A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t2.192

v2.c19.s3.t2.192

¹ It is quite impossible for the Jātaka Gāthās to be, as is the opinion of *Franke* (WZKM 20, 1906, p. 318, *cf.* ZDMG 63, 1909, p. 13) "when considered as a whole, the personal production of a single author," who "not only put them together, but very often composed them himself, adapted, altered and patched them up, and in fact endowed the complete work with the stamp of his own individuality." If we change the word "author" into "compiler" or "editor," there is some truth in these words of *Franke*; for the compilers of Indian literary collections have never scrupled to alter the verses of other poets and to add verses of their own composition to them.