Author: eGangotri Digital Preservation Trust

We are eGangotri. On a Mission to Preserve Rare Books and Manuscripts and make them Open Access, Always Available, Free and immortal. If you know of any Endangered and Critical Collection of Books and Manuscripts, please write to us at eGangotritrust@gmail.com. We will be glad to digitize them and render them permanent. All eGangotri Data is in the Public Domain. No permission/acknowledgment needed from our side to use our Data. Analog to digital

Multi Text Sharada Manuscript containing Bhagavata Gita and 19 Other Texts from Residence of Persian Scholar Shri R.L. Bhatt Sahib, Jammu

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Shri R.L. Bhat Sahib is a noted Scholar of Persian Language based out of Jammu. We were very lucky to get in touch with him. Shri R.L. Bhat Sahib has very kindly let us scan a Sharada Manuscript from his Collection which is below:

https://archive.org/details/bhagavatgitaand19othersharadamanuscriptswith3illustrationsr.lbhattjammuresidence

The Text contains the following manuscripts:
Snana Vidhi
Sam. tu.
Ganesh Stotra
Bhavani Nama Sahasram
Shri Ragyi Kavach
Sharika Bhagavati
StotraPanchastavi
Bhadra Mantra
Bhairav Stotra
Mahiman Para
Vi. Na.
Illustration @ 488
Gita
Vishnu Sahasranama
Pandava Gita
Narayan Upanishad
Atharva Veda Kaivalya Upanishad
Atharva Veda Mahopanishad
Illustration at Pg 822
Surya Stotra
Illustration at Page 830
Yoga Vasishta
Atma Bodha Shankaracharya

The manuscript has total 952 Pages and 3 Illustrations.

illustration1FromRLBhattManuillustration3FromRLBhattManuillustration2FromRLBhattManu

 

eGangotri: 32. Sanskrit Tika on Japuji Sahib. Rudra Yamalas. Persian Translations of Yoga Vasishtha and Gita

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My 32nd Newsletter after ages. A few things have happened.

My British Library grant came to an end. A very generous system that helped me digitize with greater financial clout. Thanks British Library Endangered Archives Program and Arcadia Fund for aiding Universal Work. Thanks to Prof Jim Mallinson and Prof Torella for writing recommendation letters on my behalf that singularly made the difference.

I have moved back to Singapore after two years in India and that also means my financial abilities have increased further almost by triple!! not just because Singapore we have a low tax regime.

Digitizations in Raghunath Temple, Jammu
We did 537 manuscripts in Raghunath Temple, Jammu. This represents all texts in Almira 5 and Almira 6.
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Interesting Items:
Atleast 13 Items had Rudrayamala in there Title:
https://archive.org/details/@dharmarthatrustjk?and%5B%5D=rudrayamala++OR+rudrayamal+OR+yamal+OR+yamala&sort=-publicdate&and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22eGangotri-32%22

A Hindi Translation of the Famous Grammatical Work Rupavataar.
https://archive.org/details/@dharmarthatrustjk?and%5B%5D=rudrayamala++OR+rudrayamal+OR+yamal+OR+yamala&sort=-publicdate&and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22eGangotri-32%22

A Commentary named Sankhya Pravachan Bhashya on the Yoga Sutras:
https://archive.org/details/YogSutraVyakhyaPatanjali992GhaAlm5Shlf3DevanagariYogShastra

The Kashmirian Kshemendra’s Charu Charyopadesha
https://archive.org/details/CharuCharyopadeshKshemendra936GhaAlm5Shlf2DevanagariVedant
These external Scans on Charu Charya can also be consulted.
https://archive.org/details/KshemendraAurUnkaSamajDr.MotiChandra/
https://archive.org/details/charucharya_hindi

A short work on Sphotavaad – the mystical Theory of Sound
https://archive.org/details/sphotavaad1336alm6shlf4devanagarinyayashastra

Digitizations at Panjab University Library, Chandigarh244 Manuscripts have been digitized in this Phase. Technically, all Devanagari manuscripts till Almira 11 have been digitized. Only Almira 12 is remaining now. Once Almira 12 is complete, we will start digitizing remaining Gurumukhi and Persian Items and also missed out Devanagari manuscripts – which I realized when I did an manual check with the Hand Written registerOne of the most surprising manuscripts we found was a Sanskrit Tika on the Japuji Sahib of Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj.

