Suktiratnakosa

Author(s): Lakshman, Nilanjana Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 13

á treasure of Subhāşitagems, but if we examine the nature of the stanzas. we find that a good inany of them are Subhāşitas in the sense of epigrams (e.g. in stanzas in sections pertaining to Niti, Daridri, etc.). There are besides these many other stanzas which are purely descriptive (e.g.-The stanzas in the sections on Varsa, Sarat, Hemanta, etc.). It indicates the good taste of Lakşmaņa that he has refrained from selecting erotie verses offeending to good taste, though the sections on Striprašams, Vairahi and Virahiņi taken together (107 verses) occupy almost one-sixth of the text.
The edited text includes all the verses that occur in either of the Mss. including those verses that have been repeated in different sections. Thus total verses in this edition are 651 plus 8 more verses pertaining to the author. The variant readings are given of course, as strictly as possible in accordance with the manuscript sources. But when the manuscripts differ, I have accepted the reading that is found in the Patan Ms. As noted above, many verses of this anthology are common with the verses of other anthologies. But some verses, do not exactly tally with their counterparts in other anthologies. We can find some variants in the text which are not found elsewhere.
I am thankful to Pandit Shri Dalsukhbhai Malvania, Dr. H. C. Bhayani Dr. N. J. Shah (Director of the L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad), Dr. H. G. Shastri, Pandit Amratlalji, Dr. N. M. Kansara and Shri Laksmanbhai for the kind help rendered by them in connection wiih the manuscripts utilised by me.
Nilanjana S. Shah
Gujarat College Ahmedabad 15-6-82