Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana- Purana Critical Edition (Set of 6 Volumes) An Old and Rare Book

The Epics and the Puranas represent the outstanding source works of Hinduism But their early printed editions contain numerous passages which were interpolated in course of time Fortu- nately for the scholars, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute of Poona, prepared and published a critical edition of the Mahabharata, and the Oriental Institute of Baroda brought out a critical edi tion of the Ramayana which gave an impetus for preparing similar editions of the Puranas Our Institute. the BJ Institute of Learning and Research, aspired to prepare a critical edi tion of the Bhagavata, a valuble source-work which again is the most popular among the Puranas At the instance of the Gujarat Vidya Sabha, the parent body. Brahmachari wads undertook the project in 1953 and appointed Shri Vishnudev S Pandit in 1955 to locate the various versions of the Bhagavata Prof RC Pankh, the Director of the BJ Institute of Learning and Research, planned the entire project of the critical edition, and started to collect select manuscripts of the Bhagavata At the instance of Shri G V Mavalankar, the President of the Institute the Director re- quested the Union Government to sanction adequate financial grant for preparing and publishing the critical edition Index cards were also prepared for collecting data from the known MSS of the Bh agavata in India and abroad Prof N K Bambhania undertook to note variant readings from the out- standing commentaries In November, 1961 Prof RC Parikh and Prof DR Mankad were ap- pointed as General Editors of the project Manuscripts of the Bhagavata were acquired from Chhani Porbandar. Jamnagar. Ahmedabad, Baroda and other places in Gujarat Microfilm of one MS was acquired from Paris In 1970 Dr D R Mankad expired and Dr H G Shastri was appointed in his place as one of the General Editors Meanwhile, the Institute pursued to request the Union Govern- ment for grant-in-aid. but the long correspondence terminated with no concrete result.

Prof R C Parikh retired as Director in 1968, but continued to take an active part in this project till his demise in 1982 Meanwhile, Dr H G Shastri officiated as Director since 1968 and on his retirement in 1979, the charge of the Director was entrusted to the undersigned.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages