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MS. Sansk. e. 56

MSS. Sansk. e.

Contents

Summary of Contents: A fragmentary birch-bark manuscript of the Hitopadeśa, written in Śāradā script.
1. F. iii
A modern, hand-written catalogue card in German and Sanskrit in black ink.
Language(s): German with Sanskrit.
2. Ff. 2r-61v
Hitopadeśa
Language(s): Sanskrit.
2.1. F. 2
Prastāvanā
2.2. Ff. 5-22
Mitralābha
Incipit: F. 5r: jñānabhāraḥ kriyā […] ārātmake viśvāsaḥ kṛtaḥ tathāpy uktam
Explicit: F. 22: iti Hitopadeśe nītiśāstropadeśe mitralābho nāma prathamaḥ kathā
2.3. Ff. 23-57v
Vigraha
2.4. Ff. 60-61
Sandhi
Incipit: F. 60: stān matsyān ekaikaśo nītvābhakṣayat ǁ anantaraṃ kulīraḥ tam uvāca |

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Birch bark.
Extent: iv + 63
Dimensions (binding): 21 × 19 cm.
Foliation: Arabic numerals in pencil, top-right corner, recto.
Foliation: Arabic numerals in pencil, top-right corner, recto.
Foliation: Arabic numerals in pencil, mid-right corner, recto.
Foliation: Śāradā numerals in black ink, bottom-left margin, verso.

Condition

Incomplete. Ff. 1, 3-4, and 58 missing.

Ff. 2 and 61 are fragmentary.

Ff. 5-33, 39-42, and 57 are damaged. Conserved and stabilised.

Hand(s)

Śāradā in black ink.

Additions:

Abbreviated marginal title on bottom-left margin, verso.

Binding

Late 19th-century or early 20th-century red textile binding over pasteboard, with shelfmark and title tooled in gold on the spine. Cardboard cover box.

History

Origin: 17th cent.? CE.

‘Probably first half of the 17th century.’

Provenance and Acquisition

Former owner's shelfmark: ‘No. 117’ written in red ink on f. iv.

Memorandum ‘K. 50’ written in black ink on f. iv.

Bought in 1887 from Eugen Hultzsch.

Record Sources

Description by Barbora Sojkova, based on observation of the manuscript and the following sources:
Winternitz and Keith, Catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts, no. 1275, pp. 184-185

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures contact Bodleian Admissions). Contact specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript.

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    Moriz Winternitz and Arthur Berriedale Keith, Catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1905), no. 1275, pp. 184-185

Funding of Cataloguing

The cataloguing of this item was made possible through a benefaction from the late John P. Clay, founder and benefactor of the Clay Sanskrit Library.