Manuscript Identifiers

Collection:UPenn Ms. Coll. 390
Item:773
Repository:Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Institution:University of Pennsylvania
Location:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Catalog:Poleman
Item:948

Contents

Work 1 (incomplete)

Locus:ff. 1r–59v
Title:Bhagavadgītā
Note:

The Bhagavadgītā is included in the text of the critical edition of the Mahābhārata at MBh. 6.23.1–6.40.78. Yet the text as an independent treatise typically includes a preface, consisting of a Nyāsa and Dhyāna as found in popular editions such as the Gītā Press edition, which is not included in the critical text and most of which is also absent from the critical apparatus.

This manuscript contains the preface and adhyāyas 1–7 ((BhG. 1.1–7.30) corresponding to MBh. 6.23.1–6.29.30). Most of the last line of the final verse of Adhyāya 30 is missing, as are adhyāyas 8-18 ((BhG. 7.30cd–18.78) corresponding to MBh. 6.29.30cd–6.40.78).

Language:Sanskrit in Devanāgarī script

   Work 1.1 (complete)

   Locus:ff. 1r–6r
   Title:Bhagavadgītā Preface
   Incipit: f. 1v
asya śrībhagavadgītāmālāmantrasya .. śrībhagavān vedavyāsa ṛṣir
   Explicit: f. 5vf. 6r
yaṁ brahmā varuṇeṁdrarudramarutaḥ stunvaṁti divyaiḥ stavair
vedaiḥ sāṁgapadakramopaniṣadair gāyaṁti yaṁ sāmagāḥ ..
dhyānāvasthitatadgatena manasā paśyaṁti yaṁ yogino
yasyāṁtaṁ naviduḥ surāsuragaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ ..9.. ( BhG. Preface 4.2 ) (Śārdūlavikrīḍita)
   Final rubric: f. 6r
itinyāsaḥ ..

   Work 1.2 (incomplete)

   Locus:ff. 6r–59v
   Author:Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa
   Title:Bhagavadgītā
   Incipit: f. 6rf. 6v
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ..
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetresamavetā yuyutsavaḥ ..
māmakāḥ pāṁḍavāś caivakim akurvata saṁjaya ..1.. (Anuṣṭubh) ( BhG. 1.1= MBh. 6.23.1 )
   Explicit: f. 59v
sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ sādhiyajṅaṁ ca ye viduḥ ..
pra <yāṇakāle 'pi ca māṁ te vidur yuktacetasaḥ> ( BhG. 7.30= MBh. 6.29.30 ) (Anuṣṭubh)
   Final rubric:none
   Colophon:none

Physical description

Form:Folia
Material:Paper
Extent:64 folia
Dimension:10.1 x 16 cm (h x w)
Foliation: The codex is numbered in the upper left margin on the verso of each folio. The numerals 46 and 47 are incomplete or incorrect. There are five additional blank folios. Five folios, which must have contained illustrations, have been torn out preceding these five blank folios.
   Formula:1–13, [i], 14–26, [ii], 27–34, [iii], 35–46, [iv], 47–54, [v], 55–59
   Signatures:gī0 appears above the folio number in the upper left margin on the verso of each folio.
Collation: Pages are gathered and sewn with thick string in four quires consisting of ff. 1-11, ff. 12–29, ff. 30–41, and ff. 42-59.
Formula:1-11, 12–29, 30–41, 42-59
Condition:Excellent
Binding: Bound as a book with thick string in the left margin
Seal: A circular stamp in black ink on the right of f. 1r reads Library University Pennsylvania.
Layout:Generally 6 lines per page, 3 lines per page in elaborately framed text on the first and second pages on f. 1v and f. 2r.

Hands

Hand 1:Written clearly with a reed with a broad nib that distinguishes thick and thin strokes and produces sharp angles. Same hand as UPenn Ms. Coll. 390 Item 2563, Item 2639, and Ms. Indic 5.
Additions:

Besides the rare addition of numbers by the original scribe, there is a single addition in another hand on f. 43v.

