Vedic Texts: A Revision - Professor C.G. Kshikar Felicitation Volume (An Old and Rare Book)

Vedic Texts: A Revision is an outcome of the work of preparing critical editions of Vedic Texts, being carried out by various Vedic Scholars in India. this Volume consisting of the specimens of the forthcoming critical editions of Vedic Texts is presented to Prof. C. G. Kashikar on the occasion of his eightieth birth anniversary, as a tribute of respectful gratitude to him for his profound scholarship in the filed of Vedic ritualistic studies. The Volume consists of specimens of eight Vedic texts, namely Maitrayant Samhita, Gopatha Brahmana, Aitareya Aranyaka, Baudhayana Srautasutra, Spastamba Srautsutra, Satyasadha Srautasutra, Manava Srautasutra and Kausikasutra. The scholars to whom the revision of these eight works has been assigned are already quite familiar with these respective works, and conversant with the necessary modus operandi. The Volume also includes a Foreword by Prof. R. N. Dandekar, a biographical sketch, biodata, and bibliography of books and select articles of Prof. C. G. Kashikar.

Prof. C. G. Kashikar is one of the few scholars in recent times, who have made outstanding contribution towards the understanding of the literature and practice of Vedic ritual. Born in 1910 at Satara, Maharashtra State, Prof. Kashikar did his post-graduation in Sanskrit from the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, in 1934. The University of Poona awarded him D. Litt. in 1966, for his outstanding work, Sutras of Bharadvaja. He worked in various institutes, namely, Vaidika Samsodhana Mandala, University of Poona, Deccan College and Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth in various capacities and held important position – educational and administrative as well. There are eighteen works and over a hundred research articles to his credit. Besides Vedic studies, his works on Ayurveda are also well – appreciated by scholars. He has guided six students for their Ph. D. Recently he has been honoured by the President of India with an award for his scholarship in Sanskrit language and literature. Prof. Kashikar is presently working as Hon. Professor and the Chief Editor of Vedic Concordance Project of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune.

Critically edited texts of Sanskrit works are the sine qua non of any serious study and research relating to those works. This dictum, it may be added, holds good particularly in respect of Vedic works. That is why many Vedists of the earlier generations regarded the preparation of critical editions as an essential part of their scholarly activities! Such critical editions have all along constituted the soundest foundations of the further research-super- structure. We, therefore, owe it to these revered pioneers to maintain these foundations ever in the best possible repair. This can be achieved by periodic revisions of those editions with the help of fresh manuscript (and allied) material and new research techniques which are steadily becoming available.

The Vedic texts which have been selected for what I hope will be just the first instalment of revision are important from several points of view.

(1) The three Samhitas of the Krsna-Yajurveda, namely, Taittiriya, Kathaka (Kapisthala), and Maitrayani, are more or less closely related to each other, but the Taittiriya school has preserved its entire literature more extensively and in a far better condition. The Maitrayani-Samhita, which is often referred to in the manu- scripts as Maitrayaniya-Manava-Samhita, is mostly similar to the Kathaka-Samhita from the point of view of contents and the — mantras, which latter often show readings different from those of the Taittiriya-Samhita, but it varies from the Kathaka-Samhita in the matter of mythological details and general presentation of the text. The Maitrayani-Samhita has a padapatha which proves quite helpful in the editing of its text.

(2) The Gopatha-Brahmana is the only work of this genre which belongs to the Atharvaveda. It is, indeed, not unlikely that the Atharvaveda did not originally have any Brahmana of its own, but-that, in order to substantiate a well-established tradition, a text which was rather artificially constituted came to be later appended to that Veda. The secondary character and the comparatively late (8) The Kausika-Sitra, which is regarded as one of the five kalpas of the Atharvaveda, is certainly not a Srautasitra; nor can it be regarded as a normal Grhyasitra (though it is often regarded as being one). Besides many grhya rites, it deals (as is but to be expected) profusely and systematically with the Atharvavedic magic. It may, therefore, be called Atharva-Vidhana. The Kausika-Sutra is, indeed, fortunate in having such valuable expository aids as the Bhasya of Darila and the Paddhati of Kesava.

The scholars to whom the revision of these eight works has been assigned are, as may be seen from the specimens in this Volume, already quite familiar with those respective works. They are also conversant with the necessary modus operandi. All this surely augurs well for the success of this important research project.

I cannot conclude this Foreword without heartily applauding the remarkable sense of propriety which the editors of this Volume and their collaborators have exhibited in offering it as a tribute of respectful gratitude — I earnestly hope that I too shall be permitted to join in that tribute — to Professor C. G. Kashikar. Few other scholars in recent times have made such outstanding contribution towards the understanding of the literature and practice of Vedic ritual as he.

The editors feel extremely delighted to write this Preface to the Felicitation Volume in honour of Prof. C. G. Kashikar, being brought out by the well-known house of indological publishers, M/s. Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi. This Volume is an outcome of the work of preparing critical editions of Vedic texts, being carried out by various scholars in India. It is Pt. Radhey Shyam Shastri, one of the editors of this Volume, who is instrumental in mooting the idea of preparing a specimen volume of the initial portions of the forthcoming critical editions of the Vedic texts and presenting it to Prof. C. G. Kashikar on the occasion of his eightieth birth-anniversary, as a token of the gratitude on the part of the contributors to this volume, who have been much benefited—directly or indirectly—by Prof. Kashikar's profound scholarship in the field of Vedic ritualistic studies. The editors sincerely hope that the present volume will fulfil their twin desire of honouring the scholar of international repute that Prof. Kashikar is and of presenting the specimens of the critical editions to the Vedic scholars from India and abroad for their valuable suggestions, comments and criticism. At the same time, the editors are fully aware of the shortcomings in the present volume due to the limitations of the printing process and constraint of time.

The editors are grateful to Prof. R. N. Dandekar for writing a Foreword to this volume inspite of his busy schedule and heavy pressure of work. Thanks are also due to the scholars who have contributed their articles to this volume. A special mention must be made of Prof. K. S. Arjunwadkar, an erudite Sanskrit scholar himself, who undertook the difficult work of typesetting of the Vedic texts, took keen interest in seeing the publication through and completed the work of typesetting with utmost care. Finally, the editors are thankful to M/s. Motilal Banarasidass who undertook the publication of the present volume and brought it out within a considerably short time.

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