A critical edition of 'Mahabharata' was initiated in 1919, under the leadership of V.S. Sukthankar.
The critical edition did NOT include one of the following objectives. Identify:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Rewriting and paraphrasing major sections of the original text.
Option (1) Collecting Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of scripts across India. — Correct statement. Initially, the project meant collecting Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of scripts, from different parts of the country.
Option (2) Working out on a method of comparing verses from each manuscript. — Correct statement. The team worked out a method of comparing verses from each manuscript.
Option (3) Rewriting and paraphrasing major sections of the original text. — Incorrect statement. The critical edition was built by comparing and selecting the verses found in the manuscripts; rewriting or paraphrasing the text was never part of the project.
Option (4) Selecting verses that appeared common to most versions and publishing these in several volumes. — Correct statement. Ultimately, the scholars selected the verses that appeared common to most versions and published these in several volumes, running into over 13,000 pages.
NCERT (2026-27): “1. The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata … One of the most ambitious projects of scholarship began in 1919, under the leadership of a noted Indian Sanskritist, V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. What exactly did this involve? Initially, it meant collecting Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of scripts, from different parts of the country. The team worked out a method of comparing verses from each manuscript. Ultimately, they selected the verses that appeared common to most versions and published these in several volumes, running into over 13,000 pages. The project took 47 years to complete.…” |