Decoration

Color:Final rubrics and introduction of speakers are either in gold lettering outlined by red, or in red. Double daṇḍas are in red. Orange powder is rubbed in over numbers through folio 10. Mistakes are covered over with yellow, e.g. f. 54r. Additional colors are used in borders.
Border:An orange rectangular band trimmed with black lines within thin black, and orange rectangular lines frames the text on most pages. The text on f. 2v and f. 3r is surrounded by ornamental frame in gold, purple, and red, and the lines of text alternate red, gold, black; gold red, black on f. 2v; and black red, gold; black, gold, red on f. 3r. There are only three lines per page in red, gold, and black on f. 1v, and black, gold, and red on f. 2r. The text on these pages is surrounded by the same ornamental frame found on ff. 3–4, here bordered in black, and surrounded by an ornamental frame in tan, gold, and orange on a background of blue and gold with black, gold, and red lines bordering it.
Illustration:Five illustrations which must have been included in the manuscript on unnumbered folios preceding each of ff. [i]–[v] have been torn out.

History

Origin: The manuscript likely originates in Kashmir. The colophon of UPenn Ms. Coll. 390 Item 2563, written in the same hand, dates that manuscript to the year samvat 1913, equivalent to 1856-57 c.e.
Acquisition: David Nelson (2000: 203) describes the acquisition of the Sanskrit manuscripts in the University of Pennsylvania Library as follows:

The University of Pennsylvania Library possesses a collection of almost 3,300 Indic manuscripts, the largest such collection in the Western hemisphere. While the vast majority of these manuscripts are from India, there are also a number of manuscripts from Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tibet.

Some of the manuscripts had been acquired in chance fashion by the Library and the University Museum before 1930, but in that year, at the request of Professor W. Norman Brown (1892–1975), Provost Josiah Penniman provided a sum of money to purchase Indic manuscripts. Shortly thereafter he obtained a donation from the late Mr. John Gribbel. Substantial contributions from Dr. Charles W. Burr, the Faculty Research Fund, and the Cotton Fund soon followed. The bulk of the manuscripts are the result of purchases made using these funds in India, between 1930 and 1935, under the direction of Professor W. Norman Brown.

Subject headings

SubjectLC:Mahābhārata – Bhagavadgītā.
SubjectLC:Manuscripts, Sanskrit – 19th century.
SubjectLC:Manuscripts – India – 19th century.
SubjectSL:Mahābhārata

Record history

Revised: 3 February 2012

Facsimile  (work 1)

