Category: Books

eGangotri XIV: 20 Commentary Bhagavata Gita Commissioned by Majaraja Ranbir Singh

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn Books, eGangotri, ManuscriptsLeave a comment
The 20 Commentary Bhagavata Gita commissioned by Majaraja Ranbir Singh I had mentioned last time is now finally ready for viewing.
 
The name of the Commentaries once again are:
 
i. Anandi – Anand Rajanak
ii. Kusum Vaijayanti – Giridhari Das
iii. Gita Tatparya Shuddhi – Ram Chandra Saraswati
iv. Gudartha Chandrika – Vanamali
v. Gudartha Prakashika – Madhu Sudan Saraswati
vi. Tatva Prakashika – Rajanak Lakshmi Ram
vii. Tatparya Nirnaya – Anand Giri
viii. Pancholi –
viiii. Paramartha Prabha – Surya Pandit
ix. Pishach Bhashya
x. Gitartha Sangraha – Abhinavagupta
xi. Bhava Deepika – Neel Kanth
xii. Bhav Prakash – Sadananda Vyas
xiii. Bhashya – Shankaracharya
xiv. Bhashya – Ramanuja
xvi. Madhu Bhashya – Ananda Tirtha
xvii. Sarvatobhadra – Ram Kantha Rajanak
xviii. Subodhini – Shridhar Swami
xix. Ranavir Samdbodhini – Court Pandit of Maharaja Ranbir Singh
xx. Hindi Bhashya – Court Pandit of Maharaja Ranbir Singh
 
Items marked in Red are Kashmirian
 
One of the Commentary is in Hindi and another Ranbir Samidbodhini( Jagdishwar Vedapathi) in Sanskrit – these both were composed by Maharaja’s Court Pandits at his Orders. Hence Late 19th Century Works and the youngest in the Compilation. Approximate Time Period would be within Maharaja’s Reign 1857-1885. 
 
Could this Hindi Tika be labeled as the Oldest Known Hindi Prose Translation of Bhagavata Gita. I should soon get a copy of a Nawal Kishor Press Hindi Translation of Bhagavata Gita – will be interesting to see what date it has. And if that predates this Hindi Tika.
 
Sarvatobhadra of Ram Kantha – another tika of the same was also done and viewable: 
 
 
 
 
Would like to point out a Source of Confusion in the Naming of Rajanak Lakshmi Ram( aka Lasa Kak )’s Tika. The 18 Manuscripts ( each manuscript for each Chapter, hence for BG’s 18 Chapters 18 manuscripts ) consistently refer to Lasa Kak’s Tika as Lasiki.
 
But another manuscript which is exlusively Lasa Kak Tika we did viewable below:
 
refers to it as Tattva Prakashika.
 
Stein when referring to Lasikia Tika in this Group of Texts – against the actual usage in the Manuscript – calls it Tattva Prakashika as well.
 
This can be seen in the following 2 Pages of the Catalog:
 
 
Prof. Sanderson in his Survey of Kashmirian Literature also refers to Lasa Kak’s Tika as Tattva Prakashika.
 
The Texts of the Tikas in both places are identical. Hence we have to conclude that Lasiki is an alternate Name for Tattva Prakashika.
 
The Last Portion of the Commentary on the 18th chapter has some biographic Data inserted in the margins which amongst other things confirms his Kashmirian Origins: 
 
लक्षमीराम इति द्विजोऽत्र निवसन्काश्मीर भूमण्डले मेरोर्मातुह पाङ्ग देह जननोराजान(क)गोपालकात् श्री शाके द्विगुणा(?) भूपरि मित्रे मासेस्थितावाश्विने शुक्लायां प्रतिपद्यजां चितिरतो गीता सुटीकां व्यवधात्
 
 
 
Now – going by Shri Jai Kishan Sharma’s List* – I have five more Kasmirian BG Tika’s remaining to discover:
 
 i. Keshavabhatt Kashmirin’s “Tattvaprakashika” (16th century), …..
 ii. Bhatta Bhaskara’s “Bhagavad Gita Tika” (900 AD),
 iii. Sahib Koul’s “Gita Sar” (17th century),
 iv. Sahib Ram’s “Gita Vyakhya Sahibi” (19th century),
 v. Pandit Daya Ram’s “Bhagavad Gita Tika” (19th century),
 
* Original Article for those who dont have the context from the Last Issue, please view:
 
 
Item (i) is confusing. Tattva Prakashika as we have shown is Lasiki Tika but then who is Keshava Kashmiraka? and what was the name of his Tika.
 
Sahib Ram’s Gita Vyakhya Sahibi – which Jai Kishan Sharma says is in the Srinagar Archives – remains to be digitized. With blessings of the Almighty in 2016.
 
