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CHAPTER 1
1.1 Previous editions (introductory)
The first edition of the Sattasai is the one by A. Weber (see 1.2). Other noteworthy editions are the so-called Nirnayasagar-edition (1889) and the one by A. N. Upadhye (1970). The former is an edition based on several MSS not known to Weber of the Vulgata-recension. The latter is an edition based on a single MS from Madras of the so-called Second Telinga-recension. Beside these there exist numerous other, mainly Indian, editions, which, however, do not bring forward any new material but are mere, more or less faithful, copies of the Nirnayasagar or Weber's edition."
For the present edition only Weber's manuscript material has been used. The material of the two other editions mentioned above has not been taken into account as this would only have resulted in a considerable increase in the number of variants which considering the results of the stemma will play only a marginal role in the final reconstruction of the text. The material could, however, be enlarged by three so far unknown South-Indian MSS.
In this chapter I will first give a description (in chronological order) of Weber's four publications which together constitute the 'first edition' (1:2). This is followed by descriptions of the MSS used by Weber (1.3). The latter descriptions have been kept as short as possible. For further information the literature quoted may be consulted, and especially Weber's publications. The order of the presentation of these MSS does not follow the chronology of Weber's successive publications, but is based on their contents; thus, those which contain the Prākrit text only come first, followed by those which contain the Prākrit text with a commentary, and finally those which contain a Sanskrit commentary or Chāyā only. Next the three new South-Indian MSS will be described (Ch. 2). 1.2 The first edition by Weber
The first edition, by A. Weber, consists of four successive publications, i.e. two text-editions proper (Abh. and Ed.) and two publications con