Doha Giti Kosa

Author(s): Sarahpad, Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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The texts of the Dgk. as we have in the editions of Shstri, Bagchi and Sankrityayana (original Apabhramśa and the Tibetan translation) have numerons differences among them. They relate to orthography, grammatical forms, words, lines, number of verses and their order. The original text has been subject to many changes during its transmission over centuries.
The manuscript of Saraha's Dohāgītikośa that was used by Munidatta was, it seems, considerably corrupt. Even if we make allowance for the errors of the copyist of Munidatta's commentary, there is sufficient evidence to justify the above conclusion.
The Tibetan translator and the teachers for whom the Ms. copy of the Dgk. was prepared do not seem to have an adequate knowledge of Apabhramśa. Consequently the primary problem before us is to restore the original text as far as possible with the help of available materials. The text quite obviously forms the foundation on which the edifice of interpretations and of the underlying religio-philosophical ideas is raised. But the task of restoring the text of Dgk. presupposes among other things an intimate knowledge of the Apabhramba linguistic and literary traditions of the earlier period. Sankrityayana's following remarks made with regard to the text of Saraha's preserved songs is pertinent in this context :
चर्या-पदों के पुराने पाठ के लिए हम अधिक अच्छी स्थिति में नहीं हैं। नेपाल या भारत की जो प्रतियां मिली हैं, वह उस समय की हैं, जबकि भूतकाल का 'इल' प्रत्यय प्रचलित हो चुका था । सरहदपाद से ५-६ शताब्दियों बाद उनके गीतों में भारी परिवर्तन हो जाना स्वाभाविक है । मीरांबाई के शुद्ध राजस्थानी पद कैसे विकृत रूपों में मिलते हैं, यह मालूम
All those scholars who have so far worked with the text, language, translation, and interpretation of ideological content of Dgk. have not, for several reasons, made adequate use of the available knowledge of Apabhramsa language, metres and literary works.