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PREFACE
The compiler of the present, the second, Volume of the Descriptive Catalogue of Government Collections of Mss., now entrusted for custody to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, had the privilege of issuing the First Volume of the same Catalogue in 1916, when the Mss. were deposited at the Deccan College under his official charge. In the Foreword to that volume a detailed history of the search for Sanskrit Mss. in the Bombay Presidency was given, together with the origin and progress of the scheme of compilation of the present catalogue. That scheme there laid down has been followed in Volume XII, Volume XIV and Volume XVII, Parts I and II, since issued, and is likewise followed in the present Volume.
The Second Volume is to contain, according to the scheme, all Grammar Mss. in the Collections, Pāṇiniya as well as non-Pāṇiniya. In order to keep the size of the Volume within manageable limits the Mss. referring to the non-Pāṇiniya Systems of Grammar will be issued as Part II of Volume II. That Part is already in the hands of the printers.
The descriptive notes of a large number of Grammar Mss. assigned to Volume II were written by me more than 20 years ago. Where necessary they have been modified and brought up-to-date. This unfortunately was not always possible in the case of the "Referances" at the end of the descriptive notes, as I had to carry on the work from Benares, where references to Mss. Catalogues and printed editions of ancient and erudite works - and particularly to European publications bearing on the same — were not easily accessible. In the interest of speedy publication of the Volume it was not thought advisable to rectify all such minor deficiencies, for which the kind indulgence of scholars is solicited.
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute has made additions to the Original Government Collections of Mss., by making purchases on its own account. This added material, as far as works on Grammar were concerned, has been incorporated in the present publication.
Some twenty-five years ago while engaged on the study of these Grammar Mss. I was led to publish my small essay on the