Āruṇaketukaprayoga

A prayoga text based on the Baudhāyana-Kalpasūtra, this work, composed by Bhairava-tilaka, discusses Vedic rituals—particularly the paddhatis and vratas related to Āruṇaketuka, the sacred fire. According to the Penn. cataloguer, the manuscript is part of a group produced by, or under the direction of, Sadāśiva, along with Ms. Coll. 390, Items 1276, 1279, 1280, 1281, 1282, 1283, 1284, 1285, 1286, 1287, 1288, 1292, 1293, 1294, 1295, 1296, 1297, 1298, 1299, and 1300 (This Hindu ritual text discusses the vidhi (procedure) and vrata (vow) performed in honor of Arundhatī, a Puranic figure and the wife of the sage Vasiṣṭha. According to traditional belief, she is associated with a star in the Ursa Major constellation and is linked to the tradition of the seven legendary sages (saptarṣis) in Vedic and later Hindu mythology. The vrata is observed by women seeking protection from widowhood and the blessing of sons. The text vividly describes the process of the pūjā (ritual worship). According to the colophon of the manuscript, this text is part of the Dvādaśamāsavrata, a subsection of the Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa. This Ms. is written in 9 lines per folio. Cover and back page is blank. Title present in colophon (f. 8b). Mistakes are blacked out. Some corrections and additions in the margins. According to the Penn. cataloguer, the Ms. is dated on the basis of Ms. Coll. 390; Items 2277 and 2292 which are written by the same scribe. Ms. Coll. 390; Items 2275, 2276, 2277, 2281, 2282, 2285, 2286, 2287, 2288, 2289, 2290, 2292, 2293 are also written by the same scribe (all accessible on the UPenn. site). The scribe is identified as Sadāśiva, son of Kāśinātha (f. 11r), and the manuscript is dated Śaka 1729 (1807 CE) (f. 11a). This Ms. is written in 12–14 lines per folio. Cover and back page both contain title enclosed in red horizontal and vertical margins. Title also present in colophon (f. 11b) as well as marginal abbreviation. There are triple red vertical margins on each side of the folio. Mistakes are covered with yellow or blacked out. Some corrections and additions in the margins.