पृष्ठ:Sakuntala in Hindi.pdf/९

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PREFACE

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THE objeet of the present work is to provide those wishing to learn the Ifindi language with a text-book of an advanced character. At the present time there is only one Hindi text-book in existenec, the IMindi Reader'; a work in every respect admirably suited to the eud for which it was designed, namely, that of an introduction. TO follow this, books have lhd to be selected from the lyest that offered themselves among those recently published in India. These works are translations from either Sanskrit, Persian, or English lyooks, and were published for the information of the liindus on the subjects of wllielh they respectively treat; but, llowever suitable they may be in their place, no care whaterer was taken to make then proper vehicles for imparting a knowledge of the Iindi idiom. Their author's could not, indeed, lhare erer expected them to come to be used for such a purpose ; and they abound in irregularities of grammal and construction, false gender, unsystematie spelling, provincialisms, and other objectiouable objectiouablech are likely to couluse mueli rather than to instruct the learner. For these and other reasons, it was felt that (considering the growing importance of the liindi language) an advanced text-book specially prepared for the use of Europeans and Indians familiar with the English language could not be otherwise than welcom me The present volume is offered as such a book


The reasons for choosing the Sakuntla for this purpose are many and satisfactory. First, the Sakuntla is a thoroughly Indian tale,breathing a purely Indian sentiment; Secondly, the legend is most popular in India, so that all about to resitle there ought to be familiar with it, to avoid a feeling akin to that of a man who should pretend to education in England without having read Shakspear'; Thirdly, the