[INDOLOGY] Manuscript in Varanasi

[Madhav Deshpande]

I had a similar frustrating experience with VSBL many years ago while
trying to get copies of the Śaunakīya-Caturādhyāyikā, but by great luck,
Professor Cardona was in Varanasi, and he was able to get those copies for
me.

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India

[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]


On Wed, Feb 4, 2026 at 3:40 AM Shrikant Bahulkar via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> I am not surprised to know the experience with VSBL. About twenty years
> ago, when I lived in Sarnath and worked as a Head of the Rare Buddhist Text
> Research Department, I  tried to get copies of MSS of Sāmaveda (Jaiminīya
> Nambudiry tradition) for Prof. Asko Parpola and (the  Late) Masato Fujii,
> with no luck. On the (false) assurance given by the then Vice-Chancellor of
> the Sampurnanad Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, both scholars went to India and
> visited the VSBL, and had to return empty-handed. I am not sure the
> collection of the said MSS has ever been touched by any scholar to date.
> Asko asked, "What is the use of the MSS if no one is going to study them?"
> I would, however, suggest approaching Dr. Anirban Dash, Director, NMM, who
> might be of some help.
>
> On Tue, 3 Feb 2026 at 17:05, Jean Michel DELIRE via INDOLOGY <
> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>
>> Dear Friends,
>>
>> I am wondering what is the point of the IGNCA, at least concerning their
>> collecting copies of manuscripts of which they don't give copies without
>> the permission of the libraries owning the originals. Why do I ask this
>> provocative question ? Because I am looking, for months now, to solve the
>> following problem : how can I get copies of manuscripts kept in the
>> Varanasi Saraswati Bhawan Library without going on the spot (which, by the
>> way, could be completely useless, as I learned from my own experience and
>> from testimonies of others) ? That is the reason why I wrote to the IGNCA
>> and received kind answers, specifying that they have copies of many of the
>> manuscripts I am looking for. But, adding that I must obtain permission
>> from the authorities of the VSBL, without giving me an address where to
>> write. And there is the problem : the IGNCA doesn't have that information,
>> hence my initial provocative question. Shouldn't the IGNCA - to be useful -
>> also give the addresses where to write, or the alternative : shouldn't the
>> IGNCA provide the copies without asking the owners' approval ?
>> Of course, I have tried before to write to the VSBL, with the help of a
>> member of this list - I thank him warmly - with no avail. Nobody answers.
>> Does anybody know how to get in touch with the VSBL, and obtain permission
>> to get copies of the manuscripts they entrusted to the IGNCA ? After all,
>> it is, for the VSBL, not such hard work. I think an answer by Email will be
>> sufficient for the IGNCA.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Jean Michel Delire
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Le mer. 26 mars 2025 à 10:38, Jean Michel DELIRE <
>> jeanmicheldelire at gmail.com> a écrit :
>>
>>> Dear Friends,
>>>
>>> I am looking for the ms. U 34568 (entitled *Yantrarajāprayogaḥ *which
>>> is a Persian text of the *Risālah-i Bist Bāb dar Ma´rifat-i Usturlāb* of
>>> Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī, transliterated in Devanāgarī) of the Library of
>>> the Varanasi Sanskrit University.
>>> Could anyone advise me on how to see (or get a copy of) this manuscript ?
>>> I am also looking for the edition (Bhattacarya, Bénarès, 1979) of the
>>> Sanskrit translation of the *Risālah-i Bist Bāb dar Ma´rifat-i Usturlāb*,
>>> entitled *Yantrarāja-vicāra-viṃśādhyāyī*.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>>
>>> Jean Michel Delire
>>>
>>>
>>>
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