E 273-12 Saundaranandamahākāvya

Manuscript culture infobox

Filmed in: E 273/12
Title: Saundaranandamahākāvya
Dimensions: 24.8 x 13 cm x 111 folios
Material: paper?
Condition:
Scripts: Devanagari
Languages: Sanskrit
Subjects: Kāvya
Date:
Acc No.:
Remarks:

Reel No. E 273-12

Inventory No. 64192

Title Saundaranandamahākāvya

Remarks

Author Aśvaghoṣa

Subject Bauddha Kāvya

Language Sanskrit

Manuscript Details

Script Devanagari

Material paper

State complete

Size 24,8 x 13.0 cm

Binding Hole none

Folios 111

Lines per Folio 8

Foliation figures in the lower right-hand margin of the verso, under the words prathama, dvitīya, etc., up to aṣṭādaśa, indicating the cantos; the abbreviation sau. naṃ. kā. in the upper left-hand margin of the verso

Scribe Amoghavajra

Date of Copying NS 1061 (~ 1941 CE)

Owner / Deliverer A. Bajrācārya (Kathmandu)

Place of Copying Hemavarṇavihāra (Pratīcīdigbhāga)

Place of Deposit

Accession No.

Manuscript Features

Since the manuscript evidence for the Saundarananda is scarce, in the excerpts, the readings of this MS, exceptionally, are compared to those of MSS L (= NGMPP A 25/3) and P (= NGMPP A 399/2) used by Johnston 1928.

This modern MS seemingly is neither an apograph of Johnston's Ms L nor of Ms P, because its wording sometimes is in accordance with L, sometimes with P. But there are even cases, in which this MS gives the correct reading as we have in it Johnston's edition, whereas both the older MSS are faulty, e.g. °bhiḥ saikataiḥ correctly as in Johnston's ed. : °bhisyaikataḥ (or °taiḥ) L, °bhiḥ syaikaṭhaiḥ (or °ṭaiḥ) P (SN 1.7a), or sāketakasya correctly as in Johnston's ed. : saṃketakasya LP (SN, colophon). Thus, even the possibility that the scribe of this MS used a printed edition, cannot be excluded.

With regard to that, the year given in the colophon as śaśadhararasadig iti militaśubhābde is to be interpreted as 10 (dig) ― 6 (rasa) ― 1 (śaśadhara). The MS thus was written in NS 1061 (~ 1941 CE), and the scribe seems to have used a modern edition indeed. The scribe Amoghavajra (1910-1979 CE) is known in the Kathmandu valley as a Newar scholar who had been active at the Hemavarṇavihāra in Kathmandu some half a century ago.

The modernity of this MS shows itself also in the following feature: On fols. 1v―2v, the MS shows an marginal annotation, very tiny and hardly legible, which is rather modern in style. Figures on top of some words in the running text indicate marginal annotations, which seem to give variants on the running text. Unlike in older MSS, in which a marginal remark would be in a horizontal position matching the position of the word in the running text, the notes in this manuscript are starting from the left-hand side of the lower margin, with one following the other, quite similar to the appearance of footnotes in modern books. Obviously, the scribe had started copying the variants given in the notes of his source, too, but gave up that plan when finishing the second folio.

Foliation: In the pagination, fol. no. 20 is missing. The text (SN 4.35), nevertheless, is continuous.

«Sub-colophons»

iti saundaranandamahākāvye kapilavastuvarṇano nāma prathamasargaḥ || 1 || (fol. 6v3―4)

iti saundaranandamahākāvye rājavarṇano nāma dvitīyasargaḥ || 2 || (12r5)

iti śrīsaundaranande mahākāvye tathāgatavarṇano tṛtīyasargaḥ || 3 || (16v2)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye bhāryāyācitako nāma caturthasargaḥ || 4 || (22v5)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye nandapravrājanaṃ(!) nāma pañcamasargaḥ || 5 || (28r8)

iti saundaranandamahākāvye bhāryavilāpo nāma ṣaṣṭhaḥ sargaḥ || 6 || (33v3)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye nandavilāpo nāma saptamasargaḥ || 7 || (39v2)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye strīvighāto nāma aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ || 8 || (46r4)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye madāpavādo nāma navamasargaḥ || 9 || (52r3)

iti śrīsaundaranande mahākāvye svarganidarśano nāma daśamasargaḥ || 10 || (59v2)

iti śrīsaundaranande mahākāvye svargāpavādo nāma ekādaśaḥ sargaḥ || (65r8)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye pratyavamarśo nāma dvādaśaḥ sargaḥ || || (68v8)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye śīlendriyajayo nāma trayodaśaḥ sargaḥ || 13 || (73v4)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye ādiprasthāno nāma caturdaśaḥ sargaḥ [||] 14 || (78r6)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye vitarkaprahāṇo nāma pañcadaśaḥ sargaḥ || (84r6)

iti saundaranande mahākāvye āryasatyavyākhyāno nāma ṣoḍaśasargaḥ (95r5)

ity āryya aśvaghoṣakṛtau mahākāvye saundaranande amṛtādhigamo nāma saptadaśaḥ sargaḥ || 17 || (103r3-4)

ity saundaranande mahākāvye ājñāvyākaraṇaṃ nāmāṣṭādaśamaḥ sargaḥ || (110v3)