Japaji Sahib Tika In Sanskrit_Mss No 1369_Alm 11_Shelf 2-Panjab Uni.pdf

Upon inquiries with Punjabi Scholars, I came to know that there exists a sect of Sikhism called Nirmala Akhara who interpret all Guruvani through Vedanta. All Nirmala Akhara scholars are grounded in Sanskrit.I was also able to liase with the Nirmala Akhara branch in Haridwar. This Tika is most likely from this sect.
More about Nirmala Akhara can be read below:
Nirmala – SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.
Two Tikas of Medieval Hindi Ritikal Poet Bihari’s Couplet Collection Satsaihttps://archive.org/details/BihariSatsaiWithTikaOfGangadharMssNo365DevanagariAlm2Shelf1PanjabUni
https://archive.org/details/biharisatsaitikaofamardassuratmssno304sanskritalm4shelf5panjabuni

A Persian Translation of Yoga Vasishtha

Yog Vashishta 638 Persian Alm 4 Shelf 2 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Yog Vashishta 638 Persian Alm 4 Shelf 2 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Do…Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Yog Vashishta_638_Persian_Alm 4_Shelf 2-Panjab Uni’
A Persian Translation of a Text referred as Mukhvak Gita
Ahwal E Adam Shahi Shri Mukhvak Gita Mss No 479 Persian Alm 3 Shelf 2 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Ahwal E Adam Shahi Shri Mukhvak Gita Mss No 479 Persian Alm 3 Shelf 2 Pa…Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Ahwal-E-Adam Shahi_Shri Mukhvak Gita_Mss No 479_Persian_Alm…

Guru Gobind Singh’jis Tika on  Bhagavata Gita
Gobind Gita Of Guru Gobind Singhji Mss No 1469 Gurumukhi Alm 12 Shelf 1 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Gobind Gita Of Guru Gobind Singhji Mss No 1469 Gurumukhi Alm 12 Shelf 1 …Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Gobind Gita of Guru Gobind Singhji_Mss No 1469_Gurumukhi_Al…
An 1831 Hindi Translation of Ramayana:
Ramayan Bhasha Hindi 1831 Ram Das Patiala Mss No 1395 Alm 11 Shelf 4 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Ramayan Bhasha Hindi 1831 Ram Das Patiala Mss No 1395 Alm 11 Shelf 4 Pan…Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Ramayan Bhasha Hindi 1831 – Ram Das Patiala_Mss No 1395_Alm…

A Hindi Translation of Vedanta Sutras
Vedaant Sutra Hindi Translation Mss No 1231 Devanagari Alm 9 Shelf 4 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Vedaant Sutra Hindi Translation Mss No 1231 Devanagari Alm 9 Shelf 4 Pan…Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Vedaant Sutra_Hindi Translation_Mss No 1231_Devanagari_Alm …

Read about our minor digitizations:Digitization at Alakh Sahiba Trust, Jammu
https://egangotri.wordpress.com/2019/11/15/mata-roop-bhawani-related-rare-books-and-manuscripts-at-alakh-sahiba-trust-jammu/

Digitization at A K Razdan Sahib Residencehttps://egangotri.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/sharada-manuscripts-from-a-k-razdan-sahib-noida-residence/

Sharada Manuscripts from A.K. Razdan Sahib, Noida Residence

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Thanks again to Shri Kanwal Dhar Sahib, for introducing us to Shri A.K. Razdan Sahib from Greater Noida. Razdan Sahib is an expert of the Sharada script and also had a couple of Sharada manuscripts at his residence. These he very kindly permitted us to scan and upload.

