Kalarippayat is the indigenous martial art of the South Indian state Kerala. The art incorporates empty hand fighting exercises, weapon drills, vital point attacks, massages, and healing methods for muscular and bone problems. This book is based on many years of field research. It provides an insight in Kalarippayat and its traditions, and in the society of India and Kerala in particular.

The present Dictionary is a practical exercise in word-compilation to facilitate the study of Sanskrit language. Based on Webster`s complete English dictionary it includes general terms of all sciences and such technical terms as could be duly represented by Sanskrit equivalents actually existing in that language. Besides the general vocabulary quotations from the works of famous authors have been inserted to render the connotation of a word easily intelligible. It is also designed to help scholars translate any passage from English into Sanskrit.