बृहत्संहिता (आचार्य वराहमिहिर - स्थापत्य, खगोल, मौसम व जल विज्ञान)

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many authors in this field whose works are now lost.
We are not pioneers in presenting an English translation
of this great work. Before us, Dr. Kern and Chidam-
bara Iyer have translated it. But those editions are not
available now. Moreover, they are deficient in some
respects. They do not also give the translation by the
side of the text.
We too might have nodded in certain places in
spite of our care and scrutiny ; for, we are also human
beings and this is a very big work whose publication has
necessarily extended over a long period. We have given
notes under the translation wherever necessary and not
grouped the notes in an appendix to avoid the reader
being put to inconvenience by referring to the concerned
pages.
The author says at the end of the work, the course
of the work and the Slokas it contains. Here Sloka
means a ग्रन्थ or 32 syllables.
It may not be out of place here if we tell the readers
that in spite of the heavy cost of printing and paper, the
price of this book has been kept sufficiently low in order
to enable all classes of readers to have easy access to it.
We take this opportunity to record our heartfelt thank-
fulness to Mr. V. B. Srikantaiya, Proprietor, Messrs.
V. B. Soobiah & Sons, Printers, for printing this huge
work promptly in a spirit of cordial co-operation and
service to the Goddess of Learning, in spite of the
scarcity of labour and consequent hardships.
BANGALORE, } V. SUBRAHMANYA SASTRI.
27th December 1946. } M. RAMAKRISHNA BHAT.