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INTRODUCTION
been guided by another consideration. I often had to regret that no chrestomathy of the Prākrits of the plays exists, and it was my hope that the Karpūramañjarī might be used as such one. This consideration has also, to some extent, influenced my work. Thus I have, in some places, introduced the peculiar forms of the two dialects, even against the reading of all mss. (pp. xxi-xxii, Italics mine). Some of the subsequent editors of dramas have not been able to agree with Konow's practice. Hillebrandt remarks thus in his Preface (p. iii) to Mudrārākşasam (Breslau 1912): "In plays Māhārāștri is restricted to songs: this in an old rule the correction of which I see no reason of doubting; but the restriction of Saurasenī to the prose passages of dramatic works is an assumption to which I cannot accede. He further points out how the best mss. admit Sauraseni verses. The greatest reaction against Konow's procedure comes from Dr. M. Ghosh who has re-edited the Karpüramañjari.?
A text-critic is not open to adverse criticism, if his grammatical standards are upheld by the readings of his genuine mss. Systematically collated by him; but when, in spite of a large number of mss., he has to emend his text against the best readings, simply because he has set before himself certain dialectal standards, one begins to suspect the universality of the standards and the soundness of his procedure. The zeal for scientific thoroughnesss, textual uniformity and strict editorial discipline is allright; but when it is satisfied at the cost of genuine readings, without a word of apologetic explanation, the text-critic is cutting the very sand under his feet.
In editing the text of Caṁdalehā, the threefold scribal lapses only are corrected; and no genuine reading is silently tampered with to fulfil any dialectal convention. It is a modest and conscientious effort to record faithfully the text of Camdalehā available to the editor from a single ms. after judiciously eschewing the scribal lapses. In discarding, discriminating and determining the readings I have tried to be as careful and cautious as possible. It is quite likely that critical judgment may vary on minor details. I have, however, given the actual readings in all crucial cases, so that others may be able to correct my errors and build a better text when some more MSS. are available.
In presenting the Prākrit text I have followed nearly the same principles adopted in the Kamsavabo and Usāņiruddham. . 1 Published by the University of Calcutta, Calcutta 1939.
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