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74
Amrita
out the exact significance of the readings recorded and except for a case or two where by oversight the names of the Mss. are missing in the critical apparatus, it is always possible to state the reading of a given Ms. as regards these changes.
To understand the implications of the readings of the different Mss. noted here by the indications used by the editor with minor changes, it will be necessary to summarise the important facts recorded by him, as far as they pertain to their nature and classification. Further details may be looked into in the introductions themselves. The first 37 sandhis of the Mahāpurāna are based upon five Mss. designated by the editor with the letters G. K. M. B. P., P., however, breaking off in the middle of sandhi 28. These are classified into two groups, G. K. giving the older version and M. B. P. a slightly later version. shown by the presence of a large number of introductory stanzas, various readings and a few additional passages. This division is valid for the present problem as well. The group G. K. uniformly presents ļ and r-groups, while M. B. P. change them to i and assimilated stops. In one case (9. 22. 9) the original reading of K. trya is modified into tiya by a later hand, which thus comes nearer to tiya of P. and tiha of M. B. Out of 157 cases of the first volume, there are only four cases where G. and K. differ among themselves : 22. 1. 13. G. vrata K. vraya; 34. 8. 6. G. prānapriu K. prānipriu; 36. 2. 6. G. priyahu K. pryahu; 10. 4. 11. G. dhruvu K. dhuvu, where only the last case shows a real difference as regards the retention of r-groups. Equally close is the agreement of the remaining three Mss. M. B. P. and there is only one
se 23. 11. 11. where P. agrees with G. K. as against M. B. P. prāņiprāņa M. pānipānu B. pānipāna. Otherwise they uniformly agree in getting rid of these sounds.
For sandhis 38-80, Dr. Vaidya has used three Mss. called K. A. P. which can be grouped into K. which keeps these sounds and A. P. which remove them. Out of 189 cases in all, only in 13 cases this grouping is disturbed : 54. 4. 7. is doubtful as no readings are recorded (uddiyaprānai) and this will be the only case where P. may be said to preserve the r-group which, however, is naturally suspect. In 60. 16. 4. A. K. nrvahu P. nivahu; 60. 20. 8. K. A. mrga P. miga; 61. 19. 8. K. A. mrgaloyaņāi P. miga; 61. 19. 14. K. A. nrvai P. ņivai; 61. 19. 15. K. A. mrganayaņa P. miga; 61. 20. 12. K. nrvu, A. nru P. niu; 62. 4. 14. K. A. mrganettahi P. miga; 74. 10. 6. K. A. nrvabalai P. niva; 74. 12. 12. K. A. mrgena P. migena; 80. 5. 11. K. A. nrvai P. nivai, A. agrees with K. In 71. 7. 2. K. P. migi A. mrgi; 73. 18. 15. K. P. migamuddai A. mrga, A. is alone in keeping r.