2023-03-12 23:55:28 by Jayashree
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INTRODUCTION
2
41
The number of editions of Canakya's aphorisms
and maxims is immense. No one knows how many of
them have been issued,¹ the more so as many served in
India for popular, rather than scholarly purposes,
many were used as textbooks for teaching Sanskrit,
and many were selections from well-known Cāṇakya
versions, abridged editions of Cāṇakya versions, arbi-
trarily modified by editors and often so changed that
their model could not be recognized any more. The
editors of some Cāṇakya editions considered their work
as compilations of Subhāṣita-samgraha-s based on
Cāṇakya aphorisms and maxims; this means that the
basis was one or another edition of so-called Cāṇakya
aphorisms and maxims which was arbitrarily expurgated
and to which the editor had added a number of well-
known aphorisms and maxims from other sources or
well-known sayings transmitted orally, which he liked
or thought that his readers would like. These
particular editions are from the critical standpoint
particular editions are from the critical standpoint
worthless. They mostly appeared in Bengal, in
Bengali characters and were based on an astottaraśata
collection of Caṇakya's aphorisms (CN version).
1 cf. The Delhi Public Library: An Evaluation Report by Frank
M. Gardner, UNESCO Public Library Manuals 8, Paris,
UNESCO, 1957. It is said there that book selection in the verna-
culars is difficult for the staff of the Delhi Public Library because
of the disorganized book trade, the lack of standard lists of
publishers' output and the lack of adequate reviews.
2 E. Bartoli called them deminutio capitis of the celebrated
Canakya (CNF, p. ii).
2
41
The number of editions of Canakya's aphorisms
and maxims is immense. No one knows how many of
them have been issued,¹ the more so as many served in
India for popular, rather than scholarly purposes,
many were used as textbooks for teaching Sanskrit,
and many were selections from well-known Cāṇakya
versions, abridged editions of Cāṇakya versions, arbi-
trarily modified by editors and often so changed that
their model could not be recognized any more. The
editors of some Cāṇakya editions considered their work
as compilations of Subhāṣita-samgraha-s based on
Cāṇakya aphorisms and maxims; this means that the
basis was one or another edition of so-called Cāṇakya
aphorisms and maxims which was arbitrarily expurgated
and to which the editor had added a number of well-
known aphorisms and maxims from other sources or
well-known sayings transmitted orally, which he liked
or thought that his readers would like. These
particular editions are from the critical standpoint
particular editions are from the critical standpoint
worthless. They mostly appeared in Bengal, in
Bengali characters and were based on an astottaraśata
collection of Caṇakya's aphorisms (CN version).
1 cf. The Delhi Public Library: An Evaluation Report by Frank
M. Gardner, UNESCO Public Library Manuals 8, Paris,
UNESCO, 1957. It is said there that book selection in the verna-
culars is difficult for the staff of the Delhi Public Library because
of the disorganized book trade, the lack of standard lists of
publishers' output and the lack of adequate reviews.
2 E. Bartoli called them deminutio capitis of the celebrated
Canakya (CNF, p. ii).