Some Observations On Manuscript Transmission Of Nyayabhasya

SR No.: 269206
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Yasutaka Muroya
Publisher: Yasutaka Muroya
Total Pages: 42
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 5 MB

Page 19

Some Observations on the Manuscript Transmission of the NBh (Y. Muroya) 41
Tātparyaṭīkā MS."71 It can therefore be surmised that other relevant Nyaya mss. remained unused.72 In the following discussion, the variant readings designated as "J" in Thakur's editions ED and EM are abbreviated to JD and JM respectively. Under the above presumption, which still has to be confirmed, I tentatively refer to the variants as being found in one Jaisalmer ms. only, and do not discuss the other scenario, namely, that the variants have been recorded from more than one Jaisalmer ms.
4.1 A different transmission of the text of the NBh
Our present collation of the trisütribhāṣya tentatively suggests that most of the mss. of the NBh available to us, apart from T as well as the Jaisalmer ms. in the form of the variant readings recorded by Thakur, can be divided into two major groups." .73 In the following they are called groups A and B (hereafter designated as MSSA and MSSB respectively). Attention cannot be paid to the various subdivisions of each group and the relation between these subdivisions, since this would be beyond the scope of the present article. Thus, the relation between groups A and B, ms. T and the variants of the Jaisalmer ms. reported in JM and JD will briefly be treated.
In comparing these variants with those of the printed editions, the following four editions, besides EM and ED, have been utilized: the editions by Gangadhara Shastri Tailanga (Varanasi 1896), Phanibhusana Tarkavagisha (Calcutta 1917-1929), Ganganatha Jha (Poona 1936-1945) and Taranatha Nyayatirtha who was responsible for the first ähnika of the first adhyaya of the NBh (Calcutta 1936), respectively designated as 'EG,' 'EPH,' 'E' and 'ET' 74 I do not provide the corresponding page and line numbers in these printed editions; variant readings found in the mss. collectively designated as MSSA and MSSB are not reported diplomatically; minor distinctions, such as sandhi variants, scribal errors or corruptions in individual readings of the
71 Cf. Thakur 1968: 380. For the mention of the Jaisalmer material in a singular form, cf. Thakur's Preface to ED: xiii: "[I]n the preparation of the present edition of the Nyayadarsana and Nyayabhāṣya, I mainly depended on the photocopy of the manuscript received through my late lamented friend Dr. J.S. Jetly."
72It is probable that the mss. utilized by Thakur correspond to Pothi 5, serial no. 67 for the NBh (57 fols.), serial no. 68 for the NV (142 fols.), Pothi 6, serial no. 69 for the NVTT (201 fols.) and serial no. 70 for the NVTP (165 fols.). Cf. Punyavijayaji 1972: 188-189; Jambuvijayaji 2000: 50. Concerning the NBh, another possibly untapped ms. would be the ms. Pothi 65, serial no. 1274(3) (70 fols.), dated samvat 1279. Cf. Punyavijayaji 1972: 356; Jambuvijayaji 2000: 110.
73 There are a few mss. whose readings are difficult to classify on the basis of the "test passage." They are excluded from examination in the present article because they are not of high relevance for determining the relationship of the Trivandrum ms. with other mss. of the NBh.
74 This selection of the printed editions is partially based on the results of the collation of a larger number of printed editions of the NBh prepared by Mr. Christian Ferstl, Ms. Heidrun Jäger and Mr. Gautam Liu, M.A., and also based on their comments on it.