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Special Collections & Archives: South Asian, Tibetan, Southeast Asian Manuscriptsaccredited archive service logo

SC&A includes manuscripts and archives, medieval to modern; early and finely printed books, and science fiction collections.

South Asian, Tibetan and Southeast Asian (Burmese, Pali, Sanskrit, Tamil, Thai) Manuscripts

LUL MS.164

Anuruddha: Abhidhamma-samgaha. 1822

LUL MS.164 detail

Physical Description

1 item, indented in Chalonh characters on palm-leaves. 102 folios. 62 x 505 mm. Between painted wooden boards, pierced. Leaf 15 is blank on both sides. Edges of leaves lacquered.

Language of Material

Pali

Place of production

Burma

Scope and Content

Manuscript of a Pali version of Abhidamma-samgaha, with word-for-word Burmese interpretation following. The Abhidamma-samgaha by Anuruddha is the most read handbook on Abhidamma philosophy in Burma and Ceylon for many centuries. Its very condensed nature makes it not easily intelligible to lay readers. The manuscript is dated Kawza year 184, 15th waning of the month of Taubaung = March 1822 (AD).

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented by Mrs H.D. Thorneycroft, 1938.

Citations

Text has been edited by the Pali Text Society (P.T.S.) 1884 and translated P.T.S 1910.

Previous ID

MS.6.8

LUL MS.165

Kammavaca: Formularies for the various acts of the church. Manuscript (Undated. 19th century?)

Detail of LUL MS.165

Physical Description

1 item, manuscript painted in square Pali characters on lacquered palm-leaves. 14 folios. 80 x 529 mm. Between lacquered wooden boards, pierced. Edges damaged obscuring the order of the leaves.

Language of Material

Pali

Place of production

Unknown

Scope and Content

The manuscript begins with the chapter relating to the ordination of a monk, the Upasampadapekho.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Not recorded on item

Previous ID

MS.6.9

LUL MS.166

Kammavaca: Manuscript (Undated. Burma, 19th century?)

Physical Description

1 item. Manuscript painted in square Pali characters on lacquered palm-leaves. 2 folios, 116 x 550 mm. Between lacquered wooden boards, pierced.

Language of Material

Pali

Place of production

Burma

Scope and Content

1 fragment of 2 leaves, describing bestowal of the Kathina robe on a monk.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Not recorded on item.

Previous ID

MS.6.10

LUL MS.167

Thai Manuscript (Undated. 19th century?)

Physical Description

1 item.

Language of Material

Thai and Pali.

Place of production

From Ban Kassot, Jalor (Yala State), “Siamese Malay States”.

Scope and Content

Country fortune-teller's handbook in Central Thai, written in modern Siamese script, with a section on the interpretation of dreams and painted illustrations in Phromachat (Brahmajati) style of the twelve-year animal cycle, giving general fortune-telling indications based on birth dates. On one cover is a Buddhist invocation in Pali, written inaccurately in the khom (Khmer) style.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Not recorded on item.

Previous ID

MS.6.11

LUL MS.168

Buddhist texts (Burma, c.1870-1880)

Physical Description

  1. 16 folios. B. 12 folios. C. 4 folios. D. 6 folios. E. 3 texts. F. fragments.

Language of Material

Pali and Burmese.

Place of production

Unknown.

Scope and Content

Texts:

  1. Mahasati-patthana Sutta. A sutta containing many of the tenets of Buddhism. End leaf contains a prayer of a donor that by this work of merit he may behold the future Buddha, Metteyya, and a list of epithets of the Buddha. The verse is faulty. Undated. 16 folios. Gift accession number G38703.
  2. Sekhiya, A division of the Pacittiya of the Sutta Vibhanga of the Vinaya Pitaka. 12 folios. Gift accession number G38704
  3. Atwin aung gyin shit pa. Manuscript describing victory over the eight inner enemies. Leaf ‘ku’ contains the prayer of the donor that he may attain Nibbana. Dated Kawza year 1238, Saturday the 7th waxing of the month of Tawthalin = September 1876 AD. 4 folios. Gift accession number G38705.
  4. Mahapetasut; manuscript begins with the Pali text and word for word Burmese translation of the five cardinal sins. Text unknown. The title suggests it is a sutta from the Nikayas or is connected with the Peta Vatthu. 6 folios. Gift accession number G38706.
  5. Manuscript with three texts. Sheet ‘khau’ lists these as: 1. The Namakara ‘Rendering of Homage’; 2. Prayer for victory over the eight inner and eight outer enemies; 3. The Ratanapanjara = Burmese Yadana Shwe Gyaing. These are all texts studied in the monastic schools in Burma, devotional poems. In the prayer the donor’s name is given as Maung Gangaw. The date of the completion of the inscribing of the work is Kawza year 1242, Monday the 8th waxing of Tazaungmon = November 1880.
  6. Fragments. Very incomplete. Leaves are marked ‘bhura rhi khuiw = Buddhist prayers.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented by B.W. Jackson in 1951. Gift accession number: G38703-G38706.

