1848.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 329 



East India House, ISth Dec. 1847. 



My dear Sir, — From the last numbers of the Journal of the Asiatic 

 Society of Bengal, I observed the active zeal with which the Asiatic Society 

 intend again to show their interest in the ancient literature of India. An 

 edition of the Vedas in India under the direction of a European philologist, 

 who can avail himself of the assistance of brahmans acquainted with the 

 Vedas, and of the rich collections of MSS., has been a wish long time 

 cherished by many scholars, especially in Germany, since the decease of 

 Rosen. The interest and enthusiasm for Indian antiquities appeared unfor- 

 tunately to have ceased of late in India; since Wilson's departure, and 

 Prinsep's death there have been no scholars to represent and promote such 

 undertakings, Your numerous articles in the Asiatic Journal were after a 

 long time the first which gained for the ancient Sanskrit again an honourable 

 place, beside the laws of storms, &c, and the learned world observe with 

 pleasure, that by your connection with the Asiatic Society you have laboured 

 to revive a general interest in Sanskrit literature. 



Could I have a short time ago anticipated, that an edition of the Vedas 

 with commentary should be published in India, I would not have thought of 

 entering here upon such an undertaking, but I heard unfortunately of the 

 intention of the Asiatic Society, when I had already for three 'years been 

 occupied with collecting materials for an edition of the Rig Veda and its 

 commentary, and when I had made engagements which did not permit me 

 to give up my plan. But even if you should not publish the Rig Veda, as 

 I perceive from the August number of your Journal, I rest satisfied, that you 

 will use the rich materials at your disposal in India in the interest of other 

 Vedaic works, especially of such as like the Taittiriya Sanhita and Brahmana 

 are entirely inaccessible in Europe. 



You know yourself how difficult it is to publish in Germany a new work 

 in Sanskrit. "We have no MSS., especially no commentaries, which we have 

 to refer to in the room of Indian Pundits, and a long stay in Paris or London 

 to collect in the Libraries manuscript materials, is difficult and expensive. 

 I had for a long time entertained the desire to know more about the Vedas 

 than it is possible from Rosen's work, and when I had three years ago an 

 opportunity to proceed to Paris, it was my principal endeavour to study the 

 Veda MSS. and to copy as much as I could for an edition of them. I 

 indeed succeeded to maintain myself so long in Paris, that I copied and 

 compared the greater portion of Madhava's commentary. The Bibliothequc 

 Royale possesses a pretty complete copy of this commentary, beside several 

 MSS. of some portions, especially of the first book. But, however correct the 

 MSS. of the text of the Vedas generally are, those of the commentaries are 

 very much corrupted. At the commencement of my labours I nearly despaired 



