Manuscript Record

Bhagavadgītā

Śrīmadbhagavadgītā

Bhagavadgītā manuscript preview

Description

Bhagavadgītā is the 3rd part out of the 4, from the 6th Parva (chapter) of the epic Mahābhārata, that is Bhīṣmaparva. They are a total of 18 Parvas. The text is more well known as a stand alone text than most other parts of the Mahābhārata because of it's attribution to Kṛiṣṇa and his teachings of Dharma. Because of the text being rich in philosophy it is considered to be like an Upaniṣad mostly by the Vaiṣṇava tradition. The text has elements of Yoga, Sāṃkhya and Vedānta school of Hindu philosophies present in it. This Ms. contains a group of ceremonial initiation verses which are meant for public recitation, it is present in the start of the text which can be divided as (1) Karanyāsa verses in (f.1b) from Asya Śrīmadbhagavadgītāmālāmantrasya, (2) Ṣaḍaṃganyāsa verses in (f.3a) from Nainaṃ chindanti. (3) Ceromonial metered verses in (f.3b) from Atha dhyānam Pārthāya pratibodhitāṃ a total of 8, (4) Dhyānam verses in (f.6b) from Yaṃ brahmā. The main text is divided into 18 Adhyāyas (chapters) & 700 Ślokas(metered verses) which are [1] Arjunaviṣadayoga(41 verses) starting from speaker title Dhṛtarāṣṭra Uvāca in (f.7a). The Ms. is incomplete in from Adhyāya 1, Śloka No. 41 in (f.15b) to [Adhyāya 13] that is Kṣetrakṣatrajñavibhāgayoga Śloka No. 24 & 25 in (f.16a) from here it is complete till Śloka No. 34. Successive Adhyāyas are continued from here [14] Gaṇatrayavibhāgayoga(27 verses)(f.135b), [15] Puruṣottamayoga(20 verses)(f.142a), [16] Daivasurasaṃpadvibhāgayoga(24 verses) (f.147b), [17] Śraddhātrayayoga(28 verses)(f.153a), [18] Mokṣasaṃyāsayoga(78 verses)(f.159b), it ends in (f.177b). In (f.179a) total No. of verses are given of the text and their respective speakers; Dhṛtarāṣṭa(1)+Duryodhana(9)+Sañjaya(32)+ Arjuna(84)+Śrī Kṛṣṇa(574)=700 verses. This Ms. is written 5 lines per folio. There are double red vertical margins on each side of the folio. Cover and back page both contain title, both of which also have double red horizantal margins on top and bottom of the folio creating a frame. (f.178b) also contains title similar to cover and back. This Ms.'s text is badly mutilated, the left hand corners are hacked off forming a curved shape. In Some folios upper right hand corners are also missing. The full stop style vertical brackets and speaker titles are in red. The Ms. is dated in (f.178a).

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