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The design of A Sanskrit Reader is twofold. In the first place, it is to
serve as an introduction to the subject for the students of our colleges and
universities. This Reader is designed, in the second place, to render a
knowledge of Sanskrit accessible to the classical teachers of high-schools,
academies, and colleges.
Besides, it is intended to help correct some of the false notions
respecting the relations of Sanskrit to other languages of the
Indo-European family, and to save the literature from undue depreciation and from exaggerated praise.
In making selections from the various Sanskrit writings, the author had two practical aims in view: first, to provide abundant material for thorough drill in the language of the classical period; and, secondly, to furnish a brief introduction to the works of the Vedic period, Mantra, Brahmana and Sutra.
Among the Vedic hymns (or Mantra-material) are, some of
the easiest: then some taken on account of their poetic or dramatic merit, or
their ethical interest; and finally some taken because of their historical
importance. For the most part, a repetition of the hymns given by Delbrueck and
by Boehtlingk in their Chrestomathies has been avoided. The Brahmana pieces are
chosen in such a way as to show the relation of this kind of literature to the
hymns or Mantras.
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