Vaman Shivram Apte

This is an ideal Sanskrit-English dictionary at the high school and college levels. It is one of the best Reference sources to consult for words from the post-Vedic literature. The author states that he has not included the Vedic literature in this volume. But the post-Vedic literature is large enough with Epics, the Smriti Literature, and Indian systems of Philosophy, along with Grammar, Rhetoric, and Poetry with all its branches, and all these are included. Important terms in Law, show more Medicine, Astronomy and Mathematics are also explained very well, which is a unique feature of this work. As a result, this dictionary is by no means compact-it is a large book with over 600 pages.

Though the lexicon is meant for the average individual, the author's scholarship is very evident, making this great work a blessing for anyone who wants to improve general vocabulary and learn words from post-Vedic literature as well as technical terms. A `side effect' of this dictionary is that it will improve one's command in English, too.

It is very important to read the author's note first so that one can understand the word arrangement throughout the book. show less

This is a very useful dictionary for all, especially students. The author/compiler has put in tremendous amount of research work and effort. The depth and details in each entry is incredible.

Needless to say, this dictionary is for those who can read both English and Sanskrit. It is a must for anyone who has the basic understanding of Sanskrit and wants to expand his/her vocabulary, especially in the following areas:

* Learn general terms of all sciences as well as technical terms.
* Expand show more vocabulary in general just for the fun of it.
* Translate passages from English to Sanskrit.

It is amazing that the ancient language of Sanskrit has exact or approximate words for modern terms.

It is very important to read the author's Preface to understand how the entries are arranged. He mentions that he had to consult the Kosha of Amarasimha (Sanskrit Lexicon) constantly to compile his work. show less

The dictionary states that it is "containing appendices on Sanskrit prosody and important literary and geographical names in the ancient history of India."