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Nandisuttarn and Anuogaddäräim
series of the project. If the Nandi serves as a mangala, the Anuyogadvārasīitra serves as a key to the understanding of the agamas. Naturally, these two texts form a pair; and rightly the editors open the series with them.
The text of the Nandisātru is mainly based «n eight MSS that are very old amongst the extant ones. In finalising the text the editors have made thorough use of the Carm, Haribhadra's Vrtti, Malayagiri's t'p111, Śrícandra's Tuppuna anů also consulted the Drūdušāranajacah ni, tire Sumurājüngusālru and Abhayadeva's l i on the Bhaguluitsura which atxound in quotations and elucidation, etc, that have a bearing on the text of the Nandisītra.
In the preparation of the critical edition of the Anurogadvārasītia the editors have used ten different USS. some representing the unabridged text and others the abridged text, The text of this edition is mainly based on the Cambay palnileaf MS and gives readings which are in conformity with the Vrtti of Maladhāri Hemacandra and represents the unabridged text (brhad-vacana).
From among the various useful appendices the two giving the alphabetical index of all the words occurring in the texts of the Nundisītra and the Anuyogadvārastitra as well in footnotes to them are of great importance. They give Sanskrit equivalents of each and every Prakrit word and indicate the deśya words, indeclinables and adverbs by appropriate signs. It is for the first time that such all-comprehensive indexes of these agama texts have been prepared. These and similar indexes of the remaining agamna texts will facilitate the task of preparing a complete and authentic dictionary of the agama texts.
The editors when speaking about the present critical edition rightly lay emphasis on the task of making available correct and genuine readings, point out the deficiencies in the printed editions and expose, more in pain than in anger, the glaring defects in the so-called new commentaries of