 
Daya Ram Shastri ( son of Sahib Ram’s )’s Gita Tika is in the Library and that will soon be digitized.
 
That makes Sahib Koul’s GIta Vyakhya Sahibi and Bhatta Bhaskar’s Tika two tikas yet to be discovered.
 
Inquiries with many scholars in Jammu and online regarding Jai Kishan Sharma ji has not yielded any results.
 
I am sure readers will also appreciate two Printed Copies of Bhagavata Gita we have found in Srinagar:
 
1921 Publication
 
and a 1916 Publication
 
Will be back with the Nawal Kishor Press Edition of Bhagavata Gita and manuscripts of many Kashmirian Texts like Tantraloka with Jayaratha( a second one ) and Pratyabhijnas and Vigyan Bhairavas.
 

https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%2218+Commentary+Bhagvata+Gita%22

List of Manuscripts in Shelf-3, Almira 27 ( 51 Items )

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1). Ahalya Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6090_1754_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 20 Pages
2). Annapurna Stotra – Shri Shankracharya_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6077_1741_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 28 Pages
3). Annapurna Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6076_1740_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 16 Pages
4). Aparajita Stotra_Hanumat Stotra_Alm_27_shlf_3_6103_1808_K_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 83 Pages
5). Bal Krishna Ashtakam_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6104_1810_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
6). Bhawani Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6089_1753_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 14 Pages
7). Dattatreya Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_61111_1818_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
8). Devi Kavacham_Alm_27_shlf_3_6081_1745_k_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 31 Pages
9). Durga Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6099_1768_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 10 Pages
10). Ganesh Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6097_1795_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
11). Gangashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6098-2_1767_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 10 Pages
12). Govind Stotram – Shri Shakracharya_Alm_27_shlf_3_6112_1816_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 13 Pages
13). Hanumat Kavacham (Panch Mukhi)_Alm_27_shlf_3_6088_1752_K_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 18 Pages
14). Hanumat Kavacham_Alm_27_shlf_3_6078_1742_k_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 18 Pages
15). Jagannath Ashtakam – Shri Shankracharya _Alm_27_shlf_3_6091_1755_K_Devanagari -Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
16). Jaya Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6106_1812_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 8 Pages
17). Jwaala Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6084_1748_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 10 Pages
18). Kali Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6110_1819_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 8 Pages
19). Kamal Netram – Kavi Dutta Das_Alm_27_shlf_3_6082_1746_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 14 Pages
20). Karma Gita_Alm_27_shlf_3_6087_1751_K_Devanagari – Dharma Shastra.pdf , 20 Pages
21). Lingashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6079_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 8 Pages
22). Mukund Mala – Kula Shekhar_Alm_27_shlf_3_6080_Devnagari – Stotra.pdf , 34 Pages
23). Nara Singh Kavacham_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6109_1815_K_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 8 Pages
24). Naradiya Shiksha_Maharishi Narada_Alm_27_shlf_3_6124_1858_K_Devanagari – Shiksha.pdf , 52 Pages
25). Neel Kantha Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6083_1747_k_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
26). Pancha Svara – Prajapati Das_Alm_27_shlf_3_6118_1828_K_Devanagari – Jyotish.pdf , 117 Pages
27). Pashu Gayatri (24 Gayatri)_Alm_27_shlf_3_6102_1807_K_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 69 Pages
28). Ragyi Stotra_Alm_27_shlf_3_6107_1813_K_Devanagari _ Stotra.pdf , 16 Pages
29). Ram Raksha Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6101_1787_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 43 Pages
30). Ramashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6085_1746_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 8 Pages
31). Ramashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6086_1750_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 13 Pages
32). Ramashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6096_1764_K_Devangari – Stotra.pdf , 16 Pages
33). Ramashtakam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6105_1811_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 10 Pages
34). Ramottara Tapini_Alm_27_shlf_3_6117_1825_K_Devanagari – Upanishad.pdf , 283 Pages
35). Rasik Priya – Inderjeet Singh_alm_27_shlf_3_6123_1857_K_Devanagari – Alankar Shastra.pdf , 166 Pages
36). Sangeet Darpanam_Alm_27_shlf_3_6121_1855_K_Devanagari – Sangeet Shastra.pdf , 198 Pages
37). Sangeet Raghunandan – Vishwnath Singh_Alm_27_shlf_3_6122_Devanagari – Sangeet Shastra.pdf , 142 Pages
38). Sangraha Stotra of Utpal_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6098_1766_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 18 Pages
39). Sankat Mochan Ashtakam – Shri Tulsi Das Goswami_Alm_27_shlf_3_6108_1814_K_Devanagari – Stotr.pdf , 17 Pages
40). Sankata Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6093_1761_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 8 Pages
41). Shakti Sangam Tantra_Alm_27_shlf_3_6119_1829_2_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 178 Pages
42). Shakti Sangan_Alm_27_shlf_3_6119_1829_K_Devanagari – Tantra.pdf , 179 Pages
43). Sharika Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6095_1793_K_Devnagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
44). Sharika Stotrm_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6095_1793_K_Devnagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
45). Shatnam Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6094_1762_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 20 Pages
46). Sheetalashtakam_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6092_1760_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 12 Pages
47). Shiv Arti_Alm_27_shlf_3_6100_1761_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 14 Pages
48). Shiv Narayan Stotra_Shiva Vishnu Stotram_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6113_1820_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 45 Pages
49). Sundar Shringar of Sunadr Das (1) – Rag Manjari of Tulsidas(2)_Alm_27_Shlf_3_6120_1849_K_Devanagari – Kavya.pdf , 205 Pages
50). Utpal Stotram_Alm_27_shlf_3_6098_1766_K_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 18 Pages
51). Vishnu Namawali_Alm_27_shlf_3_6114_1822_k_Devanagari – Stotra.pdf , 90 Pages

