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INTRODUCTION
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John Muir's Mataparikṣā or A Sketch of the Argu
ment for Christianity and against HinduThe Matapariksa ism in Sanskrit Verse, to which the and its earlier Refuta- Šāstratattvavinirnaya appears to be a tion etc
rejoinder, was first published from Calcutta in 1839 in a single volume. Its second enlarged edition appeared from Calcutta in 1840. A further expanded edition of the same was issued in two volumès printed respectively at Mirzapore and Calcutta in 1852 and 195. The Christian Mission with its numerous branchés scattered in all provinces of the country gave free and wide circulation to the original Sanskrit editions of the Mataprrīkņā and to its translations into English and various Indian languages published from time to time. Thus the Marathi rendering was published by the American Mission's Bombay Tract and Book Society in two volumes in 1856 and 1858 respectively. An undated MS of the original Sanskrit version is in the Library of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and it illustrates the process of its expansion with its subsequent emendations and additions ( TIT T:). As per this MS, the work is in the form of a dialogue between the Guru and the Sisya
1. For details concerning John Muir and his works, vide Blackie's Modern Encyclopaedin of Universal Information, Vol. VI, 1890. P. 43; Encyclo paedia Britannica, Ninth Edition, Vol XVII, 1896, P. 13; British Museum Catalogue of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit Books, 1876, Pp. 19, 75, 90-91; Ibid, 1893 Supplement, Pp. 204. 240, etc.
2. Vide S. G. Date's above-mentioned Arist--eet P. 75.
3. Vide H. D. Velankar's BBRAS Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit YSS, Vol. II, P. 330, Serial No. 1159 for a description of this MS.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
