Making of a Magnum Opus: The Creation Story of

Purnachandra (Odia) Bhashakosh

Project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the

award of the Degree of B.A. in English

By Amritarani Panda

Roll no-BA20ENG009

Supervisor
Dr. Anjali Tripathy
Associate Professor of English

DEPERTMENT OF ENGLISH

GANGADHAR MEHER UNIVERSITY,SAMBALPU

 Department of English

Gangadhar Meher University

Amrut Vihar

Sambalpur

Date -25/04/2023

Certificate of Originality
The research work embodied in this dissertation entitled “Making of a Magnum Opus: The
Creation Story of Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha”, has been carried out has been prepared by
Amritarani Panda under my supervision. This is a record of her independent and original
research work for the award of the degree of Bachelors of Arts in English, by the School of
English, Gangadhar Meher University, Amruta Vihar, Sambalpur, and that the dissertation has
not previously been the basis for the award for such a degree or diploma to any candidate in any
other institution or university.

Signature of the Supervisor

Dr. Anjali Tripathy

Associate Professor

School of English

Gangadhar Meher University

 Declaration

This is to certify the matter embodied in the dissertation is based on my own research work
“Making of a Magnum Opus: The Creation Story of Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha”, and has
not been submitted in part or full to any university for award of any degree or diploma. My
indebtedness to other works and publications on this subject has been duly acknowledged at
relevant places.

Amritarani Panda

Dr. Anjali Tripathy

Supervisor

Associate Professor

School of English

Gangadhar Meher University

 Acknowledgement

At the very outset, I humbly acknowledge my profound gratitude and

indebtedness to my Supervisor Dr.Anjali Tripathy, Associate Professor, School of English,
Gangadhar Meher University for suggesting the topic of my dissertation. I convey my deep
reverence for her expert guidance and constant encouragement and inspiration throughout the
work. I remain indebted to my revered guide for her continuous supervision and moral support.

I express my hearty thanks to all the faculty members of

the School of English for their kind inspirations and cooperation.

I convey my gratefulness to my parents for their blessings and

encouragement. Lastly, I extend my special thanks to my friends and classmates each of whom
in their own way has tried to help me.

Amritarani Panda

UBA20ENG-009
 Making Of A Magnum Opus: The Creation Story Of Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha.

Abstract

This dissertation is a study of Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha, the first complete Odia dictionary
compiled by Gopala Chandra Praharaj. It is a study of creation of knowledge-texts and identity
formation in a colonial province. The time of the production of the text is given importance
because the dictionary was produced when Odisha (then Orissa) was on the cusp of becoming
the first province to be formed on basis of its linguistic identity. The period is also important
because of the British rule and therefore the thesis takes into account the critique of British
Empire provided by the author and in which way it is provided. The analysis is done by taking
into consideration the contents, pictures provided in the text, preface etc. The work, as a
whole,presents the conditions which led to the production of knowledge text that would relate to
every field of study, a kind of text which Odisha lacked during that time.
 CONTENT
CHAPTER DETAILS PAGE NO.
1 Introduction 01-02

2 VOLUME-1 03-06

3 VOLUME-2 07-12

4 VOLUME-3 13-16

5 VOLUME-4 17-18

6 VOLUME-5 19-
CHAPTER- 1- Introduction:-
Gopala Chandra Praharaj was was born on 27 September 1874 in Siddheswarpur of Cuttack
district. He is a famous Odia writer and linguist. He is well known for the compilation of the
Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha. He also contributed significantly to Odia literature by his
works in prose. After completing his matriculation from Ravenshaw Collegiate School, he
studied FA from Revenshaw College and then went to Calcutta University to study law. He was
lawyer by profession, who had written several satirical and insightful essays, in famous Odia
magazines like Nababharata, Rasachakra, Utkal Sahitya and Satya Samachar on various issues of
contemporary Odisha in early 20th century.

The first published work by the author was "Bhagabata Tungire Sandhya" which was published
in the Magazine Utkal Sahitya in 1901. It was followed by Bai Mohanty Panji and many other
writings on socio-cultural and political issues. He followed the footsteps of Fakir Mohan
Senapati and made a remarkable development in Odia satirical literature. Praharaj used the
colloquial speech of Odisha along with Hindustani, Parsi, English, Sanskrit and folk language in
his prose works. He wrote several critical essays with different pen names in many magazines up
to his old age. However, he dedicated around three decades of his life to the compilation of
Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha which was his Magnum Opus.

Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha which is the most comprehensive lexicon in Odia language till
date, gives the meaning of words in four languages—Odia,Hindi, English and Bengali. It throws
light on the origin, development and use of the words. It is around 9,500 pages long which
contains 185 thousand words in 7 volumes. Praharaj not only did the work of compiling the
lexicon, but also raised funds for its publication and supervised its printing and sale. He included
in this lexicon not only the words which were used in literature, but also the words of common
speech. The publication of the lexicon was patronised by the kings/princes of several princely
states of Odisha. It is still recognised as the biggest dictionary in Odia language, although few
copies of the original printed version survive. An electronic version has been published by
Srujanika.

Praharaj while compiling the Purnachandra Odia Bhashakosha, also introduced a new letter- ୱ to
the Odia script inventory to represent the phonetic sound of (Wa) in order to distinguish it from
ବ (Ba), with which it shared the same consonant ligature form/conjunct form(୍ୱ)

Works of Gopal Chandra Praharaj:

Praharaj was one of the satirists of early 20th century. His writings were published in many
magazines of that period; Utkal Sahitya, Rasachakra, Nababharata, Satya Samachar and many
others. Dealing with social issues, political condition of Orissa and India, and socio-cultural
mentality of contemporary people these essays were written in humorous style and critical
manner. Some of his essays were published in shape of books during his life. His notable works
are Bhagabata Tungire Sandhya, Bai Mohanty Panji, Dunia ra Halchal, Nananka Bastani. Some
of his writings are now difficult to obtain. Praharaj had also published a book called Utkalara
Kahani dealing with the folk stories of Odisha. Among the remarkable works of Praharaj is
"Dhaga Dhamali Rachana" containing the idioms of Odia language. His other works include his
autobiography, many poems and stories written for children, a book namely Bhasakosha Safar.

About His Magnum Opus Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha:

As known in France, Histoire du Livre or the History of Books which was known to be a new
discipline, helped providing a new perspective to the history of literature by making
people realise the importance of books. This was possible because the purpose of Histoire du
Livre was studying the history of production of books and „the social and cultural history of
communication by print‟ as Robert Darnton, a pioneer in History of the Book states in his
essay “What is the history of books?” which was published in 1982. The main focus of studying
the history of a book is to figure out the important work done by books which is transmission of
ideas which was possible through the introduction of print. For studying the history Darnton
speaks of a "communication circuit" in his essay which includes the relationship between all the
entities that help a book come into being, starting from the author to the reader. This present
work Making Of A Magnum Opus: The Creation Story Of Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha can
be said to be a part of such kind of studies. In this work there will be focus on the making of the
Dictionary, compiled by a renowned Odia writer Gopal Chandra Praharaj, by analysis of some
paratextual materials provided by the author and contributors of this text which includes the title
pages, pictures, prefaces, illustrations etc. This work is divided into seven chapters which try to
show the different factors involved in bringing the seven volumes into the readers' hand.
CHAPTER- 2 – VOLUME- 1
Praharaj had made it a point to avoid utilising the polished and Sanskritized style in his writing
from the start of his literary career. He had a rule: "Write as you speak." In addition to being
adored and admired by the general public, his straightforward writing style was also well-liked
by school and university administrators in Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Madras. His writings had
been incorporated into the curricula for the Indian Civil Service Departmental Oriya examination
as well as for lower primary levels up to the highest standard. When Mr. W. W. Henderson, M.
A., the former principal of Cuttack Training College, requested that Praharaj create an Odia
dictionary, Praharaj began gathering Oriya words and idioms from the feudal states of Ganjam,
Sambalpur and Singbhum and from classical and modern writings in 1913–1914.The words
collected between 1917 and 1918 were put in notebooks and memo slips in alphabetical order.
The manuscripts were first assembled and written in 1919. Sm. Pitambari Devi, Praharaj's sister-
in-law, assisted Praharaj by compiling proverbs, catchphrases, songs, female songs, songs sung
by cowherds, fishermen, and ploughmen, as well as folktales. Praharaj was able to expand his
vocabulary by at least a thousand popular and dialectical Odia words because of her collection.

His initial intention was to fill the gap in an Oriya-to-Oriya lexicon by including Oriya terms
borrowed from other languages, along with their origins, roots, original sources, and Oriya
meanings; however, over time, the scope had continued to expand by,

(1) Providing each word's definition in English.

(2) Providing Bengali equivalents for the Oriya words.

(3) Citing references and authorities to back up the definitions of Oriya words.

(4) Including notes on philology, mythology, history, geography, biography, astronomy,

medicine, science, and other topics along the lines of contemporary encyclopaedias.

(5) Whenever possible, replacing the Oriya terms with their Hindi equivalents.
(6) Each word is transliterated into English.

In August 1927, the text was completed. He has been busy since then editing the manuscripts. He
discovered that if he had to complete the rewrite on his own, it would have taken another ten
years. He therefore contacted the patrons of scholarship and literature of the era for assistance,
and they responded by assigning him certain helpers to aid in the revision.

