Thank you for this Nityanand,

I've gone back and rechecked the texts in the Muktabodha Digital library and the pattern in both printed editions and in manuscripts appears to be spaces after bhagavAn if followed by a consonent and no space if followed by a vowel.  This appears in printed editions, manuscripts from NGMCP , IFP paper transcripts and even in the few transcriptions from grantha script I checked.

My quick check included

ahirbudhnya saMhita vol. 1 and 2 printed editions

AgamakalpalatA  ngmcp manuscript

agamaprAmAnyA printed edition

Anandatantra IFP transcript

ASTaprakaraNa  grantha script printed edtiion

IzAnazIvagurudevapaddhati printed edition

IzvarapratyabhijJavimarzinIvyAkhyA  ifp transcript

umAsaMhitA ifp transcript

kamikAgama uttarabhAgA  grantha script printed edition

kamikAgama pUrvabhAga grantha script printed edition  (once space, twice no space)

karanAgama printed edition  

kalasaMkarSinImatatantraTippanI  NGMCP manuscript

Thanks,

Harry Spier

On Sun, Oct 2, 2016 at 12:53 AM, Nityanand Misra <nmisra@gmail.com> wrote:

The claim sounds dubious. The use of space itself is a much later development in manuscripts. Gita Press, arguably the gold standard in publishing Hindu scriptures for many decades, uses श्रीभगवानुवाच (and not श्रीभगवान् उवाच) throughout in the Bhagavad Gita.  

On 1 October 2016 at 23:21, Harry Spier <hspier.muktabodha@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear list members,

Firstly happy Navaratri.

Secondly I was told by a good sanskritist that the word bhagavAn is always written in devanagari -with a space after it as a sign of respect even if it would normally be joined to the following letter in devanagari.  I did a quick search of the texts in the Muktabodha digital library and I found that was true about 50% of the time.

i.e.

भगवान् भूतभावनः .............. भगवान् पावकः ................ भगवान् दत्तात्रेयो

NOT

भगवान्भूतभावनः ............... भगवान्पावकः ..................... भगवान्दत्तात्रेयो

Can any of the list members tell meif  not joining bhagavAn to the following word based on some scriptural statement.

Thanks,

Harry Spier

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Nityānanda Miśra
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