Essay name: Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts
Author: Rajendralala Mitra
These pages represent a detailed description of Sanskrit manuscripts housed in various libraries and collections around the world. Each notice typically includes the physical characteristics, provenance, script, and sometimes even summaries of the content of the Sanskrit manuscripts. The collection helps preserve and make accessible the vast heritage of Indian literary and philosophical traditions contained within these manuscripts.
Volume 9 (1888)
360 (of 409)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
4
but none is unique or exceptionally rare. I have inserted in my
Notices' descriptions of such as are worthy of note. I understand
that negotiations are now on foot for the purchase of the collection
for preservation in the library of the Cuttack College. The other
Maths in Puri are poor in MSS., and my pandit in his three months'
sojourn gleaned the names of only a few rare ones.
Azimganj.
7. Azimganj, near Murshed谩b谩d, where the pandit has worked
for the last three years, has the largest collection
of Jain MSS. in Bengal. Rai Dhanapat Singh
alone has over 600 works of considerable extent and value, and en-
riched by two to four commentaries. These MSS. are well cared for
and well preserved. Rai Budh Singh, Rai Megharaj, and Rai
Bisenchand have also collections of their scriptures. Besides these,
the large and affluent Jain communities of the place maintain several
monasteries, locally called Pa帽ishals, each of which has a collection
of religious works of more or less value. The whole of these have not
as yet been examined by my pandit; but out of his notes I have
recently published descriptions of upwards of 100 different works.
Many of these contain more or less legendary accounts of the Jain
Tirthankaras, while others afford biographical notices of hermits,
sages and kings. Some are of a curious character. They profess to
be historical, but in treating of the heroes of the Brahmanic writers,
they give descriptions quite dissimilar. An instance of these has
been given in para. 12 of my last Report, and others occur in the text
of my 'Notices.' It is obvious that the two redactions are alike
legendary; both indulge in exaggerations, and therefore it would be
worthless to enquire which is the earlier of the two versions.
8. I had not many opportunities to go out myself in search of
MSS.; they were limited, on different occasions,
to visits to Allahabad, Benares, Patna, Bhagul-
pur and Arrah, from which I brought notes of whatever MSS. I
thought would be rare or interesting, and these have been published
in the pages of the Notices.'
9. I have in
My tour.
Inaccessibility of MSS.
former reports given accounts of the causes
which render Sanskrit MSS. extremely difficult
of access to outsiders, and they have been more
or less felt everywhere. Most pandits, in their simplicity, cannot con-