Whole image     Individual pages
f. 1r     f. 1r  
f. 1v, f. 2r     f. 1v  f. 2r  
f. 2v, f. 3r     f. 2v  f. 3r  
f. 3v, f. 4r     f. 3v  f. 4r  
f. 4v, f. 5r     f. 4v  f. 5r  
f. 5v, f. 6r     f. 5v  f. 6r  
f. 6v, f. 7r     f. 6v  f. 7r  
f. 7v, f. 8r     f. 7v  f. 8r  
f. 8v, f. 9r     f. 8v  f. 9r  
f. 9v, f. 10r     f. 9v  f. 10r  
f. 10v, f. 11r     f. 10v  f. 11r  
f. 11v, f. 12r     f. 11v  f. 12r  
f. 12v, f. 13r     f. 12v  f. 13r  
f. 13v, f. [i]r     f. 13v  f. [i]r  
f. [i]v, f. 14r     f. [i]v  f. 14r  
f. 14v, f. 15r     f. 14v  f. 15r  
f. 15v, f. 16r     f. 15v  f. 16r  
f. 16v, f. 17r     f. 16v  f. 17r  
f. 17v, f. 18r     f. 17v  f. 18r  
f. 18v, f. 19r     f. 18v  f. 19r  
f. 19v, f. 20r     f. 19v  f. 20r  
f. 20v, f. 21r     f. 20v  f. 21r  
f. 21v, f. 22r     f. 21v  f. 22r  
f. 22v, f. 23r     f. 22v  f. 23r  
f. 23v, f. 24r     f. 23v  f. 24r  
f. 24v, f. 25r     f. 24v  f. 25r  
f. 25v, f. 26r     f. 25v  f. 26r  
f. 26v, f. [ii]r     f. 26v  f. [ii]r  
f. [ii]v, f. 27r     f. [ii]v  f. 27r  
f. 27v, f. 28r     f. 27v  f. 28r  
f. 28v, f. 29r     f. 28v  f. 29r  
f. 29v, f. 30r     f. 29v  f. 30r  
f. 30v, f. 31r     f. 30v  f. 31r  
f. 31v, f. 32r     f. 31v  f. 32r  
f. 32v, f. 33r     f. 32v  f. 33r  
f. 33v, f. 34r     f. 33v  f. 34r  
f. 34v, f. [iii]r     f. 34v  f. [iii]r  
f. [iii]v, f. 35r     f. [iii]v  f. 35r  
f. 35v, f. 36r     f. 35v  f. 36r  
f. 36v, f. 37r     f. 36v  f. 37r  
f. 37v, f. 38r     f. 37v  f. 38r  
f. 38v, f. 39r     f. 38v  f. 39r  
f. 39v, f. 40r     f. 39v  f. 40r  
f. 40v, f. 41r     f. 40v  f. 41r  
f. 41v, f. 42r     f. 41v  f. 42r  
f. 42v, f. 43r     f. 42v  f. 43r  
f. 43v, f. 44r     f. 43v  f. 44r  
f. 44v, f. 45r     f. 44v  f. 45r  
f. 45v, f. 46r     f. 45v  f. 46r  
f. 46v, f. [iv]r     f. 46v  f. [iv]r  
f. [iv]v, f. 47r     f. [iv]v  f. 47r  
f. 47v, f. 48r     f. 47v  f. 48r  
f. 48v, f. 49r     f. 48v  f. 49r  
f. 49v, f. 50r     f. 49v  f. 50r  
f. 50v, f. 51r     f. 50v  f. 51r  
f. 51v, f. 52r     f. 51v  f. 52r  
f. 52v, f. 53r     f. 52v  f. 53r  
f. 53v, f. 54r     f. 53v  f. 54r  
f. 54v, f. [v]r     f. 54v  f. [v]r  
f. [v]v, f. 55r     f. [v]v  f. 55r  
f. 55v, f. 56r     f. 55v  f. 56r  
f. 56v, f. 57r     f. 56v  f. 57r  
f. 57v, f. 58r     f. 57v  f. 58r  
f. 58v, f. 59r     f. 58v  f. 59r  
f. 59v     f. 59v  

Facsimile  (work 1.1)

Whole image     Individual pages
f. 1r     f. 1r  
f. 1v, f. 2r     f. 1v  f. 2r  
f. 2v, f. 3r     f. 2v  f. 3r  
f. 3v, f. 4r     f. 3v  f. 4r  
f. 4v, f. 5r     f. 4v  f. 5r  
f. 5v, f. 6r     f. 5v  f. 6r  

Facsimile  (work 1.2)

