Manuscript glosses

[Richard Salomon]

There may be some further information on this topic in S.M. Katre's Indian 
Textual Criticism. (If this was mentioned previously, please excuse.)

Rich Salomon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Witzel" <witzel at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: Manuscript glosses


> Corrections are written on any margin: left, right, top or bottom and 
> usually marked by a small cross (looks like this +), kakapada, or  also 
> some other sign(s).
>
> This can be found from Kashmir to Comorin, whatever the script.  (Not  to 
> be confused with secondary word dividers or Vedic accents).
>
> Sometimes also found above the word, especially as small glosses, 
> tippani. In old MSS and in more recent ones. (I have seen it in those 
> from c. 1150-1800, don't remember it for older ones such as the 
> Skandapurana from Nepal, early 9th c., or Gandhara and Xinjiang MSS).
>
> Paleontologists have discussed this before, since Buehler. A nice  list is 
> found in a local Nepalese paleography which I do not have at  hand now.
>
> Cheers,
> Michael
>
>
> On Jun 2, 2009, at 1:27 PM, Ashok Aklujkar wrote:
>
>> In the name avacuur.ni/nii used for a commentary or subcommentary  type, 
>> the
>> intention behind using the prefix ava could originally have been to 
>> suggest
>> that the glosses are written below -- below the lines or in the  lower 
>> parts
>> of pages. I recall seeing mss where the avacuur.ni was written in  the 
>> lower
>> parts of pages, but I do not recall if the mss concerned were old  or 
>> recent.
>>
>> The avacuur.ni/.nii type seems to have been more common among the  Jains 
>> and
>> in the central-western part of India (Gujarat-Rajasthan area).
>>
>> My impression, however, is that corrections, additions and glosses  are 
>> more
>> commonly written in the left and right margins.
>>
>> ashok aklujkar
>
> ============
> Michael Witzel
> witzel at fas.harvard.edu
> <www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm>
>
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