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Art. VI.—Remarks on Professor Brockhaus' Edition of the Kathâsarit-sâgara, Lambaka IX.–XVIII

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

All Sanskrit scholars must feel obliged to Professor Brock-haus for his edition of Somadeva's Kathâsarit-sâgara, the last part of which, from Lambaka ix.-xviii., was published last year. To copy a work containing 21526 slokas, to select the best readings from a great number of manuscripts, in short, to publish, for the first time, a work in such a manner that the whole affords an almost undisturbed pleasure to the reader, is a heavy task. Indeed, the editor might well say in his preface: “I may say in good conscience that the text, as given by me, is more complete and correct than it is found in any of the MSS. I used. I have corrected faults in orthography, grammar, syntax, and prosody by thousands; there remain, however, many passages which need further correction, partly on account of the condition of the MSS., partly on account of my deficient knowledge.” I willingly subscribe to these words, except the last, in which the editor has scarcely done justice to himself. In so extensive a work the sharpness of the eyes and mind becomes so blunted that it ought not to be ascribed to deficiency of knowledge if some faults are to be met with. Professor Brockhaus would certainly judge less severely of the performance of others than of his own.

Type
Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1867

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References

page 168 note 1 The first number here and in the sequel denotes the page, the second the sloka.

page 171 note 1 The orthography is not only the common one of the MSS. (not of the editors), but also agrees with the form of the word in the cognate languages. The Bactrian has hahya, the Latin ser-o (ses-o).

page 182 note 1 The same remark applies to all other passages in the volume where the editor has put dots.