The Baitál Pachísí: Or, Twenty-five Tales of a Demon : a New Edition of the Hindí Text, with Each Word Expressed in the Hindústání Character Immediately Under the Corresponding Word in the Nágarí, and with a Perfectly Literal English Interlinear Translation, Accompanied by a Free Translation in English at the Foot of Each Page, and Explanatory Notes

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William Burckhardt Barker, Edward Backhouse Eastwick
Stephen Austin, 1855 - 369 pages

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Page vi - Nor is there a greater object of compassion than a fine boy, full of animal spirits, set down on a bright sunny day, with a heap of unknown words before him, to be turned into English before supper, by the help of a ponderous dictionary alone. The object in looking into a dictionary can only be, to exchange an unknown sound for one that is known. Now, it seems indisputable, that the sooner this exchange is made the better. The greater the number of such exchanges which can be made in a given time,...
Page 15 - The giant raised himself from the ground, and when in a sitting posture, began in solemn tones to speak as follows : ' In short, the history of the matter is, that three men were born in this same city of Ujjayani, in the same lunar mansion, in the same division of the great circle described upon the ecliptic, and in the same period of time. You, the first, were born in the house of a king. The second was an oilman's son, who was slain by the third, a jogi, or anchorite, who kills all he can, wafting...
Page 1 - Vikram was the second son of an old king Gandharba-Sena, concerning whom little favourable has reached posterity, except that he became an ass, married four queens, and had by them six sons, each of whom was more learned and powerful than the other. It so happened that in course of time the father died. Thereupon his eldest heir, who was known as Shank, succeeded to the carpet of Rajaship, and was instantly murdered by Vikram, his "scorpion", the hero of the following...
Page vii - In fine, we are strongly persuaded, that the time being given, this system will make better scholars; and the degree of scholarship being given, a much shorter time will be needed.
Page 21 - I were to say that the value of each was ten million billions of suvarnas (gold pieces), even then thou couldst not understand its real worth. In fact, each ruby would buy one of the seven regions into which the earth is divided.
Page 22 - This is the way of the world; when an affair comes to six ears, it does not remain secret; if a matter is confided to four ears it may escape further hearing; and if to two ears even Brahma the Creator does not know it; how then can any rumour of it come to man?

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