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100
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1881.
N. W. from Chittûr, N. Ärkat. I have not on the Ponniyar or South Pennar River, seen them, but my messengers report from ten discovered and described by Mr. J. H. Garstin, to fifteen of the round-topped slab-monuments C.S.I. (see p. 159, vol. V, Ind. Ant., May 1876); just like those described above.
and I have heard of a few others in the wild A sixth place at which they are found is at hill country between Maisûr, Sêlam, and North Dev & nûr-Kollur, near Tirukô valûr Arkát.
ANCIENT PALM-LEAF MSS. LATELY ACQUIRED FOR THE
GOVERNMENT OF BOMBAY.
BY DR. F. KIELHORN, DECCAN COLLEGE, PUŅA. After some months of hard work I am enabled Samvat 1145 and 46 = A.D. 1088 and 89; to give a short account of the collection of during the reign of Karnadeva. ancient palm-leaf MSS., which it has been my Samvat 1179 = A.D. 1122; during the reign good fortune lately to acquire for the Govern- of Jayasingha. ment of Bombay. It has not been an altogether Samvat 119-(?) - between A.D. 1133 and 42. easy task to reduce to something like order Samvat 1218 = A.D. 1161; during the reign of more than 12,000 leaves which for hundreds Kumârapa la. of years have been hidden away upread and Samvat ? = P during the reign of Bhiuncared for, and so to arrange them as to make madeva. the works which they contain generally acces- Samyat 1294 = A.D. 1237. sible and useful to my fellow-workers; but the Samvat 1300 = A.D. 1243. result has amply repaid any little trouble which Samvat 1304 = A.D. 1247. has been undergone.
Samvat 1315 = A.D. 1258. The collection will be particularly welcome Samvat 1332 = A.D. 1275. to those who specially devote their energies to Samvat 1340 = A.D. 1283. the elucidation of the history of the Jain Samvat 1342 = A.D. 1285. religion, but it also contains some works which Kaliyuga 4398 = A.D. 1297; during the reign are sure to interest Sanskrit scholars generally of Ramachandradeva. Its acquisition gives rise to the hope that the Samvat 1359 = A.D. 1302. liberality of the Government of India will enable | Reserving for my Report to Government any us to continue the examination of the ancient further remarks I may have to offer and a more libraries of this country which has already accurate description of the MSS., I now proyielded most valuable and unhoped-for results. ceed to give the titles of the works which they
There are several works in the collection contain, together with the names of the authors, which hitherto were either unknown or of which where they are mentioned, and the number of only imperfect copies were accessible, but what leaves of each MS:renders these MSS. specially valuable, and the 1. Anekárthasarngraha by Hemachanone point in which they excel all MSS. of the dra; 99 11. principal European Libraries, is their great anti- 2. Acháraniryukti; 32 11. quity. The oldest MS. of the Berlin Library is 3. Uttarddhyayanasútra ; 64 11.; Samvat 1342. dated Samvat 1435 (A.D. 1378), and I cannot be 4. The same; 175 11.; Samvat 1332. far wrong in saying that the London and Oxford 5. The same, incomplete; 134 ll. Libraries contain few MSS. written before the 6. Uttaradhyayanasútravritti subodha ;39411.; 16th century. Those of the palm-leaf MSS. 12,000 Gr.; Samvat 1342. which are dated give the years when they were 7. Upadesakandalívritti by B & lachanwritten as stated below, and there is evidence dra; fragments of 250 11. to prove that those which contain no dates were 8. Upamitabhavaprapancha Katha; 355 11. written about the same time, viz., from six to 9. Rishidattácharita by Guņa på la; 155 11.; eight hundred years ago. The dates actually written doring the reign of Bhimadeva. given are :
10. Ohasamáyári ; 110 11.; 1162 Gâthâs. Samvat 1138 = A.D. 1081.
11. Kandalitippana ; fragments of 150 11.
