Mahavastu-Avadana (Set of 3 Volumes)

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I have much pleasure to present the second volume of Mahavastu Avadana. The plan of the work is the same as in volume one, which appeared two years ago.

It is indeed very gratifying that Dr. Biswanath Banerjee, Professor and Head of the Department of Pali of this college has taken upon himself the responsibility of seeing the work through.

It is expected that the third volume will come out in less than a year's time.

The Introduction attached to the first volume of the Mahavastu-avadana contains what the present editor has to say on the cultural life of the Indians (published in March, 1963) as revealed in the treatise, specially regarding its (1) political, (2) social and economic, and (3) religious aspects. I, therefore, refrain from making any other intro- ductory remarks. Here again at the suggestion of Principal G. N. Sastri, a summary of the contents of Volume II of the treatise is given to enable the readers to understand easily the different topics dealt with in the book.

The First Volume of our edition of the Mahavastu- avadana was published by the Sanskrit College, Calcutta, in March 1963. The present work is the Second Volume of that Buddhist Sanskrit treatise. This edition of the Second Volume, as that of the First, also contains, with certain variations here and there, the original text as prepared by the late French Savant E. Senart and published in Paris in 1890, now again printed in Devanagari script along with my translat translation in Bengali gali language and printed in Bengali ript, and the Preface and the Introduction which mainly includes a résumé of the contents in English language and script. So this edition of Volume II is also a tri-lingual one, with an Index of proper names and important words.

In the publication of this Volume I have been fully helped by my friend, a young scholar, Dr Biswanath Banerjee, Professor and Head of the Department of Pali, Sanskrit College, Calcutta, who at the instance of Principal Dr G. N. Sastri, took upon himself the onerous task of correcting the final proofs of the work and I, therefore, unhesitatingly express here my deep sense of gratitude to him for offering me this scholarly assistance, undoubtedly out of sympathy for an older man like me now at his 80th year. Dr B. N. Chaudhury, Lecturer in Pali in the Sanskrit College, also helped me in arranging the Index-cards of words.

I cannot also forget to record here my great thankful- ness to Pandit Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharyya Sastri, Tarka- Vedantatirtha and Pandit Nani Gopal Chakravarti Kavya- Vyakarana-Tarka-tirtha, Editor and Assistant Editor respectively of Calcutta Sanskrit College Research series, for all kinds of assistance in the publication of this volume.

Lastly I should not omit to make mention here of Sree Saraswaty Press Limited for their excellent execution of the printing affair involved in the publication of this edition of Volume II of the treatise.

**Contents and Sample Pages**