The revision included:

(1) He included a large number of "dialectical and provincial words used in the remote Oriya-
speaking regions of the tour provinces, gratefully supplied to him by his personal acquaintances,
residents of these localities.

(2) Copying out hundreds of excerpts from ancient and modern texts that he had already read and
underlined over the previous 15 years, under the appropriate terms.

(3) Adding to, amending, and expanding the scientific and other remarks in light of the most
recent knowledge.

(4) Comparing his English translations to those of Rev. Mr. Howells in a 1500-page manuscript
Oriya to English Dictionary that he had written over the course of eight years with the help of
several Oriya graduates and Pandits but that was never published. The Cuttack Baptist Mission
officials had graciously donated this extremely priceless text to him at the request of Rev. Mr.
Guest and Rev. Mr. Benjamin Pradhan.

(5) Recasting, comparing, and adding Bengali synonyms with the assistance of his friend Mr. S.
N. Roy, an attorney in Cuttack, and after reading several authoritative Bengali dictionaries (such
as those by Subalchandra, Jnanendranath, Jogeschandra, and the Prakrutibada).
(6) After checking a number of standard Hindustani dictionaries (such as those by Dr. Fallon,
Rev. Mr. Graven, and Ramnarayan Lal of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha of Benares) and a large
number of standard Hindi texts that he had read and underlined, he added Hindi synonyms.

(7) Listing each word's English transliteration beneath it. He decided to provide English
transliteration under every word after numerous prominent European scholars suggested it after
studying the text, so that a person who is not Oriya can determine the meaning of a word he
hears in the street or during conversation: He transliterated the Oriya language using the system
recommended by Mr. John Beams, Sir William Hunter, Sir George Greierson, Rev. Mr. Wilkins,
the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Bihar and Orissa Research Society in order to make it more
accessible to foreigners and philologists.

The manuscripts were occasionally scrutinised and examined by numerous esteemed scholars,
both Indian and European, both official and non-official. Once these processes are complete, the
manuscripts are fairly duplicated and made ready for the press.The manuscripts were examined
by Mahatma Gandhi on his visit to Cuttack in 1927, and he provided some insightful suggestions
that were implemented throughout the revision. One of his many enthusiastic admirers was
Pandit Gopabandhu Das, who followed his work with affection for several years before finally
declaring in his article in 1927 that the draught structure was finished. Almost all of the editors
of the top Oriya-language newspapers visited the manuscripts and again praised the publication's
generosity and support for the endeavour.

When he had completed his manuscripts up to the letter "ସ (s)" the governments of Bihar and
Orissa established the Vernacular Development Committee, which was headed by Sir Ali Imam,
to make recommendations for ways to advance the vernacular languages of the region, including
Oriya. Many Oriya academics from the region, as well as those from Madras and Bengal, were
called to this committee's special meeting in February 1927, where the following resolution was
unanimously approved:

"That a separate Oriya lexicon of the Oriya language should be compiled, setting forth all words
in use in common parlance in all the Oriya speaking tracts." Government Resolution No. 4913 E,
dated October 27, was published along with this resolution. After finishing the draught
framework, he requested financial support from the governments of Bihar and Orissa so that it
could be revised and published. Rev. H. W. Pike, a modern Oriya translator of the New
Testament, examined the unrevised manuscripts in August 1928 at the request of the Director of
Public Instruction for Bihar and Orissa. He recommended that the Government provide financial
support to the Undertaking. At the time, it was not planned to incorporate Hindi synonyms or
English transliterations. Rev. Mr. Pike provided the following report:

"It is a monumental work partaking of the nature of an encyclopedia, built on the line of some of
our larger English Dictionaries. It aims at being exhaustive, including words in use in all parts of
Orissa as well as words incorporated in the language from other languages (English included). It
includes proper names and gives brief summaries of the history of the more interesting ones in
Indian History. It gives a vast number of references to Oriya literature by way of illustrating the
usages (particularly unusual usages) of words, and finally it explains the meanings in three
languages. In my opinion the work would be a great advance on anything now in existence and
would prove of the greatest value to scholars and students and for the comparative study of
Bengali and Oriya. There is at present no Oriya dictionary which remotely attempts at what this
work does. As a monument of the Oriya language and a standard work of reference on that
subject, I believe, the dictionary is well worth printing."

One of India's oldest regional tongues is Oriya, yet the outside world is unaware of how
vocabularily and classically rich it is.

