Interpolation

Detection

Words present in some recensions but not in others are likely interpolated or elided.

A verse or statement that should have been cited by an ancient commentator, but begins appearing in later works, is likely interpolated.

If a text contradicts another by the same author (esp in the same work!), or if it has a very different style, it’s suspect.

Generally - smaller work => less interpolation.

Action in case of doubt

न च प्रत्यक्ष-श्रुति-विरोधे
वैदिक-परिगृहीत-बहु-स्मृति-विरोधे च
अप्रसिद्ध-स्मृति-मात्रस्य जीवितम् अस्ति ।

इति वेङ्कटनाथार्यः शतदूषण्याम्.

Motivation

• Sometimes, marginal comments may come to be inserted into the main text when the manuscript is copied.
• Deliberate intent to misrepresent ancient thought.

History

Acknowledgement

A position adopted by the likes of madhvAcArya is that many works (especially itihAsa-s and purANa-s) contains interpolations, deletions and corruptions.

क्वचिद् ग्रन्थान् प्रक्षिपन्ति
क्वचिद् अन्तरितानपि ।
कुर्युः क्वचिच् च व्यत्यासं
प्रमादात् क्वचिद् अन्यथा॥
- [MTN 2.3]

vedAntadeshika pointed out that some use fabricated texts, ascribing them to vyAsa.

अतः, तद्-वचन-कारिषु व्यासादि-समाख्यां सङ्केतेन प्रक्षिप्य
धर्म-सूनुर् इव सत्य-वादी भव । …

न च सात्त्वतादिषु सु-रक्षित-कोशासु संहितासु तथाविध-वचन-प्रसङ्गः ।
अतो युष्मत्-कूटस्थ-पक्ष-पातिनां प्रक्षेपस् तथा स्याद् वा न वेति
समीचीन-दृष्ट्या भावय ।

इति शतदूषण्याम्।

Famous cases

mahopaniShad, quoted by mAdhvas and rAmAnujIya-s (but not by shankara or early shANkaras, for who it’d be so convenient), currently has an interpolation providing the “finger in front of the eye leading to two moons being seen” example -

द्विचन्द्रशुक्तिकारूप्यमृगतृष्णादिभेदतः ।
अभ्यासं प्राप्य जाग्रत्तत्स्वप्नो नानाविधो भवेत् ॥ १५॥

shAnkaras invented shukarahasya “upanishad”. Quoted by none in defense before, but suddenly in recent times - justifying their interpretation of tattvamasi using lakshana against the argument of ramanuja that mukhyartha itself is possible using some interpolated upanishad where it is claimed tattvamasi should interpreted with lakshana only.

“Many parts of Bhavishya purana are original. Some chapters were added in time of Akbar to show him reincarnation of Prithviraj Chauhan. 2 chapters were added by either William Jones or Eric Pargiter to show that British are descendants of Hanuman who were blessed by Bhagvan Ram to rule India. William Jones also removed some key verses of puranas.” - bhaviShyapurANa

rAmAyaNam

RY kāṇḍa-s 2-6 largely held to be work of the same author, usually with some extra verses in southern manuscripts.

रामायणय् आदित्य-हृदयं प्रक्षिप्तम् इति गोविन्दराजः -

अयं च सर्गः केषुचित् कोषेषु न दृश्यते ।
उडारिणा न व्याख्यातश् च ।
आरम्भात्-प्रभृति प्रबन्ध-प्रतिपादित-नारायण-परत्व-विरुद्धं चात्र प्रतिभाति सूर्य-परत्वम् ।
अस्मिंश् च काण्डे त्रिंशद्-उत्तर-शत-सर्गा उडारिणा गणिताः
एतद्-अन्तर्भावे एक-त्रिंशद्-उत्तर-शत-सर्गास् तेन गणिता भवेयुः ॥ ३१ ॥