Citations

A: Pali Text Society 1947. Digha Nikaya, plage 290. For texts of the Kammavaca, see Frankfurter, A handbook of Pali, page 141 onwards. J.R.A.S. Vol.VII, New Series. J.R.A.S. 1892, 1893. (Journal P.T.S.) 1907. B: the Vinaya Pitakam by H. Oldenberg, 1879-1883 and translation on the Sacred Books of the East series, vols. 13, 17, 20. E. Hsai saung dwe (Burmese) Rangoon (Yangon) 1946, Zabu Meitswe Press.

Previous ID

MS.6.12.

LUL MS.169

Mahabodhivamsa: Manuscript (Undated. 19th century?)

Physical Description

103 folios. 50 x 440 mm.

Language of Material

Pali.

Place of production

Unknown.

Scope and Content

Manuscript indented in Sinhalese characters on palm leaves.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Not recorded on item.

Previous ID

MS.6.13.

LUL MS.172

Nannunmulam (Undated. 19th century?)

https://libapps-eu.s3.amazonaws.com/customers/393/images/MS.172_lg.png

Physical Description

Between plain boards. 1 item, indented on palm leaves. 60 folios. 35 x 196 mm.

Language of Material

Tamil.

Place of production

India?

Scope and Content

Palm-leaf book written in Tamil characters. Written on both sides of the leaves, except the title leaf. First leaf and last two folios blank.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented by Professor Aylward Manley Blackman (1883 – 1956) in 1955. Gift accession number G52080.

Previous ID

MS.6.17

LUL MS.173

Māṇikka Vāsakar. Undated(19th century?)

LUL MS 173 palm leaf with scriptPhysical Description

1 item, indented on palm leaves. 22 folios, maximum dimensions 26 x 402 mm.

Language of Material

Tamil

Place of production

Southern India

Scope and Content

Verses from the long devotional poem entitled Tiru. Translated by Dr. Pope in full.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

From the collections of the Gregson Institute, 1938.

Previous ID

SPEC GR.6.3(1)

LUL MS.174

Attha-salini-nissaya. Undated (19th century?)

LUL MS 174Physical Description

1 item.

Language of Material

Burmese

Place of production

Burma?

Scope and Content

The Attha-salini-nissaya is Buddhaghosa's Commentary on the first book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the Dhammasangani.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

From the collections of the Gregson Insitute, 1938. University Archive D136 - Inventory of the contents of the Gregson Memorial Institute - 1915, listing the contents of each room and the contents of various display and book cases. Case 19: Burmese book written on palm leaves, fastened to pieces of wood, may be this item.

Citations

The text has been edited by the Pali Text Society (P.T.S.) 1897. Burmese edition by Saya U. Pye, Yangon/ Rangoon (1902). The last leaf states that the manuscript was written at the behest of Maung Yauk, who hoped that by this work of merit he might attain Nibbhana.

Previous ID

SPEC GR.6.3(2)

MS. F.3.11

Mahabarata. Bhagavadgita. Undated (19th century?)

LUL MS F.3.11 Cha-lonh characters on palm leavesPhysical Description

1 item, indented in Cha-lonh characters on palm leaves. 180 folios, 100 x 150 mm.

Language of Material

Sanskrit

Place of production

Unknown.

Scope and Content

Manuscript in Deva-nagari characters on paper.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented by Miss E.M. Hughes, 1923.

LUL MS.176

Indian Kalighat paintings. Undated (19th century?)

Physical Description

Six watercolour paintings of Hindu deities on paper, with metallic silver decoration, on cloth backing, rolled on wooden batons.

Language of Material

Captioned in English

Place of production

India (Kolkata?)

Scope and Content

1. Label with caption: Shiv [Shiva] as "Mahadeo" [Mahadev] "The great God"; 2. Label with caption: "Ram & his brother Lakshman with his wife Sita and Hanuman, the Monkey God, offering homage"; 3. "Parbati [Parvati], wife of Shiv, with Ganesh"; 4. "Krishan [Krishna], au incarnation q. Vishnu"; 5. "Krishan [Krishna], with his favourite wife Radha"; 6."Saraswati, wife of Brahma, goddess of wisdom."

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Paper labels on batons: 'Lot 3' and '3/6' and embossed stamp: The Manse, Christchurch, Hants.

Previous ID

MS.6.18-23