Ka

Akṣamālā

As in an akṣamālā a necklace of “nuts,” or akṣas, which were used for playing and sometimes likened to akṣaras, “syllables,” I string together here some of the names of those who helped this book to become what it is:

V. S. Agrawala; A. H. Anquetil-Duperron; André Bareau; Émile Benveniste; Abel Bergaigne; Madeleine Biardeau; Maurice Bloomfield; H. W. Bodewitz; J. F. K. Bosch; W. Norman Brown; J. A. B. van Buitenen; Eugéne Burnout: Wilhelm Caland; Jarl Charpentier; A. K. Coomaraswamy; Alain Daniélou; René Daumal; Hertha von Dechend; Joachim Deppert; Paul Deussen; Wendy Doniger; Georges Dumézil; Louis Dumont; P.-E. Dumont; Julius Eggeling; Robert Eisler; Harry Falk; Maryla Falk; Alfred Foucher; K. F. Geldner; Raniero Gnoli; Jan Gonda; René Guénon; Hermann Güntert; J. W. Hauer; J. C. Heesterman; G. J. Held; Victor Henry; Alfred Hillebrandt; Karl Hoffmann; E. W. Hopkins; Hermann Jacobi; K. F. Johansson; P. V. Kane; A. B. Keith; Willibald Kirfel; Stella Kramrisch; Hertha Krick; F. B. J. Kuiper; Sylvain Lévi; Heinrich Lüders; A. A. Macdonell; Charles Malamoud; Marcel Mauss: Manfred Mayrhofer; Armand Minard; J. E. Mitchiner; Max Müller; Paul Mus; Boris Oguibenine; Hermann Oldenberg; Jean Przyluski; Walpola Rahula; Wilhelm Rau; Louis Renou; Claudio Rugafiori; Giorgio de Santillana; Leopold von Schroeder; Émile Senart; D. D. Shulman; Lilian Silburn; Frits Staal; Theodor Stcherbatsky; Heinrich von Stietencron; Paul Thieme; Edward Thomas; L. B. G. Tilak; Jean Varenne; R. G. Wasson; W. D. Whitney; Stig Wikander; Moritz Winternitz; Michael Witzel; Heinrich Zimmer Jr.; Heinrich Zimmer Sr.

Roberto Donatoni and Giovanna Ghidetti have looked after the text from start to finish, watching over every detail.

They all have my deep gratitude.