Manuscripts
Search Filter
Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra
matsunami_119 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
A Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtra dated to c. 200 to 300 CE. It chronicles the journey of Sudhana, who encounters various teachings and Bodhisattvas called Kalyāṇamitras. These Kalyāṇamitras belong to different age groups, places, economic backgrounds, social strata, and occupations. Sudhana's journey continues until he completes the cycle and awakens to the teachings of the Buddha. It was brought to China in the 7th century and translated into Chinese by Amoghavajra during the reign of the Tang dynasty. Its Chinese name is Ta-shing-mi-yen-king. (Mitra, 1882, p. 90). This sūtra forms last section of Buddhāvataṁsakasūtra, according to S. Levi, JA. 203, pp. 6 and at the end of the Gaṇḍavyūha is found the lyric Bhadracarīpraṇidhānagāthā, or Samantabhadracaryāpraṇidhānagāthā. (NCC, Vol. 5, p. 289).
Guhyasamājaparārdha
matsunami_120 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
A Buddhist Yoga-tantra text written in saṅgīti (collection of verses, which in this context means chanting together). The Buddha is described as sporting in the sacred knowledge arising out of his body, speech and mind of Tathagathas in the company of other Tathagathas and Bodhisattvas. The ordinary belief is that this text has two parts: Pūrvārdha and Uttarārdha (or Parārdha), as this manuscript has mentioned. However, experts believe that the second part is a later addition and that this manuscript contains the second part. This text emphasizes Śakti worship, and it is believed to be the first text to introduce Śakti worship in Buddhist Yoga (Bhattacharya, Geakwad's Oriental Series 53, 1967, pp. IX-XXXVIII). "There are two leaves with fol. no. 30." (Matsunami, 1965, p. 50).
Caturaviṃśatipīṭhatantra
matsunami_125 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
This is a Buddhist Tantra text that deals with spiritual practices and mantras. It describes 14 vidhis, and afterward, the text provides detailed descriptions of mudrās and how to use them during the worship of deities such as Prajñāpāramitā, Vajra-Ḍākinī, Jñāna-Ḍākinī, and Vetāla, along with different mantras and objects. Matsunami mentioned to check bendall's catalogue of Buddhist add. 1074. "śloka-style, cf. Bendall Add. 1704 Catuḥpīṭhatantra" (Matsunami, 1965, p. 53).
Caturviṃśatipīṭhapūjāvidhi and Aṣṭamātṛkāpūjāvidhi
matsunami_126 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
This manuscript contains two sets of texts. The first is a Buddhist Tantra manuscript that describes the Aṣṭamātṛkā (eight deities) and their worship rituals. These deities are: Brahmāyaṇī (f.1b-5a); Māheśvarī (f.5b-8b); Kaumārī (f.9a-12a); Vaiṣṇavī (f.12b-16a); Vārāhī (f.16b-20a); Indrāyaṇī (f.20b-23b); Cāmuṇḍā (f.24a-28a); and Mahālakṣmī (f.28b-32a). Other sections include: Gaṇapatipūjāvidhi (f.32b-35b); Bhairavapūjāvidhi (f.36a-f.41a); Kṣetrapālapūjāvidhi (f.41b-f.44a); Siṅghinidevīpūjāvidhi (f.45a-f.46b); Vyāghriṇīdevīpūjāvidhi (f.47a-f.49a). Starting from folio 49b, the Aṣṭamātṛkāpūjāvidhi text begins and continues up to folio 54a.
Caityapuṅgava
matsunami_129 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
A Buddhist ritual text on the adoration of the caityas and their benefits. "On 4a1, there is the word ``sucetana'' which is the name of the Bodhisattva who takes an important part in the Caitya-puṅgava, and thus we assume this Ms. is of the latter. After 15a1, the Ms. differs from that of Mitra's NBL, and on 15a2 there are words '' iti vīra-citya-kathā-saṃgrahaṃ samāpta'' which are not found in Mitra's. It seems that the Ms. turns, in the middle, to the other one." (Matsunami, 1965, p. 54).
