Indian Antiquary Vol 10

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 60

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1881.
Cambay and one to Pathan. The former were ! was, however, only just finished at the end of ordered to catalogue the Bhandar attached to the the year. The trouble taken with it has been well temple of Såntinath, which contains only palm- rewarded by the discovery of a very ancient copy leaf manuscripts of great antiquity, and such palm of the oldest Sanskrit dictionary, the Sdénata leaf manuscripts as might be found in the other Kosha, of which one other copy only (preserved three public libraries of Cambay. Though armed at Oxford) is known, of several copies of Hem& with orders from the Acting Collector, Mr. G. charya's Prdkrita Doydórayakosha together with Wilson, my emissaries were unable to prevail on a commentary thereon, and of a Vikramankábhyuthe Cambay Darbar to bring the exceedingly | daya Kdoya, apparently another historical poem. obstinate Panch to reason, and after spending a The second work is a life of Hemacharya's part of August and September in fruitlees efforts, patron, Kumarapala of Anhilwad, and they had to return without having effected their bears therefore the second title Kumarapaldcharita purpose. Towards the end of the year I made & or history of Kumarapala. Its primary object second attempt, which, owing to the energetic is to illustrate the rules of the author's Pråkrit manner in which Mr. Sheppard, the Collector of grammar. It is, therefore, written in six different Khôdâ, espoused our cause, and to the intelligent dialects, and below each verse the author names and ready co-operation of the Divan, Mr. Shâmrao the rules of his grammar, according to which the Narayan, turned out successful. At Mr. Shep- remarkable words employed have been formed. pard's invitation I personally visited Cambay and The work has, therefore, a double importance for inspected Såntin&th's Bhandar, the catalogue of Sanskritists, as a source for a portion of the history which had been begun by my men, as well as a of Gujarat and an illustration of Heracharya's smaller collection said to belong to Sripaj Guna- grammar. The Samghavi Bhandar contains noratna Sågara. The former library is fully worthy thing but palm-leaf manuscripts, upwards of 400, of its fame. The manuscripts, about 300 in num- and among them some belonging to the 12th ber, are exceedingly old, six dating from the century. Its contents as well as those of Santibeginning of the 12th century and beautifully and nath's library at Cambay and of the great library correctly written. During my short inspection of of Jêsalmir will, I hope, convince those European the collection I discovered at once a new copy of Sansksitists who still doubt the existence of San. the historical Prakrit poem, Gaudavaha, which skrit manuscripts dating from the 12th and earlier Vák pati composed in honour of his patron centuries, that they can fearlessly acknowledge Yasovarman of Kånauj (A.D. 725). The the fact. These revered old hoards of the Jaina copy, the third which has been found, appears to communities do not contain forgeries, but genuine be very correct and somewhat more complete than relios of very ancient times. The condition of the those discovered in Jêsalmir and Pathan. Its last manuscripts, the characters in which they are verse gives the name of the author in full as written, the material on which they are written, "Kavirayalamchhana Vappairáya," i. e., Våkpa- furnish strong testimony on the point, and the tirêja, who bears the mark or title of a "Prince quantities in which these documents occur (but of Poets." Besides this work I saw a considerable only in so jealously guarded localities to which in number of unknown Jaina works, among which general neither the faithfal nor infidels are adwere also some Prabandhas or "historical tales." mitted), make it also unbelievable that they can A complete account of the contents of the library have been manufactured in modern times. The can be furnished in next year's report only. The genuineness of these documents granted, it will Pandit whom I sent to Pathan, bad orders to be the duty of Sanskrit scholars, who again and catalogue the Sanghaving Pad Bhandar and to again publish the classical Sanskrit books accordattempt, after the completion of that task, the ing to manuscripts dating at the best from the great library of Hemacharya. As I had 15th century, to turn their attention to our old found the custodian of the former collection very Bhandars and to use the copies there deposited, obliging in 1876 and 1877, I hoped that the pre- which are not only older than the earliest paper paration of the catalogae would cause no difficul- copies, but older also than the oldest commenties. In this expectation I was, however, dis- tators on whom usually great reliance is placed. appointed. The Pandit had to sue for many Before that can be done, it will, however, be the months in vain, as the leading Jainas feared that duty of those who conduct the search for mannsome sinister attempt against their books might scripts to publish the list of the contents of the be intended when the new catalogue had been Bhandârs. The catalogue of the Sanghaving prepared. At last the Gaikwadi Sar Subb& took Padano Bhandar is at present being prepared for the matter earnestly in hand, and the permission the press. to prepare the catalogue was given. The work! In purchasing original Sanskrit books bori