eGangotri VII Almira 28 Shelf-1,2,3 Complete

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn Books, eGangotri, ManuscriptsLeave a comment

Dear All:

So finally 3 shelves of Almira 28 have been Done. Our First Full Manuscript Only Almira.

I am no longer going to provide Google Drive Links – at the cost of so much ease of Time-free transmission – as some determined net psychopath is randomly clicking “Report Abuse” liberally on my Manuscript Links and rendering them unshareable.

May maggots feed on his mindless fingers.

Seems Google doesnt have a Vandalism Check like Wiki’s Stiki.

Para Shambhu Mahimna Stava of Durvasa:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252985362/Para-Shambhu-Mahimna-Stava-Hand-Writtern-Notes-of-B-N-Pandit-Durvasa

I had published photographs of this Rare Publication before which is the Personal Copy of Late B.N. Panditji with some Sanskrit Scribblings of his.

Finally – thanks again to Shaila Gulatiji to lending us this Copy for Proper Book Scanning. Here it is in an Excellent Format.

Para Shambhu Mahimna Stava Hand Writtern Notes of B.N. Pandit – Durvasa

I will remind readers that B.N Panditji’s Guru Shri Amrit Vagbhava had channelled several Sanskrit Writtings from Durvasa and he himself was called Durvasa because he was also of a very angry temperament. In the Light of this Information, the above a Durvasa Work ( or an interpretation ‘channelled’ in the Hoary Past ) and its importance to B N Panditji can be better understood.

The Text in itself is admirable good writting.

Sadguru Mark Dyczkowski’s Wish List:
We did the follwing four manuscripts for Sadguru Mark Dyczkowski.

Tantraloka ( 696 Pages, in Devanagari )
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252982551/Tantraloka-With-Jayaratha-s-Vivek-Alm-22-Shelf-2-4908-Devanagari-Abhinavagupta-Part1
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252981950/Tantraloka-With-Jayaratha-s-Vivek-Raghunath-Lib-Abhinavagupta-Part2


https://www.scribd.com/doc/252981949/Tantraloka-With-Jayaratha-s-Vivek-Raghunath-Lib-Abhinavagupta-Part3

https://www.scribd.com/doc/252984898/Tantraloka-With-Jayaratha-s-Vivek-Raghunath-Lib-Abhinavagupta-Part5

Tantrasara

https://www.scribd.com/doc/252981952/Tantrasara-Alm-10-Shelf-3-2333-Devanagari-Abhinavagupta

Saura Samhita ( Skanda Purana )
https://www.scribd.com/word/document_edit/252981951

Bhava Chudamani
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252981953/Bhava-Chudamani-Almira24-shelf1-5291-Devanagari-Vidya-Kantha

Bhava Chudamani turned out to be a very unusual entry which elicited the following remarks from Prof Sanderson:

Thank you for these excellent colour scans. I am particularly pleased to receive the scan of the Bhāvacūḍāmaṇi MS, which is to my knowledge the only surviving manuscript of this text, the commentary of the Kashmirian scholar Vidyākaṇṭha on the Saiddhāntika Pratiṣṭhātantra Mayasaṃgraha. I have read this manuscript in the past, but my copy was a black-and-white photocopy of inferior legibility obtained a decade or so ago by one of my pupils.

Yours sincerely.

Alexis Sanderson

Only Surviving Manuscript in the World !!!! Glad eGangtori could played a role in the Rescue. Thanks to Sadguru Mark Dyczkowski also.

