पृष्ठम्:संस्कृत-हिन्दी शब्दकोशः (चतुर्वेदी).djvu/२

PREFACE F late years great efforts have been made to raise the standard of education in our schools and universities, and the study of no subicct has attracted so much attention as that of the Indian Vernacalars. The educated public, as well as those responsible for our educational institutions, have been taking progressive interest in their teaching and development. Not long ago an academy has been instituted for the purpose of improving the Vernacolars with the moral and material blessings of the Government. The classics, however, have not been so fortunate. Their studies are in comparative neglect. They have to yield their high place to mere utilitarian and modern subjects. The present day tendency in education to subordinate what is purely or mostly cultural, to what is primarily utilitarian has thrown classics in shade. Of all the classical langeages Sanskrit has suffered most. Persian and Arabic are still popular with their admirers, for they (the admirers) have not yet decided to break off more or less completely from their past culture or ancient literature. They would not be satisfied with a second-hand and scrappy knowledge of their old literature through the translations by foreigners in foreign languages. With the former champion of Sanskrit it is otherwise. A great many of those, who wield influence in the spheres of politics, education or social matters, even hesitate to do lip-service to that language in which the glories of their past are recorded. To them all old things of their country are only fit to be forgotten. Their neglect of Sanskrit has almost verged on hatred. They object even to that style of Hindi, which uses Sanskrit or words derived from it. And these very persons would gladly support the infusion of foreign words and derivatives into Prindi which might sound Hebrew and Greek to an average Hindi-speaking person! Yet Sanskrit occupies an unique position-not only in the history and enl ture of Aryavarta-but also among the languages of the world. Dr. Ogilvie and Wilson did not overestimate the importance of Sanskrit when they said: