tents without the slightest difficulty. Pundits carry all their splendid libraries in their small physical heads and this, when properly used, is the best way of storing knowledge and using it to the greatest advantage. Sanscrit Poetry has a peculiar charm which enables the student to remember the subject with great facility and quote it without the slightest exertion. The English translation I have given is not literal, but liberal and the sanscrit text inserted in the Devanagari character will help those who know that beautiful language to compare the original text with my translation. I have largely added notes with a view to make the text clear and free from vague or obscure passages. Saraswati represents all knowledge and all gnana (religious wisdom). The Veena (lute) is now acknowledged to be the most perfect of all musical instruments. It is an Indian instrumnnt familiar to most of the Hindu gentlemen. The perfection of an instrument depends upon its capacity to reproduce the tunes of other instruments, faithfully and with grace without its own music being inimitable. If this definition is correct then we can undoubtedly classify Veena as the most perfect of musical instruments of all nations and of all times. I have seen experts on Veena reproducing most wonderfully the music of other instruments, while none of the hundreds of Indian and European musical instruments can hardly imitate the Dasavida Gamakas which are taught to the student of Veena as elementary portion of his lessons. If therefore Saraswathi must have an instrument by the sounds of which she can encharm the whole worldly phenomena, She has rightly been given Veena to accomplish that purpose. She is the Suddantham of Brahma, the Creative Power. That part of Him, which appreciates all knowledge and which is conscious of it is termed Saraswathi. Some quote the 2nd stanza which says that is the safest and most reliable in this Kaliyug and therefore the most valuable for students. But this is omitted by some manuscripts. Parasara was the father of Vaysa one of the greatest names in Aryan Religion and he is the author of various excellent sanscrit works. In the department of law, Parasara stands unrivalled as his Smrithi is considered as of the greatest authority in this yuga. It is therefore an admissable fact, that when an author compiles from Parasarahora he is entitled to the highest authority as that Maharishi seems to have had a peculiar knowledge of the present times and the circumstances which would suit them best.
