Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 81

FEBRUARY, 1885.)
BOOK NOTICE
63
that Uvata wrote in Avanti or Ujjain, while kritists I too held this opinion for many years. Bhoja ruled the country, and thus settles the But recent discoveries have shown that even the chronological question. This discovery has already scribes of Gujarat and Rajputând, where the been published by Mr. S. P. Pandit, in his paper Vikrama era is universally used in every day life, on Sayana's commentary of the White Yajurvéda, sometimes put Sauvat instead of Sakasan vat. which he sent to the sixth International Oriental As instances I may point out the MS. of the Congress. But the honour of the find belongs, as Mahabh4shya (Kielhorn, Mah. II. 3, p. 8), written Mr. Pandit has stated, to Professor Bhåndårkar. at Iladurga (Idar) in Samvat 1513 and 1514,
Among the other Vedic MSS. the collection of where the mention in the colophon) of the 108 Upanishads (No. 487) is interesting. Such victorious reign of the illustrious Narayaņadasa, large collections are, 4g Professor Bhandarkar the Rao Nárondês of the Ain-i-Akbart, shows that points out, rare. I remember only one MS. Sakasamvat 1513-1514 is meant, and the copy of preserved in the library of the Bombay Asiatic Govindaraja's Smritimañjari in the India Office Society, which I think contains more Upanishads library (No. 1736), dated Samvat 1467, which than this.
Colebrooke and the editors of the Palaeo. The second class, Vedángas, shows no important graphical Series believed to correspond to 1410 novelties, but is remarkable for a good collection A. D. In the colophon of the latter work the of Prayogas, or, manuals for Vedio sacrifices scribe states, however, that he wrote at Vasuravi used by the V&jasaneyins, which will be (Vasråvt) during the reign of Mahårånå Udayaserviceable to students of the difficult ritualistic simha. As Maharani Udayasimha of Mêvad caine questions. Class III. Itihdeas and Puranas is de- to the throne in 1541 A D., it is not doubtful that void of interest and contains too many Mahatmyas Samvat 1467 refera to the Saka era, and correand similar works which are already sufficiently sponds to 1545 A. D. Under these circumstances represented in the collections of earlier years. every “Sa hvat-date" requires verifi sation. The
Class IV. Dharma, on the other hand, offers & best means for this purpose is a calculation of the great many useful books and some really import- days of the week which usually are given besides ant finds. To the latter belong the rare Manvartha. the days of the month, according to the two eras. chandrikd of Raghavananda Sarasvati, the
Among the works on grammar (Class VI.) there Mitulkshard of Samvat 1535, and the Dharmaldstras | is another fragment of Isvarananda's commentary of the Madhva sect. The first-named work, which
on the Mahabhishya (No. 184) which is interestI have used for the notes to my translation of ing. The first piece was found in 1873-74 Manu, has suffered very considerably, but it is the
(No. 38). The remarks (p. 11) on the Anekdr. only accessible copy besides the Paris MS. whicb
thadhvanimañjarf of Mahåkshapaņaka (Class VII. D'Anquetil brought from Gujarat. If the Mituk- No. 199) might have been completed by a reference shard, as Professor Bhåndårkar assumes, is really to my Kasmír Report, p. 76, and to the Kasmir dated in the Vikrama era, it is only 23 years MS., No. 329 of 1876-77. It would thereby have younger than the MS. of the Elphinstone College become evident that the work really belongs to Collection of 1887-68 (Class VI. No. 9) which the Kalmfraka dmndya. was written in Sakasamvat 1378 or 1456 A. D. Of undeniable importance are the numerous With these two copies it ought to be possible to acquisitions in Class X. Vedanta, especially those restore the text of the great lawbook, the editions embodying the teaching of Madhva-Anandatfrtha of which do not seem to be very correct. and of Nimbarka. The collections of earlier The lawbooks of the Madhvas were hitherto years contained, with the exception of the Madh. unrepresented in the Bombay collection. Nearly vavijaya (Elphinstone Collection of 1867-68, all the works in Class V. which belong to the Class XII. No. 6), nothing worth speaking of elegant literature, occur already in the older lists. that could throw light on these two modern, but Yet the copies of the rarer commentaries on the important sects. Professor Bhandarkar has now Raghuvanda and the Kirátárjunkya, as well as the
done a great deal towards filling up this lacuna. Panchatantra, dated Sauvat 1534, are valuable He has, moreover, given in Appendix II. p. 202.6. acquisitions. The last MS. cannot, however, be a carefully prepared list of the spiritual heads "more than five hundred years old," but supposing of the Madhvas, together with apparently trust. that the date refers to the Vikrama era, only
worthy dates, and an extract from the Hariguruupwards of four hundred: I must, howevor, add stavamdld, which enumerates the successors of that it is hazardous to assume, as Professor Bhan. Nimbark. These new lists allow us to correct därkar seems to do throughout, that all dates many errors in Professor H. H., Wilson's Essay preceded by the word "Sarvat" belong to the on the Religious Sects of India, where, inter era of 57 B. O. In common with other Sans- alia, the year after Madhva's death is given a