Manasara Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra; III. Manasara on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Manasara: Translation; V. Architecture of Manasara: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v6.c42.s1.60

v6.c42.s1.60

Dr. Acharya’s edition of the *Mānasāra* is based on no less than eleven manuscripts, a full account of which will be found in his Preface. It is only the extent of the text which rendered the editor’s task a laborious one. Owing to the nature of the subject, the work teems with technical terms known neither from ordinary literature nor from the *koṣas*, and, consequently, sometimes very difficult to explain. But what is worse, it is couched in a language which has been rightly described as ‘barbarous.’ The text presented by the manuscripts (none of which is ancient) cannot be considered as correct. The editor is no doubt correct in assuming ‘that the *Mānasāra* was never written in a chaste language and that its imperfections are original.’ The same is true of other *Śilpa-śāstras*, as was pointed out by Bühler many years ago. It seems that works of this kind were composed by craftsmen who were moved by the ambition of writing Sanskrit without possessing the necessary knowledge of that difficult language. In these circumstances it is not surprising that the meaning of several passages is obscure and the translation uncertain. Moreover, none of the manuscripts contains any commentary, drawings, diagrams, or sketches.