विष्णुपुराणम्- The Critical Edition of the Visnupuranam- Amasas I-VI (An Old and Rare with pin hole Book, Set of 2 Volumes)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

I am happy to place before the world of scholars this first part of the long-awaited critical edition of the Visnupurana the second most important single project of the Institute, after the critical edition of the Valmiki Ramayana in seven volumes.
The monumental task of preparing of critical edition of the Ramayana one of the two Great National Epics of India, was initiated on March 12, 1951 and completed successfully on March 31, 1975. The work, published in seven volumes, comprising the seven kandas of the Ramayana was well-received by the Indologists/scholars The UGC. committee that visited the Oriental Institute at that time suggested that this kind of work of preparing critical editions of the Puranas and such other ancient texts should be continued further on a permanent basis in the Institute so that the experience and expertise so gained would be appropriately utilised. The suggestion of the UGC experts was honoured and with the financial assistance of the UG.C, initially and of the State Government thereafter, the Critical Editions wing was made a permanent feature of the Oriental Institute, wherein the projects of preparing critical editions of Puranas and such other ancient texts are undertaken.
After the completion of the critical edition of Valmiki Ramayana, the first project undertaken by the Critical Editions Wing was that of Visnupurana Prof Dr S. M. Sethna, the then Pro-Vice Chancellor of the M. S University inaugurated the project on 17-5-1976 by writing the first stanza of Visnupurana on the collation sheets. The entire work of the critical edition of Visnupurana was completed and ready for press by about 1986 But then the printing of the text with its detailed critical apparatus which was a highly technical job created a number of difficulties and the printing work was almost at a stand-still. After my joining duties as the Director of the Oriental Institute, however, I could persuade the University authorities to allow us to get the work of composition of the critical text done by outside agencies, as a result of which two agencies M/s. Samvad Prakashan and M/s Visiontech Computers carried out the composing of the text and then the University Press has printed it. As a result of this, five printing presses had to be involved in the job and after nearly eleven years the work is now seeing the light of the day. The changed colour of the first 200 printed pages of the text and the variations in its typography will bear testimony of this. We are, however, happy that the printing of this edition is now almost over and the first volume containing the introduction and the first three Amisas is being presented here and the second volume containing the next three Amisas and a full Pada Index will be ready within a few months.
The changed colour of the pages and the typographical variations apart. I hope that this critical edition of Visnupurana will be well-received by the scholars like its fore-runner, the critical edition of the Valmiki Ramayana, for the scholarly value of the work.
I am grateful to the Government of Gujarat for releasing the necessary grant for conducting such type of research work and its printing
I must thank the University Authorities for taking interest and making concessions in the printing of the Visnupurana, which was long due.
I thank the Managers of the various printing presses particularly Shri P N Shrivastava and his colleagues of the University Press for their co-operation in the completion of this rather complicated and somewhat technical job. I also thank the colleagues of the Oriental Institute for their whole hearted support and dedication to the work.

**Contents and Sample Pages**