji himself at different times. During his retirement Panditji wrote occasionally in the 'Leader' some articles under the pseudo-nym 'Dreamer'. We are trying to collect these articles and we propose to publish them in this Journal, as early as possible. Panditji was the greatest Sanskrit scholar of Northern India in the 20th century and one wishes that his complete biography may be written by a competent person. He was an 'Influence' on all those who came into contact with him in his various fields of activity. He inspired his pupils to a great extent and all of them worship him. His colleagues had genuine respect for his unostentatious life and simple Eving. His pupils have been instrumental in teaching Sanskrit and encouraging its study after him.

We are grateful to Dr. Hetukar Jha for editing the Autobiographical Notes and we are sure they will be appreciated by Panditji's pupils and admirers. Dr. Harihar Jha, the Acting Principal, has helped in bringing out this volume and for it he deserves our thanks. Dr. Mrs. Maya Malaviya saw the work through the Press and we highly appreciate her service.

Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Sir Ganganatha Jha, the account of whose life from his own pen is presented here, it is said, used to write at least eighty pages daily. His inwardness in Sanskrit learning and culture was of too high an order to fail him even about the subtlest points of Minansa and Nyaya sutras while translating them into English. His zeal for understanding the Indian systems of philosophy, translating and reflecting upon it regularly carried him far in his pursuit and his life-pattern appears now as a manifestation of that very zeal. Most of the time it is said, he was seen doing something-either writing or reading. His life is full of the accounts of this passion-and this was his only passion. He took it in the spirit of tapasya. This tapasya continued till the last breath producing at quick intervals those volumes which opened the gates for scholars to Mimansa, Nyaya, Dharmashastra etc. and will stay as gems of the old Sanskrit tradition.

**Contents and Sample Pages**