The endeavours of Th. Aufrecht in his "Beitrage zur Kenntniss indicher Dichter" and F. W. Thomas in his Introduction to the Kavindravacana- samuccaya' to give a list of poets quoted in different subhasita-samgraha-s have proved to be very useful for our closer acquaintance with the literature of ancient and mediaeval India. These poets would have been completely unknown to us if their names and verses had not been preserved in the Sanskrit subhasita- samgraha-s and in the subhasita-samgrahas of 'Greater India'.
The aim of the present Maha-subhasita-samgraha is to continue to a much larger extent the work begun by Otto Bohtlingk who in three big volumes collected, edited and translated into German 7613 verses (he called them Spruche: but I prefer to call them subhasita-s), as well as of Th. Aufrecht and F. W. Thomas who gave lists of authors quoted in various subhasita-sangraha-s with indications where they occurred.
It has been emphasized several times before that "an up-to-date compendium containing all the known subhasita-s arranged in an alphabetical order is still a necessity"". The opinion has also been expressed several times that if anthologies in Sanskrit were to be exploited in any significant manner for the study of the history of Sanskrit literature (the importance of the subhasita-s for the history of Sanskrit literature is widely admitted), comprehensive indices and concordances of all the available anthologies would have to be prepared; they would also provide a compass to those who navigate in the ocean of subhasita literature, The present Maha-subhasita-samgraha is intended to fill this gap.
The work on the present Maha-subhasita-sangraha was started in 1966 and the first volume is appearing only today. First, extensive indices of subhasita-s were to be prepared and then only could the editing of individual subhasita-s be started.
1. The Sanskrit literature has reached its apogee in its didactic poetry with thousands of moral maxims, ethical teachings and wise sayings. This floating expression of sound judgments preserved in metrical form are mines of practical good sense and evidence the wisdom of the Hindus which elevated them to a high position among the nations of the globe.
2. Indian authors displayed a profound knowledge of human nature with all the weaknesses and defects and have given sound moral advice with respect to various situations in which human beings were likely to wound up. These authors particularly believed that the present conduct of humans is a result of previous existence and therefore their present action will heavily bear on their future. Consequently these actions should be good and moral and thus bring happiness in future life. In order to help the individuals to conduct themselves properly they gave them moral and ethical advice, moral and ethical guidance and instruction in 'practical wisdom: that gave rise to the didactic literature with its wise sayings, advisory sentences and sententious maxims, as well as to the composition of innumeral pithy epigrams of proverbial philosophy- miniature word-paintings which contain deep thoughts masterly incorporated in two verse measures. They are scattered throughout the entire Sanskrit literature. These epigrams, aphorisms, wise sayings, maxims, adages, however quaintly expressed, contain the essence of some moral truths or practical lessons; they are drawn from real life and give the fruit of philosophy grafted on the stem of experience; they furnish an index to the spirit of a nation and are the result of its civilisation. In India most of these wise sayings in poetical form mostly composed in sloka-s or anustubh-s, belonged to the mass of oral tradition; they were not assembled in any collections but floated freely in order to be quoted at any appropriate occasion by Indian intellectuals. They contained not only sententious precepts and beautiful thoughts but were also expressed in cultivated language, well and beautifully turned and eloquently said they dealt with a variety of subjects and had as their object practical wisdom or a moral thought by entertaining examples as well as precepts; they carried both mood and suggestion even if quoted out of the context; they had often a tinge of poetry, the poetical skill being exhibited in the intricate play of words which created a slight wit, humour or satire; they arose laughter, scorn, compassion and other moods. Often these short pieces of excellent poetry written by known poets and containing universal truths became generally adopted as wise and pleasing expression of verity, so that ultimately their authorship was forgotten and they became authorless. These are subhasita-s or sukti-s-sayings, epigrams, sententious precepts, didactic teachings.
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