XII. Abhandlung: G. Bühl er and J. Kirste. Indian Studies. No. II. 
l 
XII. 
Indian Studies. 
No. n. 
Contributions to tbe History of tlie Mahäbhärata. 
By 
G-. Bühler and J. Kirste. 1 
The present paper is tlie first instalment of certain researches 
regarding tlie history of the Maliäbhärata, on which I liave 
been engaged for some time witli two of my pupils, Professor 
J. Kirste and Dr. Cartellieri. The task, which we have under- 
taken, is to compare some of the older abstracts of the Mahä 
bhärata with the published text as well as to collect, and 
to examine the value of, the references to, and the quotations 
from that work which occur in great number in some of the 
more ancient Sanskrit compositions with exactly or approxi- 
matively ascertainable dates. 
The importance of a careful scrutiny of the external evi-' 
dence, bearing on the condition of the great Epic during the 
long period which precedes the time of its earliest commen- 
tator whose notes have been preserved at least partially, 2 is 
obvious and has been long recognised. Professor A. Weber 
1 Professor Kirste’s share of this paper consists of pp. 27, 1. 27—57, with 
the exception of the braeketed passage on p. 28—29. 
2 This is Sarvajna Näräyana, who as I have sliown in the Introduction to my 
Translation of Manu, S. B. E. vol. XXV, p. CXXIX, eannot have written 
later tlian in the second half of the fourteenth Century, but may be 
somewhat older. Large fragments of bis notes have been preserved 
in MSS. of the Berlin, Oxford and Deccan College eollections. He had, 
of course, predecessors, among whom, to judge from Arjunamisra’s re- 
marks, A. Weber, Berlin Catalogue of 1858, p. 104, Devabodha was the 
oldest. 
Sitzungsber. d. phil.-hisfc. CI. CXXVJI. lid. 12. Abh. 1