Whole image     Individual pages
f. 5v, f. 6r     f. 5v  f. 6r  
f. 6v, f. 7r     f. 6v  f. 7r  
f. 7v, f. 8r     f. 7v  f. 8r  
f. 8v, f. 9r     f. 8v  f. 9r  
f. 9v, f. 10r     f. 9v  f. 10r  
f. 10v, f. 11r     f. 10v  f. 11r  
f. 11v, f. 12r     f. 11v  f. 12r  
f. 12v, f. 13r     f. 12v  f. 13r  
f. 13v, f. [i]r     f. 13v  f. [i]r  
f. [i]v, f. 14r     f. [i]v  f. 14r  
f. 14v, f. 15r     f. 14v  f. 15r  
f. 15v, f. 16r     f. 15v  f. 16r  
f. 16v, f. 17r     f. 16v  f. 17r  
f. 17v, f. 18r     f. 17v  f. 18r  
f. 18v, f. 19r     f. 18v  f. 19r  
f. 19v, f. 20r     f. 19v  f. 20r  
f. 20v, f. 21r     f. 20v  f. 21r  
f. 21v, f. 22r     f. 21v  f. 22r  
f. 22v, f. 23r     f. 22v  f. 23r  
f. 23v, f. 24r     f. 23v  f. 24r  
f. 24v, f. 25r     f. 24v  f. 25r  
f. 25v, f. 26r     f. 25v  f. 26r  
f. 26v, f. [ii]r     f. 26v  f. [ii]r  
f. [ii]v, f. 27r     f. [ii]v  f. 27r  
f. 27v, f. 28r     f. 27v  f. 28r  
f. 28v, f. 29r     f. 28v  f. 29r  
f. 29v, f. 30r     f. 29v  f. 30r  
f. 30v, f. 31r     f. 30v  f. 31r  
f. 31v, f. 32r     f. 31v  f. 32r  
f. 32v, f. 33r     f. 32v  f. 33r  
f. 33v, f. 34r     f. 33v  f. 34r  
f. 34v, f. [iii]r     f. 34v  f. [iii]r  
f. [iii]v, f. 35r     f. [iii]v  f. 35r  
f. 35v, f. 36r     f. 35v  f. 36r  
f. 36v, f. 37r     f. 36v  f. 37r  
f. 37v, f. 38r     f. 37v  f. 38r  
f. 38v, f. 39r     f. 38v  f. 39r  
f. 39v, f. 40r     f. 39v  f. 40r  
f. 40v, f. 41r     f. 40v  f. 41r  
f. 41v, f. 42r     f. 41v  f. 42r  
f. 42v, f. 43r     f. 42v  f. 43r  
f. 43v, f. 44r     f. 43v  f. 44r  
f. 44v, f. 45r     f. 44v  f. 45r  
f. 45v, f. 46r     f. 45v  f. 46r  
f. 46v, f. [iv]r     f. 46v  f. [iv]r  
f. [iv]v, f. 47r     f. [iv]v  f. 47r  
f. 47v, f. 48r     f. 47v  f. 48r  
f. 48v, f. 49r     f. 48v  f. 49r  
f. 49v, f. 50r     f. 49v  f. 50r  
f. 50v, f. 51r     f. 50v  f. 51r  
f. 51v, f. 52r     f. 51v  f. 52r  
f. 52v, f. 53r     f. 52v  f. 53r  
f. 53v, f. 54r     f. 53v  f. 54r  
f. 54v, f. [v]r     f. 54v  f. [v]r  
f. [v]v, f. 55r     f. [v]v  f. 55r  
f. 55v, f. 56r     f. 55v  f. 56r  
f. 56v, f. 57r     f. 56v  f. 57r  
f. 57v, f. 58r     f. 57v  f. 58r  
f. 58v, f. 59r     f. 58v  f. 59r  
f. 59v     f. 59v  


Transcription (text structure)


Work 1:
õ namo bhagavate vāsdevāya

asya śrībhagavadgītāmālāmantrasya .. śrībhagavān vedavyāsa ṛṣir
anuṣṭup chandaḥ ..
śrīkṛṣṇaḥ paramātmā devatā .
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñāvādāṁś ca bhāṣasa iti vījam ..
sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ brajeti śaktiḥ ..
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ iti kīlakam ..
<...>
<...>
<...>
yaṁ brahmā varuṇeṁdrarudramarutaḥ stunvaṁti divyaiḥ stavair
vedaiḥ sāṁgapadakramopaniṣadair gāyaṁti yaṁ sāmagāḥ ..
dhyānāvasthitatadgatena manasā paśyaṁti yaṁ yogino
yasyāṁtaṁ naviduḥ surāsuragaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ ..9.. ( BhG. Preface 4.2 ) (Śārdūlavikrīḍita)
itinyāsaḥ ..

Work 2:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ..
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetresamavetā yuyutsavaḥ ..
māmakāḥ pāṁḍavāś caivakim akurvata saṁjaya ..1.. (Anuṣṭubh) ( BhG. 1.1= MBh. 6.23.1 )
<...>
sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ sādhiyajṅaṁ ca ye viduḥ ..
pra <yāṇakāle 'pi ca māṁ te vidur yuktacetasaḥ> ( BhG. 7.30= MBh. 6.29.30 ) (Anuṣṭubh)
< Missing an estimated sixty-one folios, 60–120, containing BhG. 7.30cd–18.78 corresponding to MBh. 6.29.30cd–6.40.78 >