BOOK REVIEW T N Dharmadhikari
K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am Vol. II – A critical edition; edited and translated by C.R. Swaminathan. Published by IGNCA and Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi; Price : Rs. 550/-
The IGNCA launched a project of bringing out a critical edition of the K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am, along with its English translation. This work was assigned to the erudite scholarship of the well-known and sincere Vedic scholar, C.R. Swaminathan. The K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am consists of seventeen kandas (Chapters). The first Volume comprising the first kand was published in 1994. The second Volume consisting of the second and the third kandas published in 1997 are presently under review. The next kandas will be published in subsequent suitable Volumes.
The madhyandina recension of the áatapathabr¡hma¸am, edited by Weber, and that with the commentaries of Sayana and Hariswamin are available to the scholars. Its English translation with copious notes has been made available by J. Eggling.
Prof. Caland edited and published the K¡¸va recension of the áatapathabr¡hma¸am, upto the first seven kandas only. Of the remaining ten kandas, he pointed out, only such readings as were found different from the madhyandina recension.
For preparing this fresh edition of the K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am, C.R. Swaminathan has carefully rechecked the original Telugu or grantha manuscripts obtained by Caland in Devnagari transcription. As a result, the editor could rectify the errors which crept in Devnagari transcription available to Caland, which had posed difficulties before him.
Secondly, the editor also utilised the text of K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am, printed (in Telugu script), at a time (1923) when the tradition of the oral recitation was still a living practice. Similarly the manuscript of K¡¸va¿atapathabr¡hma¸am was obtained from Pandit Martanda Sastri Diksitar, who hails from a renowned swadhyayi family of the late Cidambara Dixitar of Hubli.
Besides this valuable material, some other manuscripts from Pune, Varanasi, Nasik, Belgaum, Wai and Pandharpur were also collected.
All this material helped in approaching the authentic oral tradition of the text, which was alive till the first few decades of this century. Consequently succeeding in solving the riddles in respect of accentuation and also in solving the problems faced by Caland. In the appended chapter of Patha-Vimarsa, the editor has critically assessed the text, ably discussing as to how the readings preferred by him to those accepted by Caland are more tenable or claim to be original. Thus the manuscript – material utilised, has enhanced the critical value of the text and has justified the claim and efforts of the IGNCA, for bringing out a fresh edition of this text.
Translating into English the intrigue and technical Sanskrit texts related to the time-old rituals, is by no means an easy job. It requires a thorough grasp of the rituals which are now rarely demonstrated. Translating technical terms often needs additional explanation. Otherwise the word to word translation does not satisfy the demands of the students, since, in cases, such translation is liable to be more unintelligible than the original text, and defies the very purpose of translating the text. With unusual command over both the languages, viz. the Sanskrit and modern English, and with laborious studies of rituals, C.R. Swaminathan has succeeded in presenting the lucid but faithful translation of the text.
The edition is blessed by the scholarly note of Kapila Vatsyayan, elucidating how the foundations of the texts lie in articulation of a world-view in the Vedas and surveying the efforts of the earlier scholars like Eggling and Caland.
The IGNCA has no doubt kept the scholars of Vedas and the admirers of the oriental disciplines, under deep obligation, by bringing out this very satisfying and useful edition, for which we heartily congratulate them and extend our heartfelt and sincere thanks. We also cogratulate M/s Motilal Banarsidass, for associating themselves with the publication of this very useful volume.
T.N. Dharmadhikari (Pune)
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