Viewable below:
https://archive.org/details/@egangotri_manuscript_space?and[]=subject%3A%22%27A.K.+Razdan+Noida+Collection%27%22

Excel of Catalogued Data by National Manuscript Mission

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Recently, I found myself in need of Panjab University’s Catalogued Data for Gurumukhi and Persian Items in Roman Script. I was aware that NMM had done cataloging for them. Request to get this Data for Panjab University didnt materialize when I realized that Dr. Dhaval Patel had through a long RTI process actually retrieved this Data in the past – which is probably a bit dated by now.

This Excel that Shri Patel has uploaded can be viewed here:

https://archive.org/download/NationalManuscriptMission

Mata Roop Bhawani Related Rare Books and Manuscripts at Alakh Sahiba Trust, Jammu

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Thanks to Shri Kanwal Dhar Sahib, a devotee of Mata Roop Bhawani, we got access at Alakh Sahiba Trust, Jammu

We were able to digitize a few books and Sharada manuscripts.

https://archive.org/details/@mata_shri_roop_bhawani

The following are Sharada Manuscripts which I have been too lazy to decode:
527 Pages:
A undecoded Persian Manuscript:

Some modern hand written notebook in Urdu:
https://archive.org/details/swamirishipirurdumanuscriptatalakhsahibatrustrughnathdhar/

Books by Rug Nath Shastri in Urdu
https://archive.org/details/sawanehhayatroopbhawanishrialkahsahibaurdurughnathdhar

https://archive.org/details/swanhamarikashmirirughnathdhar

 

eGangotri 31: Almira 4, Jammu Completes. Manuscripts from Shri Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra, Rare Agamic Books. Manuscripts from Punjab Uni

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Dear All:
We are back with more news of our Digitization.
But before everything our Donation Link as always:
Almira 4 Completes in Raghunath Library, Jammu
Out of Total 198 uploads, some interesting Items:
The Katha Sarit Sagar Ocean of Rivers of Stories – the Kashmirian redaction of the now lost Brihat Katha purportedly written in the Barbaric Tongue Paishachi and besides other numerous specialities – has the proto-story for the Alibaba and 40 thieves
An Alchemical Text: Ayurvedic Siddha Yoga from Rasa Chintamani
The Rhetorical Work Alamkar Vimarshini Tika of the Kashmirian Rajanaka Jayaratha
Another Rhetorical Work Alankar-Udaharanama also by Jayaratha
Digitization of All Manuscripts at Sri Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra along with some Rare and Old Texts
All Items digitized from the museum can be seen below.
Summary of Digitization and important items can be read below:
Rare Agamic Books:
Some Rare Items that we found:
Mantra Mahodadhi ( Ocean of Mantras ) published from Calcutta by the Bengali Polymath Jibananda Vidya Sagar in 1892
Studies in Apabhramsha 1935
Agamic Uddhara Kosha or The Secret Tantric Syllabic Code – published by Dr. Raghu Vira in 1938 – a Lahore Publication
Another Lahore Publication from DAV College, 1921
A 1920 Publication from Gaekwad Oriental Series
Manuscripts from Panjab University, Chandigarh
373 Digitized Items all viewable below
Notables:
Multi-Text Manuscript including Shatpanchashika Vivritti by Bhattotpala – Kashmirian Astronomer.
Zafarnama of Guru Govind Singh Maharaj
Lexical Work Madan Mohan Nighantu:
A Love Manual Kamdev Shastra:
Multi Volume Mahabharats and Bhagavata Purana for Epic-Purana Lovers.
The famous Tutinama in Persian – based on Panchatantra.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:
I am told due to the notoriety of Khayyam, Rubaiyat manuscripts are very rare.
Around 85 Items are in Persian but none has been identified as I couldnt find any volunteers to help me out, hence we had no choice other marking them as Persian Manuscript followed by Accession No.
Will be back soon with more news.

