Smith's books

Dear Bhante Nyanatusita,

May thanks for putting together a list of titles and looking into ordering some more books for BPS's stock. I'm also looking forward to hearing about the mss project.

You asked:

>
> > How did Helmer's books come on the market? Shouldn't they not be in a
> > university library?

Adding to Ole's comment, I can only speak for those of his books which are in Sinhalese script, of which I've seen books in the languages Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhalese. Often Pali plus Sinhalese commentary/translation of course. These have all been bound (in green) and often have stamps of the Uppsala University library where I believe at least some of them remained after Smith's death. Many of the ones I've seen are stamped has having been 'decommissioned' (or however you call it) from the library in the early-mid seventies. This much I know. As for guesswork, I'd suspect that efter Smith no-one in Uppsala could read the Sinhalese alphabet until Klas Hagren came along. At that point he probably was allowed to take over the books, or bought them cheaply from the library, since they weren't being used anyway.

When Klas passed away in 2000 one would expect the books to revert to the Oriental languages dept collection where a number of Smith's books remain, including the Burmese Saddaniiti with Nissaya which he used in preparing his Saddaniiti edition. However Klas left his books to a used bookstore. I don't want to speculate here as to the reason for that.

I'd personally like to see his books all collected in research libraries in Copenhagen and Uppsala, but it appears to be too late for that. So I think of it like the bones scattering in the dasa asubha bhaavanaa.

I took a look yesterday and found the following titles on the shelves for sale, APOLOGIES FOR TYPOS as I'm in a hurry. The titles should be close enough to give an idea. The best titles have, of course, already been sold. For instance I found Smith's Kaccaayanasuttaniddesa there. Here's the link to their online catalogue: http://www.redins.se/

paali-muttaka-vinaya-vinicchaya-sangaga.tiikaa, 1908, signed H Smith with notes, mostly cross references

Sikkhaapada-velañjan, B-2451, Pali

Kokila Sandesaya ('cuckoo messenger') a Sinhalese Kaavya, 1924

Mayuura Sandesya ("The Peacock Messenger") 1910, Sinhalese Kaavya

Yogasatakaya, by 'Naagarjuna', 1898, brown binding, in Sanskrit (sinhalese alphabet) and Sinhalese.

Saangaadhara, 1924, Sanskrit text (sinhalese characters)/Sinhalese commentary. Appears to be on anatomy or surgery.

Cariya-pi.taka 1904 Pali/Sinhalese comm or tr.

Daham Sara.naa, 1929, Sinhalese

Saararttha-diipikaa nanuu jaatakaartthakatthaa-vyaakhyaava, 1926, Pali and Sinhalese comm/tr

Kaayaviratigaathaa, 1915, Pali and Sinhalese

Sidat-sanguraa-vistara-sannaye, 1903, Signed H. Smith, Pali and Sinhalese, extensive penciled marginalia possibly from learning Pali (lots of simple comparisons to Sanskrit forms)

Kaayasekara 1872

Kaayasekhara 1931

Mahaabodhiva.msa 1891 Sinhalese

Guptila Kaavya 192? Signed H. Smith, Sinhalese

Singana Kollaa, ("The Beggar Boy") 1929, Modern Sinhalese Novel

Ruhu.nu.maaga.mpura-var.nanava, 1920, travelogue, Sinhalese with photographs

Ruvanmaala (piyumaalaa) by Paraakrama Baahu VI, 1892

best regards,

/Rett