COMMERCIAL EDS. + CRIT. EDS.

[David Lorenzen S.]

	In his comments on my own, Richard Lariviere points out that no
"'critical' edition claims to be THE text.  In fact, the value of a
critical edition is that it collects in one place the most complete
evidence about the transmission of a text that the print media can
provide.  In addition, we get the opinion of the editor about what the
oldest version of a text may have been."

	While this is usually the case, I would again insist that the
editing of medieval vernacular texts of living (or once living), mostly
oral traditions often involves special problems.  Take, for instance, any
song of Kabir found in the Adi Granth.  It may be possible to conclude, on
the basis of comparisons, that the Adi Granth version of the song is in
some sense "inferior" to, or later than, versions found in other
traditions.  Which version is more "important"?  As Dominik pointed out,
it all depends on what we mean by important.  My point is that a
"critical" edition of such a text need not always aim at reconstructing
the OLDEST version.  A more interesting goal may be to reconstruct the
"best" text at a somewhat later stage of the text's evolution: for
instance, the text when it was most popular, or the text as it is most
often recited today. 

	Another problem with such texts is that often no two manuscripts
give the exactly the same reading for even a single verse.  In the absence
of any Panini-type rules, which reading is best?  That of the oldest
manuscript? Not necessarily. That of a majority of manuscripts copied
within a certain time span?  Maybe, but often no clear majority reading
exists. Another possibility, one that I prefer when it is feasible, is to
take the reading of one manuscript (not necessarily the oldest) that
general gives "good"  (mostly defined as "representative") readings and
use this as a base text except where most other "good" manuscripts give a
common alternative reading. 

	One other point made by several members of the list is that making
Ph.D. theses out of critical editions is frowned on, especially in the
U.S., and that getting a job with such a Ph.D. is difficult.  Maybe so, 
but I would also warn those who are determined to go ahead anyway, that 
getting photocopies (or photos) of manuscripts is not always easy to 
arrange, especially for younger scholars.  

	For those who may be interested, I would like to mention that I
have recently published "A Catalog of Manuscripts in the Kabir Chaura
Monastery".  It is available for about $10.00 U.S. from El Colegio de
Mexico/ Departamento de Publicaciones/ Camino al Ajusco 20/ Pedregal de
Santa Teresa/ 1074 Mexico, D.F./ Mexico.  The monastery library has about
150 manuscripts containing Kabir Panthi and other works, mostly in Hindi,
but also a few mostly advaita works in Sanskrit. 
					
						David Lorenzen
						El Colegio de Mexico