Indian Antiquary Vol 10

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 61

FEBRUARY, 1881.] SANSKRIT MANUSCRIPTS IN WESTERN INDIA.
45
Government, I have been even more fortunate I heard through Rao Saheb Gopalji Sarbhai Desai than in my attempt to obtain catalogues. The 1 of the existence of Maitra yaniyas in Morvi. whole number of my purchases amounts to 429 But I was informed later that they were extinct. volumes, many of which contain more than one As Dr. L. Von Schroeder undertook last year the work. The number of separate works, great and edition of the sacred books of the Maitrayaniyas, small, surpasses five hundred. Seven of these I resolved, at his request, to instituto another books belong, however, not really to this year's careful search for them in Gujarat and Kathiwad. collection, but to 1877 and 1878. All the other I sent one of my assistants to Morvi and its neighmanuscripts have been actually collected during bourhood, and he found there two families, in the year in the Government and Gaikwadi districts one of which the whole sakhả is still recited of Gujarat, in Cambay, Kathiâwâd, and Southern annually. Not without some difficulty, he bought Marwar. During my two years'absence in Europe, from them nine old manuscripts and procuroda copy a great number of old Pandits, who possessed good of the unique Padapatha of the Mantras. Encourlibraries, have died, owing to the scarcity and the aged by this result, I ordered a further search after epidemic fever which have deprived Western India Maitráya niyas to be made in the whole of considerable proportion of its population. tract north of the Narmada, to which, according to Again a great number of Brahmanical families have the commentary on the Charanavyúha they origin. been reduced to extreme distress by the high prices
ally were confined. In consequence a number of for the necessaries of life which prevailed for more families adhering to the school were found in the than two years, and by the inability of their Yaja- northern districts belonging to the Gaikwad, near mins, or spiritual clients, to give them the custom
Siddhapurand Vadanagar. They, however, ary support. These special circumstances, regret- possess no books. But in Ahmad a bid two able as they are in other respects, have enabled me Suklas or spiritual heads turned up, who still are to collect this year in 9 months, more Brahmanical able to recite the sevishitd. One of them has manuscripts than I ever obtained before in Gujarat,
declared himself willing to part with his mann. and to obtain them at a cheaper rate than usual. scripts, while the other will probably lend them for If the delay which occurred repeatedly in the collation. I have not been able to include the payment of the money advances had not impeded
AhmadAbåd manuscripts among the purchases of my operations, I should have been able to show 1879-80, as I had no money in my hands at the even better results.
end of the year to pay for them. Upwards of fifty As regards the quality of books collected, I am manuscripts refer to the Sdmaveda. They include. happy to state that this year's collection contains besides the Sanhita, the Ganas and the chief much that is rare and important. Vedic literature Brahmanas, some of the rarer Sátras and Paribishis represented by 159 numbers. For the Rigveda tas attached to the third Vedu. The most there are, besides copies of the Brdhmana and important among them are the Riktantra and Sátras of sankhâyana Sakha, the very rare
Samatantra Vyakaranas, the Tandalakshana, Pancommentary of Durgacharya on the Nirukta, chavidha and Pushpasútras, as well as the Amritaand some rare treatises, among which I may name harana, Somotpatti and Naigeya-Paribishtas. The a Galitapradipa and a Padagddha. The former Atharvaveda is represented by more than twenty is, I think, new. Among the works referring te manuscripts. Some old, though incomplete manuthe Madhyandina Sakh two large pieces of the scripts of the Samhita, a good manuscript of the Mantrabhushya by U vata, a complete copy of Kausika Grinyasútra, a copy of the last thirtyMahid hara's Vedadipa, and a collection of seven Paribishtas and two Prayogas on domestic the Paribishtas, deserve to be mentioned. One of ceremonies appear to be valuable. In connexion the manuscripts of the first-named book is the with the works belonging to the Atharvaveda a copy mentioned in my Catalogue of MSS. from discovery deserves to be noticed which throws Gujarat, I, No. 36. A special and very great some light on the history of the Paippaladas, interest attaches to a collection of 10 manuscripts one of its ancient schools, the Sanhitd of which is of the Maitrayaniya S&kbå, containing the greater hitherto known through a single Kasmir manaportion of the Samhita, a Padapatha of the script. All the Atharva manuscripts which I Mantras, the Manaragrihyasátra partly with a have collected or seen in Gujarat and Rajputâng commentary, and six treatises on the sacriticial belong to the Saunaka Såkh. Yet the Mahdrand funeral rites of that Vedic school. All nada, a work quoted in the commentary on the these manuscripts, among which the Padapatha Charanavydha, distinctly states that all Atharvaof the Mantras is unique, come from Mo'rvi and vedis residing north of the Narmada are PaippaL&thi in Kathiawad. Many years ago, when I 1&das, while those living to the south of the river first began the search for Sanskrit manuscripts, are followers of Sauna ka. Partly with the hope