Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tanjore Vol 01

SR No.: 020226
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P P S Shastri
Publisher: Government of Madras
Publication Year: 1928
Total Pages: 480
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 20 MB

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INTRODUCTION.
THE HE Tanjore Mahārāja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library, which is described by Dr. Burnell "to be perhaps the largest and most important in the world" and which Dr. Bühler says "contains a great many useful and a number of very rare or nearly unique books many of which are quite unknown or pro curable only with great trouble and expense" was till recently the private property of the Rajas of Tanjore.
The earliest beginnings of the Library must have been about the end of the 16th century when Tanjore was under the rule of Telugu Nayaks who collected Sanskrit Manuscripts written in Telugu character. In the 18th century the Mahrathas conquered the country and since that date the Library has been increasing. By far the greater portion of the collection was made by Serfoji during a visit to Benares during 1820-1830. Śivāji his successor added a few. There has practically been no addition of any value till very recent times. A good number of Sanskrit Manuscripts including rare and valuable manuscripts representing the collection of generations of a family of scholars, known as the "Jambunatha Bhat Landagai Collection" was added to the Library in 1921.
Regarding the origin and importance of this collection, Dr. Hultzch has the following interesting information in No. III "Reports on Sanskrit Manuscripts in Southern India", edited by him in 1905 at Madras:
"The manuscripts described in this Report belong to Jambunatha bhatta, a Mahratha Brahmana at Tanjore, who is the eldest son of a certain Mannambhatta. He is a no mean Sanskrit Scholar and knows the whole Rgveda by heart. As he is continually teaching the text of this sacred book to students, even his blind daughter has learnt to recite portions of it. The existence of his Library