Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts Asiatic Society Vol 13 Part 03

SR No.: 020283
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 138
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 7 MB

Page 5

PREAMBLE
Thirty years have elapsed since the appearance of the first fascicule of the thirteenth volume (Jaipa Manuscripts) of the Des. criptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Government collection of the Asiatic Society. The second fascicule of the same appeared in 1966. The third one, which has been lying unedited for a long time, is published now.
In editing this volume some difficulties could not be avoided. First, some of the writings of the manuscripts are so corrupt that it was difficult to decipher them. Secondly, the Jaina texts are so full of technical terms and historic names that it is almost impossible to guess the correct forms of these terms. Lastly, some lacunae could not be guessed in order to improve upon the text. Despite all these difficulties, I have tried my best to do justice to all of these points mentioned above. In this respect, I have taken the help of two scholars-Dr. Joydev Ganguly Shastri of the University of Calcutta, and Mr. Bhamwarlal Nahta, an eminent Jainologist of Calcutta. I believe with their help lots of doubts are removed, and some are left out for scholars to decide. As it is a record of the manuscripts, I believe, these lacunae could be rectified at the time of editing a particular text.
The Jaina manuscripts presented in this volume are important for historical reasons. Some names of some Muslim rulers, under whose patronage or time the manuscripts were written or copied, are mentioned. Some of them are very rare and need immediate attention of the scholars to edit them.
I am grateful to the authority concerned for giving me an opportunity to edit the Jaina manuscripts for the benefit of the scholarly world.
Calcutta, 15 February, 1987)
Satya Ranjan Banerjee