Caityavratānuśaṃsāvadāna
matsunami_130 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
An Avadāna text, being the 8th chapter of the Aśokāvadānamālā (Matsunami, 1965, p. 55) , is a part of the Aśoka-Upagupta chronicles, in which Upagupta narrates and explains the rituals and benefits of the caitya pūjā to King Aśoka.
Caityavratānuśaṃsāvadāna
matsunami_131 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
An Avadāna text, being the 8th chapter of the Aśokāvadānamālā (Matsunami, 1965, p. 55) , is a part of the Aśoka-Upagupta chronicles, in which Upagupta narrates and explains the rituals and benefits of the caitya pūjā to King Aśoka. The manuscript includes an additional folio at the end containing Buddhist mantras.
Caityavratānuśaṃsāvadāna
matsunami_132 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
An Avadāna text, being the 8th chapter of the Aśokāvadānamālā (Matsunami, 1965, p. 55) , is a part of the Aśoka-Upagupta chronicles, in which Upagupta narrates and explains the rituals and benefits of the caitya pūjā to King Aśoka.
Caurapañcāśikā and Ṭīkā
matsunami_133 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Devanāgarī
A Sanskrit kāvya composed of 50 lyrical verses, ascribed to Bilhaṇa, an 11th-century Kashmiri poet. However, it is sometimes also ascribed to Cora, Sundara, or Vararuci. In one South Indian version, it is embedded in the Bilhaṇakāvya. Only 33 verses are common to the Kashmir version and the South Indian version (NCC, Vol. 7, p. 88). The text describes a romantic legend of a princess and a poet. The poet was appointed as a teacher to the princess, but both became involved in a secret affair. After the king sentenced the poet to death as punishment, the poet began reciting the adyāpi verses (even now) while awaiting execution, celebrating his love. Due to the magical power of these verses, he was granted his life and the princess. Each verse of this text begins with the adyāpi verses (even now) and is voiced in the first person (Barbara Stoler Miller, 1971, pp. 2-3). This manuscript contains a commentary titled Vilāsijanakairavacandrikā by Gaṇapati son of Rāma Upādhyāya.
Janmarājāmāhātmyadhāraṇī
matsunami_134 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
A short Buddhist text written in 24 verses on rituals, praising the God of the dead. It seems that it describes the rituals related to the dead.
Jātakamālā
matsunami_135 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
This is a Buddhist text written in prose and verses; this style is known as campū kāvya.The author of the text is Āryaśūra, belonged to the late 3rd or early 4th century. This text describes the previous lives of the Buddha, as the Jātaka texts do. Therefore, this text can also be categorised as a Jātaka text. Originally, the text contained 34 Jātaka stories, but this manuscript includes 23 complete Jātaka stories and an incomplete 24th story. Matsunami points out that fols. 5-12, 30-49, 107-112, and 120 are missing (Matsunami, 1965, pp. 56-57).
Jātakamālā
matsunami_136 Language : Sanskrit Scripts : Nepālākṣara
This is a Buddhist text written in prose and verses; this style is known as campū kāvya. The author of the text is Āryaśūra, who belonged to the late 3rd or early 4th century. This text describes the previous lives of the Buddha, as the Jātaka texts do. Therefore, this text can also be categorized as a Jātaka text. Originally, the text contained 34 Jātaka stories, but this manuscript includes 32 complete Jātaka stories and an incomplete 33rd and 34th story. It seems that after folio 144b, a few folios are missing because after the completion of the 32nd story on folio 144b, the 33rd story begins but abruptly ends at the next folio, which shows the discontinuation of the text. After the completion of the 33rd story, the 34th begins on the recto part (f. 145), but on the verso, the continuation of the text somehow breaks off, and it seems that the manuscript skips many parts of the 34th story. "The first leaf is probably of a different text (Suvarṇaprabhāṣa), though it's a-side has the name of Jātaka-mālā (newly written). Its b-side runs as follows: -- (1b1) oṃ namo bhagavate ārya-prajñā-pāramitāyai || tad-yathā || śruti-smṛti-vijaye svāhā ||" (Matsunami, 1965, p. 57)