Patrika Index of Mahabharata

Author(s): Parshuram Lakshman Vaidya
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Page 5

PREFACE The Mahabharata is by far the largest single literary work in the world. Obviously such a work cannot become fully serviceable without proper Indexes. It was, therefore, but in the fitness of things that the preparation of the most basic of the Indexes, namely, the Pratika-Index or the index of verse-quarters, had been contemplated even at the time of the inception of the project of the Critical Edition of the Great Epic. Indeed, the work on such an Index was being carried on, albeit not with sufficient alacrity, while the Critical Edition had been in progress. Presumably, the enormous proportions to which such an Index of verse-quarters would eventually grow were not adequately realised in the early stages of the Critical Edition. For, only two volumes of the Pratika-Index were originally planned. Actually, however, the preparation of the Index has proved to be a huge enterprise. According to the plan as finally adopted, this Index will take into account not only the verses included in the Constituted Critical Text but also the verses- and, in many cases, even the fragments of verseswhich have been relegated to the Critical Apparatus and the Appendixes in the Critical Edition. On the basis of a careful computation it has now been ascertained that the entire work will involve nearly 7,00,000 verse-quarters and will cover nearly 5,000 printed pages of demy quarto size. The completion of the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, comprising 22 volumes and extending over 13,000 printed pages of demy quarto size, was formally announced by Rashtrapati Dr. S. RADHAKRISHNAN at a function specially organized at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute on September 22, 1966. Almost immediately after that event, the work on the Pratika-Iridex was given a fresh impetus. The Index-section of the Mahabharata Department of the Institute had already been substantially strengthened by the appointment of various categories of research personnel. The work of writing out, checking, and alphabetically arranging the Index-cards and of preparing the Press-copy was now vigorously speeded up, and the printing of the first Volume was soon taken in hand. It is, indeed, a matter of sincere gratification that it has become possible to issue this Volume of the Index almost within one year of the completion of the Critical Edition. It is hoped that this speed will be maintained throughout the publication of the Index, notwithstanding the fact that the workers of the Institute are coucurrently engaged on two other projects, namely, the Critical Edition of the Harivamsa and the Epilogue to the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, The General Editor wishes to record his high appreciation of the valuable services rendered by the staff of the Index-Section of the Mahabharata Department, particularly by Pandit K. V. ANANTA NARAYAN SASTRI, Shri N. XI. KUUTERKAK, aud Shri G. G. SOMAN. He