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Introduction
Manuscripts : This edition is primarily based on two manuscripts from the Bhandars at Jesalmer:
A- A paper manuscript (No. 337) from the Big Bhandar. It consists of 6 leaves, 10" x 43" in size. There are 18 lines on each side, and each line contains about 56 or 57 letters.
B- A paper manuscript from the Bhandar of Dungarji Yati.1 It consists of 8 leaves, 10" X 41 in size. Each page contains 15 lines, and each line consists of about 49 or 50 letters.
Both the manuscripts are undated.
The text is further collated with a manuscript of another work, the adhyâyas of which considerably correspond to the first three adhyayas of this work. It, however, contains no portions corresponding to the remaining two adhyāyas of this work. The manuscript is designated C and may be described as follows: i C- A paper manuscript of Barriers from the Vrddhichandra Bhandar at Jesalmer. It consists of 5 leaves, measuring 10" X 44". The back side of the last leaf is entirely blank, while the writing on its front side covers about half portion of the space,
The colophon of the manuscript states that it was copied at Subhatapura on Sunday, the fifth day of the dark half of Māgha in V. S. 1732 (1675 A. D.) * Of these A was..copied verbatim et literalim by my colleague Prof. K. K. Shastree, who was deputed to Jesalmer by the Gujarat Vidya Sabha at Ahmedabad, to copy some selected manuscripts there under the guidance of Muni Jinavijayji. He also collated his copy with the other two manuscripts and noted all variants found in them. This edition is prepared by me on the basis of this material supplied by the Gujarat Vidya Sabha. I have selected apt readings from any of the three manuscripts and tried to amend trivial variants which obviously appeared to be clerical errors. I have, however, had to leave a few inexplicable 1.8 Cf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in Jaisimer Bhandars,
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