Outline of Avasyaka Literature

Author(s): Ernst Leumann, George Baumann
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 85

English translation by George Baumann
Editor's foreword
The obvious justification for publishing this work in the Alt- und Neu-indischen Studien is that the surviving specimen in only a single copy was kindly sent, after the demise of Ernst Leumann, to the undersigned editor of this series by his son, Manu Leumann. Ernst Leumann's handwritten literary bequest accompanied it to the Seminar für Kultur und Geschichte Indiens in Hamburg. It is quite legitimate that these unique objects are being published at all, even in manul print - and for the sake of uniformity pages B to E have been prepared similarly because of their importance to indology, particularly to Jaina studies and to the academic career of Ernst Leumann. The presentation on pages IX-X should show the reader how occupied Leumann had been for at least 11 years with these Avasyaka studies, of course, not without interruptions, but always with his own deep interest.
A draft title found in the literary bequest reads: "An Outline of the Avasyaka literature with excerpts from the Sīlānka manuscript and a photographic reproduction of the same with a Pratīka list of the Viseṣāvasyaka-bhāṣya". These constituent parts mentioned here are also available, each in a single copy, at the Seminar. Limited funds, however, did not permit their publication together with the following sheets, and in the case of the manuscript tables, for Leumann their size determined the format of the present text volume, making a reproduction impossible. However, there can be no doubt that the "Outline" is much more valuable than these additions and thus, it has been taken up firstly. Therefore, presently, occasional references to script charts and excerpts should be ignored. If what is being presented on the following pages appears to be incomplete, when compared with the original plan, this, itself, is not complete. However, the end of the preface shows that Leumann, even in April 1900, did not intend to publish more. In fact, he was preparing to submit a sidepiece to his "Avasyaka-Erzählungen" (Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, vol. 10, No. 2, 1897) that also terminates in the middle of a sentence. This is also the case here on p. 153.
A
Only for aesthetic reasons have two words of a new sentence, which begins on sheet 14, been blocked out in the reproduction. Strangely, a continuation in the corrections or in the manuscript was not found. We can see on p. 42 [158-11], and in a note in the literary bequest what was to follow within the further framework. We see that the plan, among other things, contained the Avaśyaka-cūrṇi along with the Jaina narrative literature and an account of Haribhadra's writings. The preliminary work on these subjects has been preserved, but it is not in a condition that would allow for its reproduction without an up-dated scrutiny. Besides these, there are various notes with addenda. For reasons of space only those that correct the printed material or facilitate the readings through references could be included. On the other hand, addenda, which, for the better part, originate from further research in literature, in all cases, have been omitted.
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If this happened due to external reasons, on the other hand, after careful deliberation, further pursuance came to a standstill, which, on p. II, is connected with the lending policy of English libraries. It should not be presumed that sensitivities will be awakened by Leumann's exhortation. If that would have been deleted, then even the legitimate reference to the three German scholars would have had to be omitted, to whom the credit must go for the collection of Jaina manuscripts for England. Leumann also wanted very much to honour two other Germans. As some drafts prove, he dedicated his book to the long and deep academic support that he had received from them "from the Buddhologist and Vedist, reliable in research and skilled in style" - and the "nostalgic remembrance of him who was the first to immensely enlarge and deepen classical Indian studies in almost all directions". They are Hermann Oldenberg and Georg Bühler. Leumann's work does honour to both of these great names.
Hamburg, November 1933
Walther Schubring