Srngaramanjari Katha

Author(s): Bhojdev, Kalpalata K Munshi
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 27

ŚṚNGĀRAMAÑJARĪKATHA
Western India.7 The letter numerals are written on the left hand side and the number numerals on the right hand side. Scribal Errors and Corrections
The degree of accuracy of the Ms. depends upon the scribe's learning and carefulness. Of the two kinds of scribes one was the scholar himself who prepared his own Ms. and the other was a professional scribe. The professional scribe was only a master of the technique of writing and had generally no idea about textual accuracy, grammatical or otherwise. The scribe of this Ms, seems to be only a professional one and therefore there are innumerable scribal errors.
Scribal Errors
4
The subjoined list comprises of select examples of scribal errors. The most frequent error consists in a mis-written syllable or a letter. For example सोचिषा for रोचिषा, (fol. 80a, line 4), or again संबंध for. सुबंधु (fol. 2b, line 3). Sometimes, a letter or syllable is misplaced. Thus यशःपातका for यशः पताका ( 28a, line 1). Or a letter or a syllable is omitted. For instance at for tar (fol. 38b, line 5). Or a superfluous letter or syllable is inserted. Thus in the original we have दशामनुभव मनुत्कण्ठुल: for दशामनुभवन्नुत्कण्ठुल: ( 48b, line 4 ). Again in the original Ms. from which this Ms. must have been copied, whereever there is halanta the scribe has understood and written; thus मनाकु for मनाक्, तदीयानु for तदीयान्. Occasionally there occur entirely wrong words such as न वमस्यकरोत् for च मनस्यकरोत् । Besides these, in some places the readings are so grossly wrong that it is difficult to understand the real meaning thereof. Thus on folio 22a, line 4 we read नासिकावंशाद् आकृति कमनीयता मोग्धायाः दुद्धपाटलाप्रसून which conveys no sense. Such instances can be multiplied galore and the scribe may be charged with careless and defective copying or perhaps the Ms. before him might have been incorrect.
Corrections
In comparatively a small number of cases, the errors have been corrected by the scribe himself. Certain signs are used in the Ms. for the purpose of correcting an error in the text when a letter or a word had to be altered, cancelled or inserted. Two minor strokes are attached to a letter or a word to indicate alteration. Thus on folio 106, line 6 the word which originally was written as fis altered to fa by attaching two minor strokes to the cancelled word. Similar is the procedure adopted for cancelling a letter.
7. Dr. Bühler is not quite correct when he says (Indian Paleography, I.A. Vol. XXX, III Appendix, 1904), that this is a peculiarity of the Jaina Mss. of Western India, for the same is seen even in the Brahmanical and Buddhist Mss. of the time.