I have always thought it was an unfortunate cliché to start an introduction to a well-known individual by stating that such a person “needs no introduction.” More than once, when someone has ventured forth with this sort of beginning, I have silently asked, “Then why are you here?” Of course, the irony of all armchair criticism is that it turns itself on the accuser should he or she be placed in a similar position and that position, I can firmly attest, is uncomfortable indeed.

If Patrick Olivelle himself does not need an introduction to the reading audience, this volume certainly does. It would be disingenuous, however, to separate the two and simply avoid the difficulty of introducing a person who is so well known, as each contributor in this volume has been directly influenced by Olivelle both personally and professionally. All of the contributors in this volume have worked directly with Olivelle in some fashion, most having done so in the classroom. I am sure these contributors could all share anecdotes of Olivelle's soft reproaches to a mangled Sanskrit translation, his parental sternness when grammar or historical context is misunderstood, his magnanimous attitude in advice and criticism, and his unflagging support for his students, whether they are aspiring Sanskritists or whether their research specializations lay elsewhere. The few contributors who were not directly Olivelle's students have known him through his numerous publications and have similarly sought his academic expertise and guidance in their work.