Raja Radbakanta Bahadur's grand Encyclopedic Lexi¬
con called the Sabdakalpadruma ia now entirely out of print. In
1855, we obtained from the generous Author tbe copyright of
the work, and now undertake its republication.
We need not dwell on the high importance of a work which
is greedily sought after by tbe Pandits of India, and the Savans
of Europe and America; which has been eulogized by the most
celebrated philologists and Sanscrit Scholars of the day, and which
has obtained for its Author the highest honors from Kings and
learned Institutions.
We at first intended only to reprint the first Edition, incor¬
porating with it the mutter contained in the Supplement, with
such additions as might be availed of, from materials of which
we were already in possession, whereby we would have gratified
the wish of a large class of our countrymen to bring out the
work within the shortest period of time, hut we soon found out
thnt, prodigious und unremitting us has heen the labour of the
author of tbe Sabdukalpadruma during almost half a century, he
has but laid out the loiindatiun of a stupendous work which would
require the persevering efforts of generations lo complete; we
have therefore preferred the permanent interests of Sanscrit learn¬
ing to considerations of speed , nnd have accordingly set ourselves
to prepare exhaustive indices of a large body of Sanskrit works
which may come to our reach , to this task, however, as no limit
ran be easily assigned , we have commenced the impression of the
new edition, resolving to enrich it witb so much of the new
materials as may he forthcoming during ~ the publication of the
different parts of the work, and to reserve the rest for a copious
Appendix.
We shall explain here the improvements we intend to make
in tbe present edition.
1. The contents of the Rajah's Appendix, lately published,
will be incorporated with the body of the work.
2. Large additions are to be made from tbe various works
of Sanscrit Literature and Science, most of which have been
rendered easy of access and reference from their recent puhlication.
3. The Vaidic vocables are to he introduced witb tbe inter¬
pretations uf celebrated comnentators, for which the great Sanscrit
Wörterbuch , now being published under Ihe auspices of tbe im¬
perial Academy of Sciences at .St. Petersburg, serves as Sn
ample index.
4. Numerical references will be given ot tbe divisions of
tbe works to be cited as authorities; instead of their names heing
set forth in full which annecessorily occupies much space, their
initials will be nsed.
5. In respect to the grammatical and lexicographical portion
of the work — we shall give the primitive form of the word,
note next to it its grammatical character and the change it under¬
goes according to its g^enders, and conclude with giving its Ety¬
mon aod indicating the Samdsa or character of the compound.
The different siguifications will he numbered nnd supported, as
far as practicable, hy their respective authorities. Instead of the
verbal symbols of Vopadeva, the classes of verbs and the directionN
for their principal inflectional changes will be fully denoted and
the variety of meanings of a verb arising from its combination
with prepositions will he given under it, tritb illustrations ac¬
cording to tlie plan of modern European Dictionaries. Any ne«
meanings or synonymes of words, omitted in the old edition will,
as far as available, be carefully introduced in their proper places.
Tbe Cyclopedic matter will, generally be increased and useful
information , wherever needed, will be supplied.
In otber points the design of tlie work will he the same a*
in the original edition.
Tb« hook is to be printed in the Devandgara character on
good English printing paper, it will be publisbed in Quarto
Pamphlets of 10 forms wbicb will be issued from 2 to 3 months
each at Rs. 1-8.
We expect tbe first No. to come out of tbe press towards
tbe end of December next. We invite upon it tbe free criticism
of Seascrit scholars, that we may avail ourselves of Iheir sug-
gesUoas in Ae future 'numbers ; we shall even most gladly reprint
the first No., if we deem it necessary to do so, in order to
comply with their requisitions, whereby we will he also enabled
ta tura to account a good deal of unavailed-of materials.
We deem it meet te mention here that in prosecuting this
labor, we avail ourselves of the aid of,tbe best Pandits, aud
that but for the assistance generously offered by our veoeralile
relativa, tbe illustrious author of Ibe Sabdakalpadruma, who bus
undertaken to correct the printed proofs , we could not bave
veatnred oa ao arduous an undertaking at all.
Those wbo wish to patronize tbe work , are requested to
communicate their orders to us direct or to our agents in Lon-
doa, Measra. WilluUns and Norgate, 14, Henrietta Street , Covent
Garden , London,
tat January, 18A9. Amritalala Mitra.
Srinatha Ghosh a.
Anaada Krishna Vasu,
No, 34, Hiij» iNiibkiuen Street, Sobba Bazar, Calcutta.
Zur hauranischen Alterthumskunde.
Von
Dr. O. Blau.
Trapezunt, 17. April 1860.
Für jeden 'der sicli mit den neuentdeckten sabäischen Alter¬
thümern in Ostsyrien heschäftigt, gewinnen ein erneutes Interesse
die griechischen Inschriften, welche in nicbt geringer
Znhl im Hauran gefunden sind , nicht hloss weil in ihnen manche
.Andeutungen Uher Landescultur, Götterdienste und staatliche Ein¬
richtungen der Zeit, aus der sie stammen, enthalten sind, son¬
dern hesonders auch, wei) aus ihnen mancberlei üher das Idiom,
welches die nichtgriechische Bevölkerung des Landes Sprach,
gelernt werden kann.
>So sind denn auch die von Porler ( Five Years iu Damascus.
Lond. 18,').')) mitgetheilten Inschriften ein dankenswertber Zu¬
wachs dieses übrigens im Berliner Corpus Inscriptionum schon
reichlich vertretenen und nur leider nocb zu wenig ausgebeuteten
Materials. In- den Händen des Hrn. Hogg, der nach Porter I,
368 seine Bemerkungen dazu im J. J.854 vor der K. Britanni¬
schen litterarischen Gesellschaft las, scheinen sie jedoch, nach
den in den Anmerkungen des P.sehen Buches gegebenen Pröbchen
zu scbliessen , nicht ehen an den rechten Mann gelangt zu sein.
Besser gelungen ist eine andere Besprechung die ein Theil der¬
selhen durch einen nordamerikanischen Gelehrten, Prof. Woolsey
im V. Bande des Journal of the Amer. orieut, soc. S. 183—189
erfahren hat. Nur ist. seine Vorstellung vun der Nationalität des
ungriechischen Elementes in denselben mindestens uuklar ausge¬
drückt, wenn er in den Namen syrische Wurzeln und sogar
biblische Eriuuerungeu sucht. Ich unterschreibe daher seinen
Schlusswunsch : Would it not repay some one skilled in the Se¬
mitic dialects to make a collection of the Syrian uBaies found
upon tbe monuments, and trace them to their roots t nur mit dem
Vorbehalt, dass das „ Syrian" geograpbiscb, aber nicht ethno¬
graphisch verstanden werde.
1. Ich beginne mit einer Inschrift, die ein mehrfaches ar¬
chäologisches interesse bietet: der bei Porter II, 126 in Fac-
Bd. XV. 29
