Veṅkaṭeśvarakavaca, circa 1700-1850; वेङ्कटेश्वरकवच,१७००-१८५०
Contributor:
Sevāśankara, Nārāyanabhaṭṭa (scribe)
Date:
1700
Description:
Text employed in personal prayer using mantras for protection, a kind of Hindu amulet, offered to the Hindu deity Veṅkaṭeśvara (referred to as Vyeṅkaṭeśa in the manuscript), a South Indian manifestation of Viṣṇu associated with the pilgrimage center on Tirupati hill in Andhra Pradesh. The devotee symbolically evokes protective armor (kavaca) over parts of the body, employing the many mantras throughout the manuscript. Manuscript also offers the power to remove sins. Manuscript was likely previously part of a larger collection of texts.
Title from colophon (f. 29v).; Written in 7-8 lines per leaf.; 16 leaves foliated 14-29, upper left and lower right verso.; Colophon: iti śrīvārahapurāṇe kṣetrakhaṃḍe sūta aunakasaṃvāde śrīvyeṃkaṭeśakavacaṃ saṃpūrṇam astu // śrīvyaṃ kaṭe ārpaṇam astu // nārāyanabhaṭasevāśaṃkara (f. 29v).; Scribe is Nārāyanabhaṭṭa Sevāśankara (f. 29v).; Mistakes blacked out; some corrections and additions in margins; vertical margins marked with double red line (f. 17).; In Sanskrit (Devanāgarī)
Physical Location:
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Coll. 390
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