Digitization at Shri Krishna Museum, Kurukshetra

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December 2018, we completed all manuscripts and few hundred odd rare Books at Shri Krishna Museum at Kurukshetra. All credit to make this possible goes to Shri R.S. Rana, the very kind hearted Curator – who most liberally allowed us generous permission to digitize without any ado.

It took us around 2.5 months to accomplish this. The Irony was we had gone there for the manuscripts but ended up doing a lot of totally rare printed Books – especially Urdu Books that were donated from a Library in Nabha Punjab.

All books can be viewed here:
https://archive.org/details/@shri_krishna_museum

The folllowing Texts are in Sharada:
https://archive.org/details/MiscStotrasInSharadaShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra
https://archive.org/details/KushmandaAndSaamvatsarikamShraadhaSharadaShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

A Manuscript in Persian – that was stocked in the Book Library:

https://archive.org/details/PersianHandWrittenDocumentShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

Biblioetheca Indica 1868 Publication The Muntakhabh Al Lubab in 10 Volumes:

https://archive.org/details/TheMuntakhabAlLubabYear1869ShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

Memoirs of Mughal Nobility, Polyglot Scholar, Hindi Poet Abdurahim Khankhana, 1927 Publication:

https://archive.org/details/MemoirsOfAbdurRahimKhanKhanehRoyalAsiaticSocietyr1927ShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

Bhaktamala in both Hindi and Urdu:
https://archive.org/details/Bhaktamala1884ShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra ( 1884 )
https://archive.org/details/BhaktaMalaUrduShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

Yagyavalkya Smriti Urdu Translation
https://archive.org/details/YagyavalkyaSmritiUrduTranslationShriKrishnaMuseumKurukshetra

Countless similar treasures of rarest of rare Items.

eGangotri 30: Almira 3 in Jammu Completed. Scanning Work Starts at Punjab University. Books from Collections of Pran Nath Kaul /Toshkhaniji/Prem Sagar Shastriji

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Punjab University Chandigarh Scanning Begins and 146 Items are ready for Viewing
 
All credit to making this Center a possibility goes to Prof Shankarji Jha and Mrityunjay Kumar ji the Manuscript Dept Officer. It took me no convincing to Mrityunjaya Kumar ji as Prof Jha did all the background introduction of our work and we just had to walk in and setup the Center. May All Manuscript curates in India be like Mrityunjaya ji and our Collective Dream to democratize knowledge and free them will happen so much more easily.
 
The following is the Link for Punjab University Manuscripts:
 
25 Items are in Sharada:
 
68 Items are in Devanagari:
 
Two Items are in Persian
 
43 Items are in Gurumukhi:
 
Notables were:
 
Circa 10th Century Kashmiri Astronomer Bhattotapala’s Samhita Vivritti
 
 
 

Samhita Vivritti Bhattotapala Mss No 3 Alm 1 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free …

Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Samhita Vivritti – Bhattotapala _Mss No 3_Alm 1 – Panja…

  
 
Kalila wa Damna, the Persian Translation of Pancha Tantra.
 
 
 

Kalila Wa Damna Mss No 65 Farsi Panjab Uni : eGangotri : Free Download, Bor…

Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Kalila Wa Damna_Mss No 65_Farsi – Panjab Uni’

  
 
Vishnu Dharmottara Purana in Sharada, a 1.64 GB Text with 1174 Folios.
 
 
 

Vishnu Dharmottara Purana Mss No 41 Sharada Alm 1 Panjab Uni : eGangotri : …

Panjab University Chandigarh Manuscript Collection, ‘Vishnu Dharmottara Purana_Mss No_41_Sharada_Alm 1 – Pan…

  
 
 
 
Pls view the Complete Catalog here:
 
 
 
 

Panjab University Manuscripts Catalog : eGangotri : Free Download, Borrow, …

Panjab University Manuscripts Catalog

  
 
 
 
Any wishlists of Scholars we will be happy to honor.
 
