Anonymous: Respected, here is a quote from Wikipedia about the critical edition of the Mahabharata: “Between 1919 and 1966, scholars at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, compared the various manuscripts of the epic from India and abroad and produced the Critical Edition of the Mahābhārata, on 13,000 pages in 19 volumes, over the span of 47 years, followed by the Harivamsha in another two volumes and six index volumes. This is the text that is usually used in current Mahābhārata studies for reference. This work is sometimes called the “Pune” or “Poona” edition of the Mahabharata.”
1) What do you think about these critical editions of the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this connection, I paste my article below—
How do we know that only 10,000 verses of the Mahabharata are the real?
There is a statement by King Bhoj in his book “Sanjeevini” about which Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati too states:
“Vyasji wrote 4400 shlokas of mahabharat to which another 5,600 authentic shlokas were added by the disciples of Vyasji. During the reign of Maharaja Vikramaditya another 20,000 shlokas were added. Further Maharaja Bhoj says that during the reign of his father 25,000 and during half of his life time 30,000 more shlokas have been added to the Mahabharat book. If this process of addition of shlokas continues then the time is not far when Mahabharat book would have to be compared to the burden loaded on a camel.”
There have been false additions to Mahabharat epic from time to time. Regarding this Kashinath Rajvade writes:
“The present Mahabharat is a corrupt and enlarged edition of the ancient Mahabharat. This ancient work has been diluted from time to time with all sorts of additions and has grown in proportion on that account.”
After studying the article you may contact me again.
Anonymous: Here is a quote from Wikipedia about the critical edition of the Ramayana: “A critical edition of the text was compiled in India in the 1960s and 1970s, by the Oriental Institute at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, utilizing dozens of manuscripts collected from across India and the surrounding region. An English language translation of the critical edition was completed in November 2016 by Sanskrit scholar Robert P. Goldman of the University of California, Berkeley.”
2) What do you think of that critical edition of the Ramayana?
Thank you very much for the explanation.
All the best,
Swami Ram Swarup: Please clarify which reference of Ramayan between Valmiki Ramyan and Tulsi krit Ramayan you have quoted.
Usually, we preach here about Valmiki Ramayn only, but question may be put from any ramayan.
My blessings to you.
