The evening times., 1897-12-20
A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT
Prof. Maurice Bloomfield to Repro
duce the Atharya-Veda.
Found I'm Kashmir, and Now the
Property of. the University 80.
of Tuebingen.

baltimore, Ed, Dec. 2O--P Prof. Maurice
Bloomfield, of the Johns Hopkins University,
is engaged in a work that is certain to
attract tie interest OF scholars of the
East all over the world. He has oh
tanned the consent OF the library au.
| thorities Of the University of Tuebingen
to reproduce pbotogtaphicaily a unique
manuscript Of the Atharva-veda.
Prof. Bloomfield has devoted a consider
| able shar, of his scientific, la bors to the
study of the AtLarva veda. An English
translation of IL from his pen las recently
been published by the Clarendon press, in
Oxford. Some years ago lie published as
the fourteenth volume OF the Joufna1 OF the
American Oriental SUciel y one Of the mast
important texts OF that yeia, the so called
sutra or Kanshika, and botif himself AMI
his pupils have teen active in the iuter
probation, nd criticism or those difficult
texts. -.'.-. g. -, = .---E--1 -'s
The ms nuscript which he will repro
duce is kn' vn as the IA ashmirian Atharva-
Fe1ia, and was discovered through she cf
forts OF the late Prof. Rudolf Won Roth.
The manuscript is written ON birch-bark
in the Kashmirian, the so-caile,l. ShaE.ia,
in the entire domain Of Indian manuscript
tradition there is no single manuscript
which claims So much interest as this
Unique one On birth-hark.
Prof. Rudolf Won Roth, as Early ~ 1853
was led by remark of the traveller, Baron
Won Huegei to the belief that new yer.
sion oc Iii. Atharva-y r',a might he 1.s.IlI in
Kasiimir. Baron voh Huegel. in his work,
uctv, v,.fr u .
marked that the Brahmins of Kashmir be-
longed to the Atterwan. or, as they said,
Atterman Veda, and upon the strength OF
this statement rrof.. Won Roth induced the
authorities OF the British government in
India to inStitut, search in the inaccessi-
ble earthly paradise in the hope OF finding
new version OF the Atharva-Veda.
His prophetic surmise cam, tru, most bril-
liantly- In 1875 his highness the late Ma
haraiah OF Jamniu and Kaslimfr, Ranbir
Singh. had this manuscript santto Sir VIII
liam Muir. the tnen lieutenant governor of
the northwest provinces, by whom 1t was In
turn despatched TO Prof Won Roth 90, ,-.
The latte:, after publishing a stirring ac-
court Of its discovery, character, and CON
tents in famous tract. qua rded it l.n.h
his recent death; it has now passed into the
possession OF the Univ ersity Library of
Tuebingen, whose greatest and priceless
trea sure IL forms.
II consists Of 2S7ieaves written on both
Sides Of about 20 by 25 centimeters in
size Repeated search and persistent in
Gui.ies have conclusively Shown that .lo
other original manuscript of this veda is
likely to tu.r up. The manuscript is ab-
soutely unique.
Some fimt ago DR. Bloomfield wrote to
Prof. Carrie, the successor OF Prof Won
Roth, at Trebingen, and he received an
enthusiastic offer to send the manuscript
to this country If DR.. Bloomfield would
reproduce il, and now the work is to be
published 10y tue Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity under tie careful supervision Of DR.
Bloomfield Only 200 numbered copies
will be issued