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(five lines by way of introduction. And accordingly I got the whole thing printed. But then some friends suggested that if the work is published with the indication of the critical apparatus and a critical introduction, it would add to the utility of that fine work for those interested in Apabhramsa. So I entrusted that task to my dear pupil and enthusiastic co-worker Prof. H. C. Bhayani, M. A., who, since last three or four years is deeply engaged in the study of Apabhramsa language and literature and who has acquired a substantial knowledge of that subject. As the result, the present work with its more substantial form is placed in the hands of the learned.
PREFACE
That Prof. Bhayani has spared no pains in studying his subject with requisite minuteness will be clear to all the discerning readers who will go through the pages of the 'Critical Study.' He has carefully investigated and recorded in a systematic manner the rich variety of grammatical forms and different types of metres that are evidenced in this poem. He has also treated the form and structure of the poem, has given an extensive summary of the contents and some informative notes from exegetical or metrical point of view, and has prefaced all this with a brief introduction intended to point out the specially interesting features of the poem. Thus Prof. Bhayani has increased the importance and utility of this publication for which I offer him sincere congratulations.
*
Following is the description of the three Mss. which I have utilized in editing the present text and the commentaries: Ms. A It is a Ms. from the Jain Section of the Government Mss. collection which is in charge of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona and bears the number 181 of 1881-82. It contains 12 leaves. The date of copying is not given but looking to the condition of the Ms., it appears to have been written about 300 years ago. It is written in the Jain Devanagari script. The text of the Rasaka is in a slightly bigger hand. Every side contains 11 to 12 line of the Rasaka text and above each line is written, in a finer hand, something like a Sanskrit translation of the text which is styled Avacārikā. The copyist of this Avacurikā appears to be different from the scribe who had copied the text, for there is difference in the style of the characters. It seems that somebody must have
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