anguage and literature, of Hindu
mythology and philosophy. Mr. Montriou has aided, so far as enabled by
juridical acquirements and experience. The language of translation
has, therefore, been a joint labour, often the result of much and
anxious discussion, and, if not unfrequently but a choice of doubtful
alternatives, yet, always a choice made with pains and circumspection.

The text we have generally followed is Stenzler's[2] which is based on
and selected from two MSS. in the royal library at Berlin and two
editions published in Calcutta.[3]

We have not neglected constant comparison with Stenzler's German
translation as well as with the several detached passages as
translated by Colebrooke and W. Macnaghten.

Words within brackets ( [ ] ) are not in the original text.

References to, and extracts from, the standard commentary upon
Yajnavalkya, the Mitakshara, necessarily form the staple of our notes.
All such extracts are distinguished by the initial (_M._), and the
author of the commentary we invariably refer to as, the Commentator.

At the same time, we have not blindly or implicitly followed this
commentator. In some sense all Hindu glosses are untrustworthy guides.
They assume the text to be the language of inspiration; and, as the
several Dharma Sastras not merely differ, but often dispose of the
same subject in a contradictory manner, Pandits deem it their duty to
reconcile all discrepancies, how forced soever their interpretations
may be. In passages so dealt with, we have endeavoured to give the
plain meaning of the original text.

We gratefully acknowledge the obliging assistance, in research,
enquiry, and suggestion, occasionally afforded, in the progress of
our task, by Babus, Chandra Saikhur Dev[4] and Shyamacharana
Sircar.[5]

E. R.

W. A. M.

August 1858.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: _vyavahara._]

[Footnote 2: Yajnavalkya's Gesetzbuch, Sanscrit and Deutsch, Berlin
and London, 1849.]

[Footnote 3: 1. Sanhita of Yajnavalkya, edited by Sri Bhavanicharana
Vandyopadhyaya: 2. The text published in the Mitakshara Dharma
Sastra, Calcutta, 1812.]

[Footnote 4: Formerly head superintendent of the legal and zemindarry
affairs of the maharajah of Burdwan.]

[Footnote 5: Joint chief translator and interpreter H. M. Supreme
Court.]

CORRIGENDA.

Page x, (Introd.) for "Swabhabha" read "Swabhava."

" xi, " " "sl. 241" read "sl. 240.