The individual cantos start with a heading looking, e.g., as follows:

oṁ namo buddhāya || || atha saundaranandakāvyaprārambhaḥ || || (1v1)

oṁ namo buddhāya || || atha svargāpapā(!)do nāma ekādaśasargaḥ || || (60r1)

oṁ namo buddhāya || || atha amṛtādhigamo nāma saptadaśasargaḥ || || (75v1)

Excerpts

Beginning

oṁ namo buddhāya || || (fol. 1v1)

atha saundaranandakāvyaprārambhaḥ || || (fol. 1v1)

gotamaḥ<ref>gotamaḥ as P : gautamaḥ L</ref> kapilo nāma<ref>nāma as L : nāmaḥ P</ref> munir dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ || babhūva tapasi śrāntaḥ kākṣīvān<ref>kākṣī° as L : kāṃcī° P</ref> iva gotamaḥ<ref>gota° as P : gauta° L</ref> || 1 ||

aśiśriyat yas patataṃ<ref>yas patataṃ, cf. yas yatataṃ P : yaḥ satataṃ L</ref> (!) dīptaṃ kāśyapavat tapaḥ || suśriyāca<ref>suśriyāca, cf. suśriyāya P : āśiśrāya L</ref> (!) ca tadvṛddhau siddhiṃ kāśyapavat parām || 2 ||

haviṣe<ref>haviṣe as P : haviḥṣu L</ref> yaś ca svātmārthaṃ gām abhukṣad vaśiṣṭhavat<ref>abhukṣat vaśi° as P</ref> || tapaḥśiṣyeṣu śiṣyeṣu<ref>tapaḥśiṣyeṣu śiṣyeṣu, metrically correct, whereas Johnston reads tapaḥśiṣyeṣu śiṣyeṣu (sic)</ref> gām adhu((dho))kṣad<ref>Actually, the ms reads adhu(dho)kṣat (with dho given in round brackets after dhu); cf. adhokṣad P</ref> vaśiṣṭhavat<ref>vaśi° : vasi° LP</ref> || 3 ||

māhātmyād dīrghatapaso yo dvitīya<ref>yo dvitīya as P : yo 'dvitīya L</ref> ivābhavat || tṛtīya iva yaś cābhūt kāvyāṅgirasayor dhiyā<ref>°rasayor ddhiyā, cf. rasayo ddhiyā P : rasayor dhiyā L</ref> || 4 ||

tasya<ref>tasya as L : tasyā P</ref> vistīrṇatapasaḥ pārśve himavataḥ śubhe || kṣetraṃ cāyatanañ caiva tapasām āśrayo<ref>āśrayo, cf. āśriyo P : āśramo L</ref> 'bhavat || 5 ||

cāruvīruttaruvanaḥ<ref>cāru° as L : caru° P</ref> prasnigdhamṛduśādvalaḥ || havir dhūmavitānena yas sadābhra ivābabhau || 6 ||

mṛdubhiḥ saikataiḥ<ref>°bhiḥ saikataiḥ correctly as in Johnston's ed. : °bhisyaikataḥ (or °taiḥ) L, °bhiḥ syaikaṭhaiḥ (or °ṭaiḥ) P</ref> snigdhaiḥ kesarāstarapāṇḍubhiḥ<ref>kesarāstarapā° as L : kesarānuṇapā° P</ref> || bhūmibhāgair asaṃkīrṇaiḥ sāṅgarāga<ref>kesarāstarapā° as L : kesarānuṇapā° P</ref> ivābhavat || 7 ||

śucibhis tīrthasaṃkhyātaiḥ pāvanair bhāvanair api || bandhumān iva yas tasthau sarobhiḥ sasaroruhaiḥ || 8 ||

paryāptaphalapuṣpābhiḥ sarvato vanarājibhiḥ || śuśubhe vavṛdhe caiva naraḥ sādhanavān iva || 9 ||

nīvāraphalasaṃtuṣṭaiḥ svasthaiḥ<ref>svasthaiḥ as L : tyusthai P</ref> śāntair anutsukaiḥ || ākīrṇo<ref>ākīrṇo : ākīrṇe LP</ref> 'pi tapobhṛṅgaiḥ<ref>tapobhṛṅgaiḥ as P : tapobhṛdbhiḥ L</ref> śūnyaśūnya ivābhavat || 10 ||

agnīnāṃ hūyamānānāṃ śikhināṃ kūjatām api || tīrthānāñ cābhiṣekheṣu śuśruve tatra<ref>tatra as LP : yatra Johnston e.c.</ref> nisvanaḥ || 11 ||

virejuḥ<ref>virejuḥ, cf. virejur L : vireju P</ref> hariṇā yatra suptā medhyāsu<ref>suptā medhyāsu as L : suptamadhyāsu P</ref> vediṣu || salājair<ref>salājair as L : salājai P</ref> mādhavīpuṣpair upahārāḥ kṛtā iva || 12 ||

api kṣudramṛgā yatra śāntāś<ref>śāntāś as L : śāntaś P</ref> ceruḥ samaṃ<ref>sama-m as L : sama P</ref> mṛgaiḥ || śaraṇyebhyas tapasvibhyo vinayaṃ śikṣitā iva || 13 || (fol. 1v1—2v2)

End

tvayi paramadhṛtau niviṣṭatattve bhavanagatā na hi raṃsyate dhruvaṃ sā || manasi śamadamātmake<ref>śama° as L : sama° P</ref> vivikte matir iva kāmasukhaiḥ parīkṣakasya<ref>°sukhaiḥ parīkṣakasya as L : °sudhaiparikṣikasya P</ref> || 60 ||

ity arhataḥ paramakāruṇikasya śāstuḥ<ref>śāstuḥ as P : śāstur L</ref> mūrdhnā vacaś ca caraṇau<ref>caraṇau as L : caraṇo P</ref> ca samaṃ gṛhītvā || svasthaḥ<ref>svasthaḥ as L : svastha P</ref> praśāntahṛdayo vinivṛttakātyaḥ pārśvān<ref>pārśvān as L : pārśvāt P</ref> muneḥ pratiyayau vimadaḥ karīva || 60 (!) ||

bhikṣārthaṃ<ref>bhikṣārthaṃ as L : bhikṣārtha P</ref> samaye viveśa sa purīṃ<ref>purīṃ : puraṃ LP</ref> (!) dṛṣṭīr janasyākṣipan<ref>janasyākṣipan as L : janasmākṣipan P</ref> lābhālābhasukhāsukhādiṣu samaḥ svasthendriyo nispṛhaḥ (!) || nirmokṣāya cakāra tatra ca kathāṃ kāle janāyārthine naivonmārgagatān janān paribhavann<ref>°gatān janān paribhavann : °gatān parān paribhavann L : °gatān paribhavann P</ref> ātmānam utkarṣayan<ref>utkarṣayan as L : utkarṣati P</ref> || 62 ||

iti saundaranande<ref>saundara° as L : saundarā° P</ref> mahākāvye<ref>°kāvye as P : °kāvya L</ref> ājñāvyākaraṇaṃ<ref>°karaṇaṃ : °karaṇo LP</ref> nāmāṣṭādaśamaḥ<ref>°daśamaḥ as P : °daśaḥ L</ref> sargaḥ ||

ity eṣā vyupaśāntaye na rataye mokṣārthagarbhā kṛtiḥ śrotṝṇāṃ grahaṇārtham anyamanasāṃ kāvyopacārāt<ref>°cārāt as L : °cārān P</ref> kṛtā || yan mokṣāt<ref>°kṣāt as L : °ṣāt P</ref> kṛtam anyad atra hi mayā tat kāvyadharmāt kṛtaṃ pātuṃ tiktam ivauṣadhaṃ madhuyutaṃ hṛdyaṃ kathaṃ syād iti || 63 ||

prāyeṇālokya lokaṃ viṣayaratiparaṃ mokṣāt pratihataṃ kāvyavyājena tattvaṃ kathitam iha mayā mokṣa<ref>mokṣa as P : mokṣaḥ L</ref> (!) param iti || tad buddhvā śāmikaṃ yat tad avahitam ito grāhyaṃ na lalitam pāṃśubhyo<ref>pāṃśubhyo as P : pāṃsubhyo L</ref> (!) dhātujebhyo niyatam upakaraṃ cāmīkaram<ref>cāmī° as L : cāyī° P</ref> iti || 64 ||

(fol. 110r3–111r3)

Colophon

āryasuvarṇākṣiputrasya sāketakasya<ref>sāketakasya correctly as in Johnston's ed. : saṃketakasya LP</ref> bhikṣor ācāryabhadantāśvaghoṣasya<ref>bhikṣor ācārya° as L : bhikṣośrīr ācārya° P</ref> mahākaver mahāvādinaḥ<ref>°vādinaḥ as L : °vādina P</ref> kṛtir iyaṃ iti<ref>iyam iti as P : iyam L</ref> || (fol. 110r3–111r3)

śubham astu

śaśadhararasadig iti militaśubhābde mārgaśirā(bhra)pakṣasya dvitīye hani bhattā(!)rakavāsare sampūrṇam || likhitaṃ hemavarṇavihārasya pratīcīdigbhāge vasthitāmoghavajreṇa || (fol. 111r4–8)

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Microfilm Details

Reel No. E 273/12

Date of Filming 28-06-1977

Exposures 117

Used Copy Kathmandu

Type of Film positive

Remarks

Catalogued by AH

Date 10-06-2011

Bibliography Johnston, E. H. (ed.) 1928 The Saundarananda of Aśvaghoṣa. Critically edited with notes. London 1928.