The first break came after about fifteen years when I identified the most common symbol as the bull (Ukshan). After examining a frequently occurring seal text which was also replicated on copper tablets, I concluded that there was a world famous Mahakal temple at Mohenjodaro Daro. I also focused on a very common sign-triplet and linked it to the Vedic-Puranic tradition. I wrote my first paper on the seals, which was warmly praised by Mr. I Mahadevan. This gave me the much needed impetus and I continued my studies with renewed vigour. My work on the seals was also acclaimed by Prof. B. N. Mukherjee and Prof. R. N. Dandekar. Prof. A. K. Narain praised my views on Asoka and Palibothra. In the absence of bilinguals, there is a speculative element in decipherment, but as A. Parpola confirms, the endeavour is of crucial importance. Fortunately, confirmation comes from parallels in the Persian and Sumerian cultures. Prof. S. H. Langdon emphasized the Sumerian parallels.

Krsna is the kingpin of the Mahabharata and I have identified Bhagwanpura as the early Mathura of Krsna. But now I dearly miss the expert guidance of Prof. B. N. Mukherjee or Prof. A. K. Narain. In a way, Dr. R. S. Bisht's suggestion of a link between Sanauli and Bara culture was a prime motivator of my research. This seems to open up new vistas in the search for the Aryans. Another eye-opener was Prof. R. N. Iyengar's work on the Rigvedic 'Irina'. I thank Prof. Deena Bandhu Pandey for discussions and help in the publication of my papers. Thanks are also due to Dr. S. Kalyanaraman for drawing my attention to problems related to the seal messages. Lastly, I thank Mr. Suman Kumar Pathak of Research India Press for shouldering the responsibility of making my work available to a wider section of readers.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages