Chi-squares and the phenomenon of "change of exemplar" in the dyutaparvan

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the use of computational tools in the textual analysis of Sanskrit manuscripts. We use the maximum chi-squared method,a technique borrowed from molecular biology, to analyse the distribution of variants in two different pairs of manuscripts of the Dyutaparvan. This method gives some insight into the process of manuscript copying in the Mahabharatatradition. In particular it provides evidence that at least one of the scribes used more than one exemplar to produce his own version of the Mahabharata.