Every true patriot should encourage and support his modest efforts to popularise the Oriya
language and gain its respect not only among the sister nations of India but also throughout the
civilised world of letters by connecting it to the English language, India's national tongue, the
Hindi language, and one of Bengali's most developed relatives. This modest endeavour, pursued
over the course of 17 years, has received praise and blessing from prominent scholars, both
Indian and European, funding from the governments of Bihar and Orissa, and is frequently
mentioned in nearly all national newspapers and magazines. The notion that this modest work
would serve as the starting point for many research scholars in grammar, philology, history,
religion, and even astronomy, botany, and medicine has guided him throughout this lengthy
period of compilation.
CHAPTER -3 -VOLUME -2
The first volume dealt with 13 vowels; the second volume deals with 5 consonants and the
diphthong 'Ksha'(କ୍ଷ) Still, there remain 28 letters to be faircopied and printed in the succeeding
three volumes. When the first volume was published inSeptember 1931, it was calculated that the
second volume would be out by March 1932; but on account of paucity of financial support from
the generous donors and subscribers, by counting on whose liberality this gigantic
compilationhad been undertaken the printing of the second volume had been unavoidabl delayed
by about 4 months. The financial deadlock, through which the world had been passing, had
affected the government, and the rich people, more than the poor. Naturally the Maharajas, Rajas
and other patrons of literature and learning, the sons of mother Lakshmi (the Goddess of riches ),
were not able to respond as generously as some of them had done before. That flowing spring of
liberalityhaving dried up, it would have been impossible to bring out the second volume even
then, had not somewell disposed creditors readily lent the sum of seven thousand rupees on the
security of Praharaj's residential house, and thus enabled him to push on the revision and printing
of the second volume. Matters had come to such a pass that many of the generous subscribers
who had promised to purchase more than one copy of the work, when published, had been
obliged to curtail their orders and purchase less number ofcopies; and some, even, had not
purchased any copy. The Government of Madras, who had promised topurchase 50 copies, and
the Government of Bengal,who had promised to purchase 10 copies, had, onaccount of the
present financial stringency, rescinded their orders. At this time of financial distress he had
hesitated to approach generous personages, to save them from the mortification of returning him
from their doors empty-handed. It was hoped thatbetter days would soon dawn and the
undertaking would be pushed on with speed and vigour, with generous help received from the
patrons of learning in Odisha and abroad.

It was hoped that the construction and completion of this national monument of Odia languag
and literature, of which the foundation-stone had been laid by the Government of Bihar and
Orissa with two such distinguished and august heads, which had been associated with the
hallowed name of the late Maharaja Purna Chandra, son of the illustrious pole-star of Utkal, viz.
Sreeram Chandra Bhanj Deb, which was guarded and fondly watched by four stalwarts on the 4
quarters of Orissa, viz.the Maharaja and Ruler of Mayurbhanj on the north, the Maharaja and
Ruling Chief of Kalahandi on the west, the Maharaja of Jeypur on the south and theHon'ble Raja
Saheb of Kanika on the east and which has such a brilliant galaxy of present and prospective
supporters, as above set forth, to light it, would not be left incomplete for want of proper
encouragement and support. The Government of Bihar and Orissa had already purchased, at half
price, 125 copies, which they had supplied to the Colleges, High and Middle Schools of Orissa.
The following subscribers had purchased more than one copy:-
Maharaja and Ruling Chief, Kalahandi State}

Orissa, 25.

Raja and Ruling Chief, Keonjhar State, 10.

Raja and Ruling Chief, Baud State, 8.

Maharaja and Ruling Chief, Sonepur State, 6.

Raja Bahadur of Dharakota, Ganjam, 6.

Raja Saheb of Madhupur, Cuttack, 6.

Mahant Maharaj of Radhakanta Math, Puri, 3.

Seven States which were under Government

administration in 1930, under directions of the Political Agent and Commissioner Mr Scott, 14.

Mr, M. S. Das, C. I. E Cuttack, 2.

Raja Saheb of Surangi, Ganjam, 2.

Prof. Dr. Sten Konow, Librarian, Ethnographic

Museum, Oslo, Korway, 2.

27 copies had been subscribed for by Europeans, Christian missionaries and subscribers outside
the Oria-speaking tracts, including Bihar, Bengal, Madras, France, Germany and England.30
copies only had been subscribed by persons of the Odia-speaking tracts and the District Board of
Puri and Ganjam. Altogether 266 copies had been sold and 24 copies have been presented to
distinguished patrons, well-wishers and associations.

