Page:Kalhana's Rajatarangini Vol 1.djvu/11

 PREFACE. xiii beyond the commencement of Book iii., they have yet furnished a considerable nunber of useful critical observations, particularly in regard to Kalhane’s system of chronology.

Before concluding this review of previous labours, reference must be made to Mr. Yogesh Chunder Durt’s English version which appeared at Calcutta, 1879-87, under the title: Kings of Kdshmira : being a translation of the Sanskrita, work Réjatarangginé of Kahlana (sic) Pandita, This translation though published some time after Professor Biibler's researches, is based exclusively on the corrupt text of the Calcutte edition of 1835, and was manifestly prepared without reference to any of the Kasmirian sources of informetion which are indispensable for the correct comprehension of Kalhana’s narrative. Exegetical puzzles are passed over without any notice, and practically no attempt is made to grepple with the difficul- ties arising from Kalhana’s constant references to local topography, institutions, and other realia of ancient Keémir.'* Though the rendering of those portions of the text which are not altogether obscured in sense by the defects of the Calcutta edition, is distinctly superior to Mr. Troyer's version, and though the patient labour of the Bengali translator deserves commeudation, it is yet evident that a publication of this kind could scarcely help towards the solution of the real difficulties in Kalhana’s work and towards the elucidation of those points which mainly interest the critical student.

It would be impossible to enumerate here all the works in which European and Indian Sanskrit scholars have incidentally discussed particular portions or passages of the Rajetaraigini, and have thus in varying degrees contributed towards the interpretation of the Chronicle, Referring for the most prominent among them to the note below, I may now turn to the labours which have led to the production of the present work.

T have already in my opening remarks indicated the reasons which induced me

\ Regarding the confusion resulting from the ieregeee of topographical matters, see below Vol. I, P 349,

8 Geheimrath O. von Boxrtincg, in his great florilegium of Indian proverbisl wisdom,

1@ Indische Sprische, bas translated many of those didactic and descriptive verses of the

Rajat ini which form so characteristic a Dalesarns ahha poetic style; see below

subsequently been confirmed by the resdings of the codex archetypus as recorded in my brine Cum e1 NINGHAM, neatly half a can! after his first important contribution, deste the discussion of interesting numismatic ointa connected with ‘3 narrative in posthumous book, “ The Coins of Medieval India,” 1804. Prof. J. Jouzy in his

Introd. § 88. The same venerable scholar together with Prof. Kuan, of Leyden, has also, in vol. vii. of the Bfdlanges asiatiques of the St. Petersburg Academy, proposed a considerable number of textual emendatione for the Chronicle. Many of them have

aper “ Rechts-bistoriaches aus der Bujatersagni” (Weber-Festgabe, 1805) has given a very in- stractive synopsis of the data furnished the Chronicle for the study of legal and soci lore in Keamir, etc.