Comprehensive Critical Dictionary of Prakrit Languages Volum 01

Author(s): A M Ghatage
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Page 32

after the finalistion of the capon. For the dictionary of the present type such inaccuracies are inevitable. All ibat we can do in this regard is to label a wurd as older
* or younger
For giving reference it may be noted that more than oce edition of a book is required to be used for citations. This is because they differ iu readings, orthography and divisions of the text. In a few cases a book has two versions, a shorter one and a lorger one. In such a case a word may occur in one but not in th: cther. To meet this wiflicully, references to more than one edition are given after the quotation, the second reference being in parenthesis. When we quote from a Curni or a Tika we give reference to be folio, side (a or b) and line because without this help the expiac tion of it word in a given text cannot be easily traced in the comineataries. The system of numbering various paris othe text, except for the largest divisioss, is. to say the least, chaotic and there is no agreement between different editions of the same text. Th: origical divisions into Srutaskandha, Adhyāya, Uddesaka and Sutra is completely neglected while preparing indices for such wor<s, making it impossible to them. The number of verses in a text is not the same in different editions. This is also true of Sutr 1 Dumbers. because the Surras are differently divided by the different editors. All these facts make it well-nigh impossible to trace passages from one edition to the other. This explains to some extent the length of the references, and the reader is requested to try all of the 11 if he wants to verify the quotations.
7. Cross reference The last element of an entry in the dictionary is a cross-reference to another entry which is related to it in different ways. It may be a mere variant reading of the same lemma or an earlier or a later form of the same word occurring at a given place of the text. The way in which the work of the dictionary is planned and carried out, it is inevitable to have more frequeot references to the words which come later than those which have already been given. 1o remedy this situation, recourse is taken to give the reterence in both ways. However, great care is taken to choose the lemma which must be based on its usefulness for a detailed treatment. Another way adopted to help the reader is to put together all mitor varias a word in one place. Citations are also kept at the minimum by avoiding repetition at different places unless absulutely necessary.
8. Material from Other Sources In order to achieve maximum comprehensiveness, words which are found in the earlier dictionaries are included even when we are not in a position to verity them along with the quotation given there. Naturally such entries are few and are given in square brackets with the indication of the work from which they are taken. The same procedure is followed when we find that a meaning is assigned to a word which cannot be verified
A. M. GHATAGE