When the prospectus was issued in 1929 it had been estimated that the whole work, when
printed, would cover 3600 pages, bound in 2 volumes, and would cost Rs 28400/- ( Twenty
eight thousand four hundred ) for printing and binding. So, the pre-publication price had been
announced as Rs 30/- per set of 2 volumes; but when the 1st volume was printed it was found
that the whole work would extend to 6000 pages, bound in 5 volumes, and the cost of
publication would come to Rs 60000/- ("Sixty thousand); so,the price had to be enhanced. 1250
copies were struck for the 1st edition. The pre-publication price of a set of 5 bound volumes had
then was fixed at Rs 50/- and of the unbound volume at Rs. 40/-, payable in advance. For
subscribers who prefer to purchase each volume, as it came out the price had been fixed at Rs,
15/- for each bound volume and Rs. 13/-for each unbound volume. The subscribers would have
to meet the postal, railway or other transit charges for sending the books to them.
For subscribers who had remitted Rs. 30/- in response to the announcement in the prospectus, the
price had not been increased; and they had been supplied with the 1st volume and would be
supplied with the subsequent volumes without further demand.

The printing and binding charges for the five volumes of the 1st edition would amount to Rs
60000/- as stated above. Out of this amount a sum of Rs 30000/- had been provided for in the
shape of donations and subscriptions already received and promised. So, a further sum of Rs.
30000/- had still to be found out, besides a monthly recurringexpense of Rs. 200/-, being the
allowance of his sixassistants and his bare sustenance, for 2 years more. The subsequent 3
volumes woule be out at intervalsof about 9 months each. So, the whole work of5 volumes
would take about 2 years more to be completed.

This work of national importance had naturally its claim on the bounty of every enlightened and
well-to-do son of Mother Utkal. As it aims at establishing connection, between the Odia
language {the mother tongue of 10 millions of people ) and the Hindi language ( which was
intended to be thevernacular medium of exchange of thought throughout India ), this undertaking
had it claim on the liberality of Hindi-speaking persons, the Nagari Pracharini Sabha and lovers
of Hindi literature. TheOdia nation had been in intimate contact with the Bengali nation in the
fields of religion, literature, social communion, commerce and politics; and there had been
exchange of thought and culture between the two nations for the last 6centuries. Odisha had
given some of its best to Bengal and vice versa. This work was a sustained and systematic
endeavour at linking the Odia language to the Bengali, and as such, it had its claim on the
generosity of every son and patriot Mother of Bengal.
As an humbly return for patronage bestowed on, services and help rendered and encouragement
given to this undertaking in various shapes, Praharaj decided to append the half-tone pictures of
its patrons, supporters, and helpers and acknowledge their services in the introduction.
In the 1st volume were reproduced the photos which were available at the time. In the 2nd
volume the photos of the following supporters had been reproduced.

1. H. E. Sir J. D. Sifton, K.C.S I, K. C. I. E.

2. I. 0. S , G-overner of Bihar and Orissa.

3. J. A. Hubback, Esq. M. A., I. C. S.

Member, Board of Revenue, Bihar and Orissa.

4. K. E. Peck Esq, LC.S , C. BE., Inspector

General of Registration and Commissioner of Excise and Salt, Bihar and Orissa.

5. G. E. Fawcus Esq.M. A.,C. I. E.,I. E. S.

Director of Public Instruction, Bihar and Orissa.

6. Maharaja and Ruling Chief of Kalahandi

State, Orissa.

7. S. L. Marwood Esq I, C. S. late DistrictMagistrate and Collector of Cuttack.

8. Revd. H, W. Pike, B. A., B. D , sometime

Baptist Missionary, Cuttack.

9. Raja Saheb and Ruling Chief of Athmallik

State Orissa.

10. Rai Bahadur Loknath Misra B. L.M. L.C, Advocate, Puri.

It was intended that the other photos of its present and prospective patrons and supporters would
when availablle, be appended to subsequent volumes . At that time the compiler's chief aim was
to provide the wherewithal to get the work published by means of donations, grants and
subscriptions received with advance-orders. So, the pre-publication price was fixed to cover the
publication-charges only without bearing any margin. The price of the whole set may be
increased, So as to leave a margin of profit for the compiler and the book-sellers when the
complete work would be published.

Seeing the expansion of the size of the work in comparision with the first estimate, many of his
well-meaning friends had been suggesting to him the desirability of curtailing the number of
words by giving one form only a word which was used in more than one form, and by leaving
out most of the compound words. The utility of a dictionary, as a book of reference, lied in a
stranger or learner readily finding out the meaning of a word which he would come across in a
book or in the mouth of a speaker. By following the advice of his friends, the size, and
necessarily, the cost would be much lightened; but from a philological and practical point of
view, the primary aim and utility of such a compilation would be frustrated. His only reply to
these well-meaning friends had been the same as would be givenby a mother of many children,
whom she feels it very difficult to maintain, when asked to do away with some of them to lighten
her burden, and to retain as many of them as she can maintain without straining her nerves and
resources.