Almira 3 of Raghnath Temple Library, Jammu Is Completed
 
Almira 3 with its preponderance of Kavya Shastra ( Rhetorics )Texts  and Sanskrit Literature is now completed and can be viewed below 
viewable here:
 
 
 
Rather unfortunately due to a oversight Alm-3 Manuscripts in the beginning got lumped with Alm-2 Manuscripts, therefore some of the Almira 3 texts are actually in the Link for Alm-2 below – which will explain the rather large count of 510 Items.
 
 
Books and Manuscripts from Private Collections:
 
Three Private Collectors honored us with access to there Collections
 
(1) Pran Nath Kaul, Srinagar 
    Thanks to Sunil Raina Rajanak who liased on our behalf with Shri Pran Nath Kaul – Disciple of Swami Lakshman Joo – we have recieved many rare books and Sharada Manuscripts from his Collection:
 
 
The following are 5 Sharada Texts:
 
These are three lost Keshava Bhatt Kashmiri Texts that we found in his house:
 
 
 
 

Upanayan Vidhi Ed Natha Rama Shastri Srinagar 1937 Mercantile Press : eGang…

Collection of Pran Nath Kaul of Ishwar Ashram Trust, ‘Upanayan Vidhi Ed Natha Rama Shastri Srinagar 1937 – M…
  
 
 
 
 
 

Kaashmiraka Jyotish Sangrah Srinagar 1937 Ed Keshav Bhatt Kashmir Pratap St…

Keshav Bhatt Printed Texts of Pran Nath Kaul of Ishwar Ashram Trust, ‘Kaashmiraka Jyotish Sangrah Srinagar 1…
  
 
 
 
 
 

Yoga Vasishtha Sar 1928 Pandit Keshav Bhatt : eGangotri : Free Download, Bo…

Collection of Pran Nath Kaul of Ishwar Ashram Trust, ‘Yoga Vasishtha Sar 1928 – Pandit Keshav Bhatt’
  
 
 
(2) Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani Collection, New Delhi
Found several gems here.
 
Toshkhanijis Long Out of Print Classic
 
A History of Kashmiri Literature:
 
 
 
 

Kashmiri Sahitya Ka Itihas Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani : eGangotri : Free Down…

Collection of Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani, ‘Kashmiri Sahitya Ka Itihas – Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani’
  
 
 
 
Transcripts of 2 Medieval Kashmiri Works that Toshkhaniji decades ago jotted down in pen and Paper from BORI, – for the First Time in History now accesible to these forgotten pages of Kashmirian Literature:
 
Sukh Dukh Moha Maya Charitam and Banasura Vadha
 
 
 
 
 

Sukh Dukh Moha Maya Jaal Charitam Of Ganak Prashasta BORI Dvn Transcript By…

Collection of Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani, ‘Sukh Dukh Moha Maya Jaal Charitam of Ganak Prashasta BORI – Dvn Tra…
  
 
 
Another Long Out of Print Kashmiri Krishna Avatara Lila 1928
 
 
 
 
 

Shri Krishnavatara Lila Composed In Kashmiri By Dina Nath 1928 Asiatic Soci…

Collection of Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani, ‘Shri Krishnavatara Lila Composed in Kashmiri by Dina Nath 1928 – As…
  
 
Sharada Manuscripts:
 
 
 
 

Sharada Illustrated Scroll S. S Toshkhani Residence.pdf : eGangotri : Free …

Collection of Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani, ‘Sharada Illustrated Scroll – S.S Toshkhani Residence’
  
 
 
(3) Prem Sagar Shastri
 
Pt. Prem Sagar Shastri was a Sanskrit Scholar from Punjab who translated many texts into Hindi. Few of his books we have received, viewable below – and more soon from his Village Baddi, near Chandigarh.