Dr. John D. Smith is a former professor of Sanskrit at the Cambridge University. During the 1970s and 1980s he worked on various topics in the language, literature and culture of Rajasthan. His major project was on the hero -deity Pabuji : this led to tha publication in 1991 of his book The Epic of Pabuji. Dr. Smith has more general inetrests in Hindu mythology and epic narrative.