The courts of the Rajas of ancient Orissa were reverberating with music, with art and literature,
and were the asylum of men of letters, research-scholars, philologists and philosphers. Let their
descendants, some of whom are still burning with patriotism and genuine love for the mother-
tongue, take up the subject of word-collection and philological and archaeological research in
right earnest on the lines adopted by the successive rulers of Mayurbhanj State,
includingMaharaja Pratapchandra, and thus save thousands of Odia words from oblivion and
extinction.

Thus and thus only they would contribute to therenaissance of the Odia culture, which had one
day, emerging from Kalinga, carried the message of civilisation, of religion and art and of
universal love to the farthest corners of the eastern hemisphere, to Nepal, to China, to Burma, to
Siam and the islandsof Java, Bali and Ceylon and the East Indies. He prayed for that day to ome,
when the civilised world would realise how rich, phonetic and ancient the, Odia
language is and when the Odia language would be given its legitimate place of honour among
the cultured modern languages.
The humble compiler, while drawing this hopeful picture of a glorious future, felt happy at the
thought that though he may not be spared to see the glorious day, it had fallen to his lot to now
sow the tiny seeds which would one day germinate and spread branches and bear fruits, to the
aggrandisement of the Odia nation. The 'Prachi' Sun was rising in the Orient and he prayed for
the full flood of light to illuminate the ace of the earth.

The modest compiler felt content as he drew this picture of a bright future because, even though
he might not live to see it, it had fallen to his lot to plant the tiny seeds that would one day
sprout, spread branches, and bear fruit for the advancement of the Odia nation. He prayed for the
whole flood of light to illuminate the surface of the world as the Sun rose in the east.
CHAPTER -4 -VOLUME -3
It covers 12 consonants, which are represented by the letters cha through tha. The Oria language
includes 34 consonants, including the composite letter s (ksha), and 13 vowels. 13 vowels were
covered in the first book, followed by the first five consonants and the compound letter (ksha) in
the second, and 12 consonants in the third. As a result, 31 letters will have been covered up until
the third volume's conclusion, leaving 16 letters from (da) to (ha), which are expected to take up
the next two volumes.

SPACE SAVING DEVICE:

In the third book, I used certain space-saving techniques. The usage of brackets has been used to
treat two words that are phonetically similar and share a large number of letters while only
differing by one or two letters from each other as a single word. For instance, the terms ClGi!Q9l
(Jokhaiba) and (Jokheiba) have been written as one word, [Jokha(khe)iba], rather than as two
independent words. Refer to the first column on page 3040.

NUMBER OF WORDS:
He had the words in the first three volumes treated in order to quench my curiosity. It has been
determined that 62 thousand words are included in these volumes. The next volumes are
"anticipated to include a further sixty thousand words, increasing the total number of Oria words
to one hundred and twenty thousand, or at least one hundred thousand. There are 93 thousand
words in the Hindi Sabdasagara, according to the Nagari Pracharim Sabha of Benares; Babu
Jnyanendra Mohan Das' Bengalee lexicon has 75 thousand words, while the 1847 version of
Webster's English dictionary has 80 thousand words.

Co-workers and assistants contributed to this volume:

1-The Orissa Division Commissioner, C. L. Philip Esq., M. A., L 0., S, C.:I, E., had gone very
cautiously.through the majority of the proofsheets for both the second and third volumes' English
sections. Coworkers and assistants contributed to this volume.

2-The author has been able to endure the exhaustion and strain of relentless daily labour for 12 to
15 hours thanks to Sreemati Pitambari Devi's constant and vivacious cooperation and sympathy.
She has assisted him intermittently over the past 15 years with his many tasks as a lexicographer,
revisionist, fair-copyist, proofreader, compiler of quotations and dialectical words, and searcher
in hundreds of reference volumes in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Oria. She encouraged the
author whenever I had lost hope. In other words, she had been an inspiration during the author's
15-year labour of love.
3-Even though he was too unwell to perform other duties, Srijukta Viswanath Kar, a preceptor in
the field of literature, the editor of the Utkal Sahitya magazine, and the owner of the press where
the work is printed, personally oversaw the printing and proofreading of the forms.

4- Pandit Kulamani Das, Head Pandit, Bavenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack, who had been
kindly given permission by the authorities to work with the author for one hour each day, had not
only critically examined and revised the fair copies, but had also incorporated many valuable
notes and additions in the book's main body after consulting many reputable works of reference.

5-Misra, Babu Krishna Chandra Recently, M. A. B. L of Cattack offered his assistance to review
the proof-sheets and press-copies to lessen the workload. As the third volume's printing came to
a conclusion, Mr. Philip approached the author with an offer of his daily assistance for two or
three hours, fearing that the author would lose his valued cooperation.

