Belvalkar's Uttararaamacarita

[Ashok Aklujkar]

Dear Dr. Dezso,

Thank you for your recapitulation of a dramatic story in the history of
Indology.

Prof. Belvalkar lived right next door to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute in a bungalow. That relatively small structure has now been
transformed into an apartment complex. Yet, fortunately, it still carries
its charming old name Bilva-kun:nja. As I recall, Belvalkar's descendents
(probably his grand-children in their fiftees) still live at the same
address. I also recall that some inquiries/efforts were made by Mr. W.L.
Manjul, the former librarian of BORI, to acquire Belvalkar's papers for
safe-keeping at BORI. Please inquire at BORI and request the helpful staff
there to forward your inquiry to Mr. Manjul and the members of the Belvalkar
family.

Incidentally, the notes or drafts, if they exist, of the unpublished part(s)
of Belvalkar's and Ranade's History of Indian Philosophy also should be
located and preserved.

With best wishes,

Ashok Aklujkar


On 10/18/04 11:13 AM, "Csaba Dezso" <csaba_dezso at YAHOO.CO.UK> wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
> I would like to ask your help in the following matter: Prof. Belvalkar
> published in the HOS the English translation of the Uttararaamacarita
> (no. 21, 1915). In the preface he says that this this would be the
> first of three volumes, the third being a "Critical account of the
> critical apparatus". There is also a note saying that "His manuscript
> material for Part 3 and his books were dispatched by the steamship
> Fangturm, which is now (June, 1915) interned at the port of the
> Balearic Islands. That material included his collation-sheets, which
> give the readings of the various codices of this drama. On account of
> the great difficulty of getting those codices together again, it seems
> best to await the release of the steamship."
>
> In 1921 Prof. Belvalkar's edition of the URC was published as No. 30 of
> the Poona Oriental Series. This is a "text only" version, with no
> critical annotation. He says in the Prastaavanaa:
> "ava"si.s.ta.m daladvaya.m [i.e. the remaining two vols. promised in
> the HOS translation] tv adyaapi prakaa"situ.m na paaritam, yato mahataa
> pari"srame.na mayaa sa.mkalitaa tatsa.mpaadanasaamagrii yayaa
> baa.spanaukayaatra pre.sitaa saa nau.h "satrupak.siiyatvaat
> pratyagrapra"saantapraaye.na sa.mgraamavaatyaacakre.na de"saad de"sa.m
> "sara.naac chara.na.m ca sapotabhaara.m bambhramyamaa.naa duradhigamaa
> durj~neeyagatisa.mcaaraa caasiit. na caasiit pratyaa"saa yathaa taa.m
> prakaa"sanasaamagrii.m bhuuyo labheyeti. athaapi pa~ncebhyo maasebhya.h
> praak saakhilaa saamagrii mama hasta.m pratyaagateti pramodaavaha.m
> nivedaniiyam. yati.sye cedaaniim anaticire.na sa.mkalpitasya
> paripuurtaye."
>
> Now I couldn't find any trace of an edition by Prof. Belvalkar of his
> critical notes and other annotations. Could anyone possibly tell me if
> such an edition exists at all, or if these notes are accessible
> somewhere? I should be grateful for any help.
> Thank you in advance,
>
> ------------------------------------
> Csaba Dezso
> Assistant Lecturer in Sanskrit
> Department of Indo-European Studies
> ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary