[South Indian Sanskrit MS 179, Whish MS 194] Sāmaveda

Sāmaveda

Language – Sanskrit

Date – [1800?]
Palm leaf; 10 lines on a folio. Manuscript consists of the Ūhagāna or Saptagāna pf the Sāmaveda, Praśnas 12-49, or Books II-VII. The titles of the Books are: Saṃvatsara, Ekāha, Ahīna, Satrāṇi, Prāyaścitta, and Kṣudra. The first book, called Daśarātra, consisting of Praśnas 1-11, is found in RAS Whish MS 195, South Indian Sanskrit MS 180. The first two folios contain an index of Books and Praśnas. On this work, see Th. Benfey ‘Die Hymnen des Sāmaveda, p.vii; ‘Die Handschriften-Verzeichnisse der königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin, 1853), I, p.67; ‘Catalogue Catalogorum’ by Th. Aufrecht (Leipzig, 1891, 1896) p.709. Winternitz notes that there is an entry by C. M. Whish dated ‘December 1831’, but he thinks the MS. may be 50 to 70 years older. Text begins: āmahīyavaṃ | yo | uccā tājjātām andhasaḥ || vṛ pha ṣā pāvasvā dhārayā | mā cchara ru tvā tā pre i | ca kaḥ mātsarāḥ | vi ro śvā dadhā | na kaḥ ojasā u | etc. See Sāmaveda I, 5, 2, 4. F.31: saṃvatsaram samāptaṃ || oṃ | nānadaṃ | sva | pra ṭhū tyasmai pī pī | etc. See Sv. I, 4, 2, 2, 1. F.63: ekāhas samāptaḥ || hariḥ oṃ | śrīgurubhyo namaḥ || hariḥ oṃ || śrautakakṣaṃ | yo | indrāyā ma dvā ne sūtā | etc. See Sv. I, 2, 2, 2, 4. F.94: ahīnaṃ samāptaṃ || hariḥ oṃ || (F.94b) gaurīvitaṃ | vipaśaḥ | vi ṭi śo | võ tā ti tathā iṃ | etc. See Sv. I, 1, 2, 4, 7. F.119b: satrāṇi samāptāni || hariḥ oṃ || uḍvat prājāpatyaṃ | yo | punānas soma dhā | pra ro tnaṃ sādhasthāmā | etc. See Sv. II, 1, 1, 9. F.129: prāyaścittaṃ samāptaṃ || hariḥ oṃ || śubham astu | akaṇvarathantaraṃ | ā rau bhi tvā śūrā no nū māḥ | etc. See Sv. I, 3, 1, 5, 1. It ends (f.150b): kṣudraṃ samāptaṃ || ūhaṃ samāptaṃ || hariḥ om | etc. For marking of accents, see Winternitz catalogue entry. South Indian Sanskrit/ Whish Manuscript Collection. See ’A catalogue of South Indian Sanskrit manuscripts (especially those of the Whish Collection) belonging to the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland’ by M. Winternitz, with an appendix by F. W. Thomas (London: RAS, 1902) p.236-237. Go to http://tinyurl.com/j3tkdwj for a digital copy of this catalogue. J. L. Whish, gift of manuscripts collected by his brother C. M. Whish, July 1836. Text in Sanskrit; Grantha script.