6-Every time he has some downtime from his work-related obligations, Babu Satindra Narayan
Ray Mahasaya, M. A., B. L., Advocate, Cuttack, collects the colloqual Bengalee equivalents for
various Odia words. His entire effort has been a work of passion.

7-Many Oria words' colloquial Hindi equivalents were kindly provided by Pandit Ramlochan
Saran, a publisher and bookseller in Patna and Laheriaserai.

8-Charan Das, an assistant at the Utkal Sahitya Press in Outtack, is exceptionally keen, which
aided in identifying errors in the proof-sheets.

During the publication of the three volumes, he took great pains to carefully review the proof-
sheets and observe the printing of the forms with zealous eyes.

9-Pandit Narsing Mahapatra, Assistant teacher, P. M. Academy,Outtack, worked

in the staff,

10- Babu Bhubaneswar Misra had been a staff for the last 2 years

11- For the past four years, Babu Golak Chandra Pradhan, an Oria classical scholar and gifted
poet, has worked intermittently in my staff. He has dedicated his time to writing Oria poems in
the manner of our ancient poets but in simpler language.

Fawcus, G. E. Director of Public Instruction for Bihar and Orissa, Esq. M. A., L E, S.,
OJ„E.;VJ>, has displayed more than paternal concern. When he initially pledged to buy 114
copies for his Department in 1929, it was like a fantasy that the work would be published. He
suggested to the Patna University Syndicate and Senate the suggestion of a University grant of
Rs. 5000 for the publication; his initiative was responsible for the proposal's swift and
unanimous passage through the Syndicate and Senate. With the help of this donation, I will be
able to begin publishing the fourth volume as soon as the third volume is published. 1250 copies
of this edition were struck off.

Each volume, which has roughly 1200 pages, costs about Rs. 12000 (twelve thousand), without
considering the cost of binding. In addition, a recurrent monthly price of Rs. 200/- was expended
for the assistants who helped get the fair copies ready for the press. A total of Rs. 60,000/- (sixty
thousand) is needed in addition to this monthly fee for five years (which equates to Rs. 12000/-),
in order to publish the entire set of five volumes by the end of 1934. Due to the recent financial
constraints that have afflicted both the Government and individual citizens, donations and
advance subscriptions came in so slowly and dishearteningly that the author had to.

The financial outlook has been so dire that the Government of Bengal, which had agreed to buy
ten copies in 1029, and the Government of Madras, which had promised to buy fifty copies when
it was published, both withdrew their commitments when they learned that the first volume was
ready.

The 8 sets of the work were subscribed for by Raja Saheb of Boudh State in Orissa. He was so
happy with the outcome that he gave a grant of 5,000 rupees for the moment and made a
commitment to think about making more contributions for the release of the third volume. His
donation was promptly received, which accelerated the publication of the third volume. This has
been increased by the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj paying the remaining donation of Rs. 4000/-, the
Raja Saheb of Chikati paying Rs. 200/- towards his promised donation, and new donations of Rs.
300/- from the Raja Saheb of Keonjhar State, Rs. 300/- from the Raja Saheb of AthmaJlik State,
and an additional donation from the Raja Saheb of Boudh. The Raja Saheb of Khallikota, G-
anjam District, whose name will forever be associated with the Secretary of State's
announcement of the creation of the new Orissa Province, has in the interim promised a donation
of Rs. 1,000 in addition to the sums received from various patrons for the revision and
publication of the work, which were acknowledged in the previous volumes, has also promised a
donation of Rs. 1000.

With his kind permission, this volume is dedicated to the Raja Saheb of Boudh State, who also
serves as its sponsor, as a meagre thank you for the significant encouragement he provided.

Number of Copies sold and presented to subscribers and patrons in and outside Orissa and in
Europe. 266 copies of the book had been sold by the time the second volume was published in
August 1932. Since then, a total of 50 more copies have been sold, bringing the total to 316. 30
copies have so far been given to notable patrons, well-wishers, assistants, and potential sponsors.
Learned individuals and organisations in Norway, France, England, and Germany are among the
subscribers to this book, and bookshops in London, Germany, Russia, and France have been
receiving orders for it from other countries.
When the first and second volumes were published, the advance-price was increased to Rs. 50/-
when it was discovered that the work would require 5 volumes. The cash price of each volume
was then set at Rs. 15/-. The advance-price was initially advertised in the 1929 prospectus to be
Rs. 30/- per set of 2 volumes.

