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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1887.
BOOK NOTICE. CATALOGUES OF THE MSS. IN THE ROYAL LIBRARY are several little-known treatises; amongst
AT BERLIN. Die Handechriften-Verzeichnisse der königlichen Bibliothek su Berlin. Vol. V. Sanskrit and
which may be mentioned the Gargasarithita Prakrit MSS., Part II. Section I. (By A. Weber) (very fully described), Abvaghosha's BuddhaBerlin, A. W. Schade. 1886. Large Quarto, PP. viii. and 352
charita (a transcription in Roman characters by S. This first section of the second part of Dr.
Goldschmidt), the Ramdnújacharita (valuable for Wober's Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit
the history of the rise of the aishnava sects), M88. in the Berlin Library deals with Brah.
and the curious Khalavaktrachapéçikd. The vernamanic and Sanskpit literature. A notice on the
cular texts are few in number, but are more than title-page informs us that the Second Section,
usually interesting in character. Thus there are dealing with Jain works, will shortly follow.
the Prith ulchandracharita of Manik yasdrisunThe book is in every way worthy of the great
dara, written in Vik. Sam. 1573 (c. 1516 A. D.) from reputation of its author. Such a compilation,
the Achalagachha; the Manichudavaduna in involving immense labour, combined with the
Népali; 46 Kasmiri songs, with English translamost minute and painstaking accuracy, could,
tion by Pandit Hargöp&l (?) collected and annotated indeed, only have been successfully accomplished
in German by Dr. F. Jagor; and a collection of by scholar possessed of the learning, at once
popular songs from Hindustan. deep and many-sided, of Dr. Weber.
As an example of the completeness and care Altogether 358 works are described in the
with which each book is described, we may take Catalogue, which is arranged according to order
as an example the copy of the Satapatha. of subjects under the main heads of (A.)
Brahmana in the Madhyamdina School (Nos. 1464 Brahmanic, and (B.) Sanskrit Literature.
to 1470 in the Catalogue). We have first a Under the first head Dr. Weber includes the reference to the printed edition of the work, and Vedas and their connected literature, classed
to its translation. Next is given the colophon, under the subheads of (1) Rigveda, (2) Samaveda,
showing the MS. to have been written in Vik. Sam. (3) Yajurvéda (4) Atharvavéda, (6) Våddrgas, and
and 1531, together with a description in German of their kin. Under the second head are included
the character of the text, and manner in which it I. Poetry (Epic, Dramatic, Narrative, Lyrico
is written. Then follows a description in greater didactic, and texts in the vernacular); II. Science
detail of each of the seven volumes, giving the (Philosophy, Language, Mathematics, &c.), and
pages on which each section of the work begins. III. Laws, Customs and Cultus (smriti, dchdra,
Then we have twelve pages of minute analysis stötra). The scientific collection is particularly
of the contents of the work, under the form of rich, containing over 140 works, of which more
a list (with references) of the various names than a hundred deal with the subject of Lan
&c. alluded to in it. Next follows & page of guage, classed under Grammar, Lexicography,
textual comparison between the present M8. and Prosody, Rhetoric, and Music. The grammatical
the printed edition. Finally, we have a short note schools, of which examples are included, are those on the accentuation of the MS of Panini, the Kätantra, Chandra, Jainêndra, the
It is difficult to give fuller particulars of this Prabodhachandrikd the Bhojavydkarana, Vyldi
monumental work, owing to its very nature. The Sakatayana, the Sarasvata and Hômachandra. No
best catalogue in the world is not for continuous less than fifty-seven works fall under the last reading, but for reference. As a work of reference, head, including several copies of the valuable the one under review is singularly complete. I Sabdanuidsana and its vritti, by Hômachandra have already alluded to its evident accuracy; himself. Five schools of philosophy are represented
and this accuracy is rendered the more patent vis. the Vedanta, Mimamsa, Vaistshika, and by a system of typography which renders the Nyâya, embracing altogether fourteen entries, book a particularly pleasant one to refer to. The including one copy of the Shaddarkanasangraha. thanks of all Indian scholars are due to Dr. Weber
In the collection of poetical works, are in for this helpful and interesting volume; and. cluded a number of Prakrit MSS., principally we shall eagerly look for the publication of the commentaries on well-known books such as the promised second section, dealing with the Jain Satubardha, Saptabataka, &c., in that language.
M88. of the collection. Under the head of Puranas, Upapuranas &c., there
GEORGE A. GBIERBOX.
