This document discusses the lack of accessibility and preservation of ancient Sanskrit manuscripts in India. It notes that the original text of the Dasapadartha sastra was lost in Sanskrit, but was restored based on its Chinese translation from 648 AD. It highlights that most manuscripts are inaccessible due to various reasons like lack of digitization and outdated preservation methods. This has led to the loss of many precious manuscripts over time. It calls for more efforts to publish and preserve these historical manuscripts before more knowledge is lost.

1. Dr. J.S.R.A. Prasad
Dept. of Sanskrit Studies
University of Hyderabad

2. Dasapadartha sastra is a text that belongs
to the Vaiseshika School of philosophy. In
648 A.D., it was translated into Chinese by
H. Ui. Later, very unfortunately, we lost
the original ms. in Sanskrit.
A Sanskrit scholar restored it back to
Sanskrit based on the foreign version. This
was possible only as the Chinese
translator has maintained the originality
of the base text.

3. Today, as there is no such scholarship or
expertise to recreate the content, it is a threat
once the manuscript treasure diminishes by
sheer neglect.
Most of the mss., are inaccessible for various
reasons. In the Oriental collection of the
Osmania University, if one approaches in
regard of an unpublished text, one’s effort will
end in acquiring a mere 20% content of the
desired text. In many other institutions also,
one can experience similar plight.

4. One of the reasons may be that some
researchers misuse the content of these
unpublished mss.
Many of the custodians or curators are not
informed of the process of digitization of
mss., and catalogs. Also, we still follow the
age old preserving techniques which
resulting in gradual disappearance of the
unveiled knowledge.
Statistical methods are not applicable.

5. For the last 200 years these ancient
manuscripts remained a subject of study and
research by Indian and Western scholars. But
despite the best efforts made by them only
25% of Indian ancient and classical literature
could be published. It is, therefore, a
desideratum that more and more texts on
various branches of Indian literature,
particularly those bearing on sciences and
arts, should be brought out in good
text-critical editions.

6. Many of the mss. were destroyed by the
insects or by the hostile weather conditions.
Such a way, in numerous places, hundreds
of our precious mss., are lost.
Out of the thousand branches of the
Samaveda, our access is now restricted to a
mere eleven branches. Similarly we lost many
shastric texts ranging from vyakarana to
sangeetha, partly or fully due to lack of
knowledge of preservation.

7. This author has himself found for his
dismay, how the mss., get destroyed of
sheer ignorance. One of his friends has
informed him about the treasure of mss.,
available in a village near Hyderabad.
After two months of continuous efforts,
ultimately the custodian comes online only
to confirm that out of six hundred mss.,
which they bequeathed from their father,
now, only six mss., are in usable condition.

8. इतति ककाललिदकासकक तितौ वकत्तससहकाररे गग्रीष्मवररनमम् ।
सकामकान्यकानलधिकररत्वस सकामकान्यकादग्रीनकामम्..
पकलथिवग्रीत्वकाद्यपरेक्षयका द्रव्यत्वकादरेरलधिकदरेशकावकलत्तत्वकातिम्
व्यकापकत्वकातिम् परत्वमम् ।
अत्र तितु ननोकस तित्रकातप ननोकतमतति तद्विरुकमम् ।
अथिरवकादनो वका । 1.2.43

9. We should take care of mss., because
they are the valuable sources of
knowledge. They are the main sources
of our ancient history and culture.
They are national properties
Colophons reveal the aspects of the
history of manuscripts.
Paleographical details reveal the period
of manuscritps

10. Mss., also furnish valuable information
regarding contemporary calendar. Thus we
come accross sakabda, samvat, vikrama
samvat, gupta samvat, saptrarshi
samvatsara, saura and chandra
samvatsara etc. in the colophons at the
end of the mss., (Basu and Das: 2005)

11. In the year 2003, the Govt. of India has
started a project called 'National Mission for
Manuscripts (NMM)' for the ms. collection,
preservation, trainings and seminars. The
NMM has worked tirelessly to realize the
goal by collecting five lakh mss., through
their partner manuscript resource centers
(MRCs) and manuscript conservation centers
(MCCs).
National Electronic Database (of 1.5 million ms.)
Oral tradition Manuscripts Print Media Digital Media

12. Sl.
No
.
Name of the
Institution
Diplom
a
P.G.
Diplom
a
Degree Master
s
Degree
M.Phil.
1. University of Pune  - - - -
2. Tamil University  - - - -
3. Osmania University -  - - -
4. University of Hampi - - -  -
5. University of Madras  - - - -
6. Twin Cities P.G.
College
-  - - -
7. University of Mysore -  - - -
8. The Institute of
Advanced Studies
- -  - -
9. Dr. BR Ambedkar
Univ.
- - -  -
10. J.N.U. - - -  -
11. Vrindavan Res. Inst.,
Agra
- - -  -
12. Kerala University - - -  
13 Madurai K University

13. Sl.
No
.
Name of the
Institution
Diplom
a
P.G.
Diplom
a
Degree Master
s
Degree
M.Phil.
14. Bangalore University - - -  -
15. SLBSRS Vidyapeetha - - -  
16. K.J. Somayya Center
for Buddhist Studies
 - - - -
17. SSUS, Kalady - - - - 
18. Sagar University  - - - -
19. University of
Rajasthan
- - -  -
20. RSkS, New Delhi - - -  -
21. University of Mumbai  - - - -
22. Jadavpur University  - - - 
23. University of
Culcutta
- - - - 
24. Utkal University - - - - 
25. University of
Hyderabad
-  - - -

14. National debate competitions
Gurukula Fellowships after basic and advanced
courses
Project positions with various digitizing agencies
Research assistant positions in Vidyapeethas,
Sanskrit Academies, ORIs and Voluntary
organizations
NCC Project, Chennai
Surveyors, Copyists in MRCs
Indological Research Institutes