Indian Antiquary Vol 27

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 73

MARCH, 1898.] THE SOUTH-INDIAN RECENSION OF THE MAHABHARATA.
69
Portions of the Adiparvan are found in the Whish MSS. Nos. 65 and 158.
The Grantha M8. Whish No. 65 contains the Parlomaparvan (in 8 Adhyâyas) and the Antikaparvan (in 40 Adhyâyas), these 48 Adhyáyas corresponding to Adhyâyas 1-59 of the Nagari editions.
The difference in the number of Adhyâyas is partly due to the fact that two Adhyâyas are sometimes contracted into one, but partly also to omissions in the South Indian MS.
In order to give some idea of the value of the South-Indian recension - as far as one single MS. can be said to represent a whole recension - for an eventual critical restoration of the text of the Mahabharata, I have given below a few extracts from this MS. The passages which differ from the Devanagari recension have been underlined, and the corresponding passages given opposite each line. The full text given in the left hand column is a fair specimen of what the South-Indian recension is like, while the varietas lectionis given in the right hand column will shew at a glance the relation of the two recensions to each other.
The first extract contains the beginning of the Mahabharata, verses 1-150 of the first Adkyáya.
A. Adiparvan.
I.1.150. South Indian Ms.
Devanagari edition (Bombay). भौं भनश्यामः पिंगजटाबद्धकलापः
नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरव नरोत्तमम् । प्रांद्युदण्डी कृष्णमृगवकपरिधानस्
देवी सरस्वतीचैव ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ।। साक्षालोकान्पाववमानः कविमुख्यः पाराशर्यः पर्वतरूपं विष्णोन ॥ रामहर्षणपुत्रः उपवास्सूतः पौराणिको नैमिशारण्ये । लोम'
सौतिः
नैमिषा' शौनकस्य कुलपतविचवार्षिक सत्र वर्तमाने ॥ 1
वर्वमाने deest. समासीमानभ्वगच्छत् प्रान्सिशितव्रतान् ।
सखा विनवावनती भूत्वा कदाचित्सूतनन्दनः। समाश्रममनुप्राप्तं नैमिशारण्यवासिनः।
नैमिषारण्यवासिनाम् चित्रा श्रोतुं कथास्तव परिवबुस्समन्ततः ।
स्तपस्विनः मभिवाय मुर्हस्तांस्तु सर्वानेव कृताञ्जलिः। अपृच्छत्स तपोधृद्धि सभिवाभिनन्दितः।
पूजितः भय सेयूपविष्टेषु सर्वेष्वेव तपस्विषु। निर्दिष्टमासनं भेजे विनवाद्रोमहर्षिणी'।
लोमहर्षणिः सुखासीनन्ततस्तन्तु विश्रान्तमुपलक्ष्य च। भयाण्छदृषिश्रेष्ठस्सम्बक्प्रस्तावयन् कथाः।
स्तष कश्रिद कुस भागम्बते सोतेकवावं विहृतस्त्वया ।
चावं कालः कलहपनाश धसैतत् पृच्छतो मम ।
कमल Deest.
एवं पृष्टोऽअवीव सम्बग्यथावल्लोमहर्षणिः। वाक्यं वचनसम्पन्नस्तेषान चरिताश्रयम् ॥ | सस्मिन्सदसि विस्तीर्ण मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । सौतिरुवाच।
. In all the extracts given in this paper, I have retained the orthography of the South Indian MSS. No attempt at correction has been made, except consionally (see the foot-noton).
. I have used the Bombay edition with Nakapiha's commentary, published Bake 1799. • Read विवृणोतु.
Read रोमहर्षणिः ।