Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute March 1951

It was originally intended to study all if not most of the legends but the matrial collected grew into great proportion and the range of study extending from the Rgveda to the Purdnas through the intermediate stages represented by the later Samhitds the Brdhmanas the Epics etc. [...] But then the history of the legends proves that they are almost beside the truth ; why should they be studied ? It is precisely to know the real basis of the legends the transformation that time wrought upon them the consistency and the logical necessity of such transformtion and finally the reaction of the people who stored them as a rich heritage. [...] Now and then of course the hunger of the soul asserted itself ; the monotony of existence the transitoriness of life birth and death above all the futility of appeal to an ivisible God—these ideas began to sway over the mind of the commonalty. [...] Otto calls the " numinus " in man which feels or realises and is fascinated by the adbhuta and the acintya in God (Mysterium tremendum) ; and which ultimately leads him to rapturous emotions of love and surrender (bhakti) to the great God.54 The temple and the church on the one hand and the Sagas and the Epics on the other have proved to be substantial contributions to foster the " numinous " [...] The next stages are marked by the appearnce of the Epics of the Puranas and of belles-lettres these categories being for the most part contempoaneous in the few centuries that preceded and succeeded the Christian era.