Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 93

MARCH, 1875.]
CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANEA.
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praised. While I refer to Bhoja, it may be mentioned that we have received from a Brih- man a Karana of Bhoja which is dated in the Saka year 964 (A.D. 1042), as also that the Jes- salmir Bhandar contains a fragment of a ro- mance by the great Pra már a prince, entitled Sringárainanjarikathanaka.
As the Vikramánkacharita appeared to be so very important, I resolved to copy-it myself; and this undertaking, as well as a full revision of it, was finished in seven days, through the friend ly assistance of. Dr. Jacobi, my companion. The MS. is excellent, corrected throughout, and annotated. It bears no date, but according to a subscription it was purchased in Samyat 1343 through Khetmall and Jethsingh.
The Gandavadhasára is a Prakrit poem of considerable extent: it celebrates a king Yaso-varman. The MS. contains also a commentary and a Sanskrit Chhaya. The work is not divided into satgas, but into kulakas.
The Chakrapánikávya, which celebrates Vishna, is not of great length, and probably dates from the 11th century.
The Bhandar farther contains four natakas, viz. the Prabodhachandrodaya, the Mulrárákshasa, the Venisahára, and the Anargharághava, the last of which is furnished with a commentary. The prose works are represented by Suban. dhu's Vásavadattá.
The Alankára is represented by very important works. Of works that are already known there is Dandin's Káryádarsa in a copy dated Samvat 1161 (A.D. 1105). There is also the Kavyaprakása of Mammata, with a commentary by Someśvara which I believe is new. Besides there is the Udbhatálankára, the Alankáraáústra of Vama na charya and
a tiká on a portion of the Rudratálunkára, as also an Alankáradarpana (134 slokas) in Prakṣit. The first three authors are cited by Mammata. AMS. of the Udbhadlankára is dated Samvat 1160 (A.D. 1104), the oldest MS. of the collection. For Chhandah, there is, besides Hema. chandra's Chhandúnuśásana, Jaya deva's long-sought work with a diká by Harsluata. The nyáya-works are numerous and mostly new. A complete copy of the Kandali is interesting. The Sankhya philosophy is represented by the Aniruddhabháshya, the Saptati, and the Tattrakaumudi.
Among the paper MSS. is a very beautiful collection of the Jaina Satras from the 15th century. It contains little that is new, at least to me.
The chief value of the Library lies in the palmyra MSS., the neatness and the high antiquity of which make it most desirable that all the known works should be accurately collated through Pandits. All these MSS., with the exception of the Raghupánsa, belong to the 12th and 13th centuries.
From Bikanirt I have brought with me an almost complete Nálycsústra of Bharata, the Setubandha, the complete commentary on the Satapatha Brahmana, the Prátisakhya of the Atlvirvaveda, together with a kindred I'anchapatıliká and about a dozen other novelties. I have besides made a very considerable purchase of Jaina MSS. Bhatnir has given very little. The beautiful palmyra MSS. which Cunningbam mentions were absolutely untraceable. For chess I have found a new work, the manasollá sa of the Chalukya prince Soma deva, which describest all the pleasures of Indian princes, and chess among them.
CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANEA. SNAKE-WORSHIP.
the Dhåndbal Kaths (who are the worshipAt this place, a large village in the part of pers in particular of the cobra, the other branches Kathiawh under Dhandhuka, is a thanak of preferring the Sun), got him conveyed on a cot to Charmália, a local name for the Naga. It was a field outside Khas, where he was found by the not here when I encamped at this village last year. people in a dying state, but with hopes of reI am told the history of it is as follows:
viving him they carried him to the place where A woman in the neighbouring village of Aldu the shrine now is, and spread sand for him, and mortally wounded a cobra, and then, for fear of put a canopy over him to shield him from the sun. Vide vol. III. pp. 89, 90.
I To this obviously belongs the fragment 7941 in Cham. + Added during the correction of the press from a more bers. See my Catalogue of Sanskrit MSS. of the Royal recent letter, Allahabad, 26th March.
Biblioth. here, pp. 172-173; the chapter on chess is wanteg there.-Weber.