The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)

This brief statement of the scheme of this part of the entirely omitted without occasioning any æsthetical or other defect. And therefore, although there is nothing positive tending to prove the Sanatsugâtiya to be a later addition to the original epos, still the misgivings which are often entertained upon such points may well, in this case, be stronger than in the case of the Bhagavadgîtâ. The text, too, of the Sanatsugatiya is not preserved in nearly so satisfactory a condition as that of the Gita. I have had before me, in settling my text, the editions of the Mahabharata respectively printed and published at Bombay*, Calcutta, and Madras, and three MSS., one of which was most kindly and readily placed at my disposal by my friend Professor Râmkṛishṇa Gopa/ Bhândârkar ; the second by another friend, Professor Âbâgi Vishṇu Kathavate ; and the third was a copy made for me at Sagar in the Central Provinces, through the good offices of a third friend, Mr. Vaman Mahadeva Kolha¢kar. The copy lent me by Professor Bhândârkar comes from Puṇa, and that lent by Professor Kâthavaṭe also from Puṇa. This last, as well as the Sagar copy, and the edition printed at Madras, contains the commentary of Sankarâkârya. And the text I have adopted is that which is indicated by the commentary as the text which its author had before him. But the several copies of the commentary differ so much from one another, that it is still a matter of some doubt with me, whether I have got accurately the text which Sankara commented upon. For instance, the Sagar copy entirely omits chapter V, while the other copies not only give the text of that chapter, but also a commentary upon it which calls itself Sankarafarya’s commentary*, Again, take the stanzas which stand within brackets at pp. 167, 168* of our translation. There is in none of the copies we have, any commentary of Sankarakârya on them. And yet the stanzas exist in the text of the Mahâbhârata as given in those copies which do contain Sankara’s commentary. The matter is evidently one for further investigation. I have not, however, thought it absolutely necessary to make such an investigation for the purposes of the present translation. But to be on the safe side, I have retained in the translation everything which is to be found in those copies of the Sanatsugatiya which also contain Sankara’s commentary. As to other stanzas— and there are some of this description—-which other MSS. or commentators vouch for, but of which no trace is to be found in the MSS. containing Sankara’s commentary*, I have simply omitted them.

* After this dialogue is over, the dawn breaks, and Dhṛitarâshṭra and the Kaurava princes meet in general assembly,