Penn in Hand: Selected Manuscripts

Grahasaṃjñā, 1792.

1 item (3 leaves) : paper ; 10 x 27 cm.

In Sanskrit (Devanāgarī)

Manuscript is a kind of manual for use by family priests (purohitas) reading various kinds of astrological signs for the purpose of divination. Manuscript is a collection of three short texts called Saṃjñās, each pertaining to the signs associated with planets (graha), constellations (nakṣatras), and astrological houses (rāśis). List of names written in three columns, as well as a praise to the Hindu deity Gaṇeśa written in large bubble-letters, along with other notes on the front folio (f. 1r)

Hindu astrology.

Divination - India.

Manuals (instructional materials)

Manuscripts, Sanskrit - 18th century.

Manuscripts - India - 18th century.

Title for third text and manuscript from final colophon (f. 3v); title Nakṣatrasaṃjñā for first text from internal colophon (f. 2v); title Rāśisaṃjñā for second text from internal colophon (f. 3r).

Written in 8-9 lines per leaf.

3 leaves foliated 1-3, upper left and lower right verso.

Colophon: iti śrīgrahasaṃjñāsapūrṇam // śubham // svastirīśake 1714 // śrīsamvat 1849 // māse jyeṣṭa śubdi 3 roja 5 likhitaṃ // [??]ārmaṇā[?] // rāmaṃ madgurave namaḥ // mukāmamā[??]m̐ḍāśubham // (f. 3v).

Dated saṃvat 1849 (1792) (f. 3v).

Mistakes covered over in yellow or blacked out; some corrections and additions in margins; significant syllables, words, or phrases highlighted in red throughout; vertical margins marked with quadruple black line.

Listed in H. I. Poleman, Census of Indic Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New Haven, Conn.: American Oriental Society, 1938), Poleman 5106 (UP 664).

Nakṣatrasaṃjñā.

Rāśisaṃjñā.

UPenn Ms. Coll. 390, Item 664

Collection of Indic Manuscripts. Item 664

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts University of Pennsylvania Ms. Coll. 390

ग्रहसंज्ञा, १७९२.