The advance price for a complete set of five volumes, payable in cash, is now set at Rs. 60/-, and
the cash price for each volume is set at Rs. 16/-, taking into account the increase in size and cost.
As the release of the subsequent volumes approaches, the price could need to be further
increased. However, those who have already paid the full advance fee in accordance with the
prices that were at the time announced will receive the entire set without any further charge. The
unanticipated growth in the publication's size, and subsequently its expense, has made the price
hike necessary.

The compiler, on his humble part, aspires to dedicate the final volume of this work to His Most
Gracious Majesty, the King Emperor of India, in remembrance of the establishment of the
separate Orissa Province. This work is the product of a lifetime of work and application, and it
serves as a symbol of the steadfast loyalty of 12 million of His Majesty's Oria subjects, who had
been praying and dreaming of being brought under one administration for the previous fifty
years.
CHAPTER -5 -VOLUME -4
Even though it had been planned that the fourth volume would finish the word collection with
the letter (Pha) and be published by March 1934, this volume was only able to get to the letter
(pa), so its release was delayed by about three months. The average number of pages in the
previous volumes was 1200, but the fourth volume's completion of the letter took place over
1600 pages. Therefore, printing the extra pages took longer.

The fourth volume covers four consonants, bringing the word collection to the 35th letter. There
are still 12 letters left, which will probably take up another two volumes.

This volume has adhered strictly to the space-saving techniques used in the third volume. In
addition, the book no longer includes the explanatory head-lines that were at the top of every
page in the previous volumes, with the exception of pages where new letters have begun and
every 100 pages apart. Thanks to this.

a lot of time will be spent on the dictionary issue. It had been suggested to conserve space by
printing the subsequent meanings of words in continuous lines rather than printing the many
meanings of words one underneath the other.

Sixty two thousand words are contained in the first three volumes. There are 34000 words in the
fourth book.

As a result, the 4 volumes total 96,000 words up to the letter's end (pa).

Baree Debee, Sreejukta Viswanath Kar, Pandit Kulamani Das Kabyatirtha, and Babu Krushna
Chandra Misra comprise Sreematee Peetam. M. A., B. L., Babu Satindranarayan Ray M. A., B.
L., Babu Golokachandra Pradhan, Babu Padmacharan Das, Pandit Narsing Mahapatra Samant,
Babu Bhubaneswar Misra, and Babu Padmacharan Das

all contributed to this volume in their various roles.

The Fawcus Yaisya Yidyalaya M. E. School, founded by the Marwari brethren in Cuttack,
received its Hindi synonyms from Babu Rameawar Jha of Darbhanga, Headmaster, and Babu
Truptinarayan Thakur of Mozaffurpur, Head Pandit.

Samrat Sahitya This book is dedicated to Raja Yikram Dev Varma, Raja Saheb Jeypore Estate,
Yizag, whose name has become well-known throughout Utkal and who is widely admired and
revered for his unrivalled liberality, erudition, and creativity.

350 copies of the book have been pre-ordered as of this writing, and 50 copies have been given
to notable patrons, well-wishers, assistants, and potential backers.
Each of the six volumes will cost Rs. 1200C for printing and MB. 3000C for fair-copying and
revision. The total cost of the sixth volumes is therefore expected to be Rs. 90000.

In addition to the money paid by the government and Patna University, Rs. 41800/- towards the
necessary cost of publication has been secured in cash and promises, and Rs. 7200/- has been
contributed towards the cost of revision. 8000 rupees have been raised through advance
subscriptions, and 10,000 rupees have been borrowed. In other words, up to this point, Rs. 67000
worth of provision has been made, and before the final volume is published, Rs. 23000 worth of
provision still needs to be made.

In consultation with three specialists, it was determined that the entire work would require 3600
pages to be bound into two volumes before the manuscripts were printed. The advance
subscription was set at Rs. 30 each set.

The full text of the work will now take up 8000 pages and be bound in 6 volumes, it has been
discovered as printing of the subsequent volumes has advanced.

The price has therefore steadily increased to account for the growth in the publication fee. The
current fixed pricing for each set of six volumes is Rs. 50, and the cash price for each volume is
set at Rs. 18 for the time being.

When the cost of the six volumes is taken into account, each set costs Rs. 90. After allowing a
tiny profit for the book seller and compiler, the six volumes' advertised cash price will never be
less than Rs. 100. It should be noted that no additional money is charged to advance subscribers
who signed up for the service by paying the advertised advance pricing in full for the entire job
during the time the offer was open for the lower price.

The compiler's heartfelt wish to dedicate this work to His Most August Majesty, the King
Emperor of India, had to be abandoned because some of the distinguished patrons felt that
because the previous volumes' patrons and dedicatees were figures who held lesser positions than
His Majesty, it would not be appropriate to do the same for the final volume
CHAPTER -6 -VOLUME -5