Collected Research Papers in Prakrit and Jainology Vol 02

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: University of Pune

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Sanskrit Verse about Manuscript-preservation
In Sanskrit, the words used for a book are 'ग्रन्थ'or 'पुस्तक'. The Prakrit word for 'पुस्तक' is 'पोत्थय', from which the word 'पोथी' is derived. It is very interesting to note that now-a-days we used the word 9781' for a manuscript or even a printed book having the shape of 9721'. When the art of printing was not prevalent, the word 'fritt was used in the sense of a manuscript also.
“How a manuscript is to be taken care of by a bibliophile', can be best illustrated by the following poetic verse from a copyist appearing at the end of some Sanskrit manuscript:
संभूष्यं सदपत्यवत् , परकरात् रक्ष्यं च सुक्षेत्रवत् , संशोध्यं व्रणिताङ्गवत् , प्रतिदिनं वीक्ष्यं च सन्मित्रवत् ।
बध्यं वध्यवदश्लथं दृढगुणैः , स्मर्यं हरेर्नामवत् , नैवं सीदति पुस्तकं खलु कदाप्येतद् गुरूणां वचः ।।
It is to be decked like one's beloved child ; to be guarded from another's hand like one's
virtuous wife ; to be treated like an injured limb of one's body ; to be looked up every day like a good friend ; to be tied up strongly like a prisoner with strong threads; and to be always thought of like the Lord's name ; if one does thus, his manuscript does not come to grief. (Translation: V.Raghavan)7
How beautifully our wise forefathers had given us the norms of manuscript preservation and conservation !!
List of References 1) प्रभावकचरित , श्लोक ७६६ 2) वसुदेवहिंडी , मज्झिमखंड (I), p.3 3) संखित्त-तरंगवई-कहा , pp. 4;6;8;10;12;14;16;40;58;64 etc 4) गाथासप्तशती , Sataka 3.ga. 22
पिअ-संभरण-पलोत-बाह-धारा-णिवाअ-भीआए । दिज्जइ वंक-ग्गीवाएँ दीवओ पहिअ-जाआए ।। 5) बप्पट्टिकहा, ga. 151
पिअ-संभरण-पलुटुंत-वाहधारा-निवाह (? य)-भीयाए । दिज्जयइ वंकगीवाओ दीवओ पहियजायाए ।। 6) जैन साहित्य का बृहद् इतिहास, लाक्षणिक साहित्य, (भाग ५), foot note on p. 233 7) Annals of the BORI, 1996 Article: The Government Manuscripts Library, Laddu,
Gokhaley.
List of Reference Books 1) A Brief Survey of Jaina Prakrit and Sanskrit Literature,
Dr. Nalini Joshi, Sanmati-Teerth Prakashan, June 2009. 2) Annals of the BORI, 1996, Ed. Dr.Dandekar, Dr. Laddu, BORI Press, 1997. 3) Bappabhatti and his Tärägana, Sambodhi Vo.3, A.N.Upadhye, L.D.I.I, Ammedabad,
1974-75 4) Gāthāsaptašati, Hāla Sātavāhana, Ed. Rādhāgovinda Basak, The Asiatic Society, Calcutta
9, 1971 5) जैन साहित्य का बृहद् इतिहास, भाग ५, पं. अंबालाल शाह, पार्श्वनाथ विद्याश्रम शोध संस्थान, वाराणसी,
१९६९ 6) जपून ठेवा अपुला ठेवा, डॉ.श्री.ल.बापट, राष्ट्रीय पाण्डुलिपी मिशन, BORI, पुणे, २००५ 7) Jinaratnakosa, H.D.Velankar, BORI, Poona, 1944 8) Manuscriptology: An entrance, S.Jagannath, Parimal Publications, Delhi, 2007
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