Other interesting manuscripts included Bhakta Vinod – a 2300+ Folio Manuscript in Hindi Prose.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255519610/Bhakta-Vinod-Hindi-Prose-Work-Alm-28-Shlf-1-6157-1891-Devanagri-Raghunath-Lib-Part1-pdf

Containing biographies of Nabha Das and other Medieval Saints and profuse Quotations of Verses. Works of 19th Century Hindi Prose are extremely rare, therefore this Work stands out.

Another Tome was Sangeet Kalpa Druma at 1723 pages – which is massive collection of Bhajans and Kirtans :
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252985881/Sangeet-Kalpa-Druma-Alm-28-Shlf-1-61656-652-Devanagari-Raghunath-Lib-pdf-Part1

Another Musical Work collection of Songs was Raga Ragini Samuday, 923 Pages

https://www.scribd.com/doc/252985889/Rag-Ragini-Samuday-Alm-28-Shlf-1-6153-Devanagari-Raghunath-Lib-pdf-Part1
Tantric Works:

Vidyarnava ( Only Partial )

https://www.scribd.com/doc/252985871/Vidyarnava-Alm-28-Shlf-1-6160-18k-Devanagari-Raghunath-Lib-pdf-Part1
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252985870/Vidyarnava-Alm-28-Shlf-1-6160-18k-Devanagari-Raghunath-Lib-pdf-Part2

Uchishta Ganapati

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255523077/Uchchishta-Ganesh-Paddhati-Alm-28-Shlf-3-6213-Devanagari-Tantra

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255522984/Bagulamukhi-Vidhi-Alm-28-Shlf-2-9210-Devanagri-Tantra-pdf

Sadly Partial Copy of Nareshwar PAriksha
https://www.scribd.com/doc/255522993/Nareshwara-Pariksha-Alm-28-Shlf-2-6233-Devanagari-Vedanta

Pratyaka Tattva Deepika

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255519621/Pratyka-Tattva-Pradeepika-Alm-28-Shlf-2-6243-Devanagari-Chitsukha-Muni-Part1-pdf
https://www.scribd.com/doc/255519616/Pratyka-Tattva-Pradeepika-Alm-28-Shlf-2-6243-Devanagari-Chitsukha-Muni-Part2-pdf

Ayurveda:
Rasa Ratnakar of the Legendary Nagarjuna the Alchemist ( Wish List of Dominik Wujastyk )

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255798242/Ras-Ratnakar-Alm-14-Shlf-3-3153-Devanagari-Shri-Nagarjuna

Gandhak Vidhanam Alm 28 Shlf 3 6285 Devanagari – Ayurved

https://www.scribd.com/doc/255523092/Gandhak-Vidhanam-Alm-28-Shlf-3-6285-Devanagari-Ayurved

Other 60+ manuscripts in Literature, Law, Nyaya, Logic

Can be viewed here:
https://www.scribd.com/dharmarthatrust?tab=documents

Tremendous Great News :

A Prominent Library in Jammu – I am withholding Catalog and Name of Institute as I fear getting jynxed , having around 650+ Sanskrit Manuscripts out of which around 150 are in Sharada and rest in Devanagari – official Permission has been granted to allow us to scan there Collection and work will begin this Wednesday, right after Shiva Ratri.

One of the manuscripts in there Collection is Krama Stotra in 11 folios – this could contain Krama Keli we are hoping.

But what was more astounding that one of the Venereable Members of this Institution with whom me have been interacting – a Scholar of Persian and Arabic – told us that he is in possession of 1000+ Sharada Manuscripts besides thousands of Persian and Arabic Ones in his Collection in Srinagar which has been catalogues as well by NMM ( will try to get hold of this List) – so in the Summer I need to get a team ready to target these and be in Sri Nagar besides continuing the work in Jammu. And meet Mansour Daikoo also, who as Mrinal Kaul pointed out somehwere has the Largest Private Repository of Sharada manuscripts.

eGangtori IV. BN Pandit’s Donated Books to Jammu Uni

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eGangotri III

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn Books, eGangotri, ManuscriptsLeave a comment

Dear All:

We finally completed digitizing at UPSS, Lucknow and my Staff is now in Jammu to commence work in Raghunath Temple Library which has over 4200 Manuscripts.

Our Target of Digitizng all Sharada manuscripts in UPSS is short by around 10-15 Manuscripts and one of the Intriguing entiries under Sharada merely mentioned as “Kashmirika GranthaH” I had been pursuing from Day One but it could never be traced largely because the Manuscript Curator was highly uncooperative.

Since the Original Catalgoers never identified its Title/Author I had hopes of stumbling upon something unique.

Jagadanda Jha Sahib – Librarian UPSS who very kindly introduced us to the Manuscipt Division has said that he will try to provide us with a Digital Copy over Time.

It is regrettable we have only done half of the Work we had the Potential to finish thanks in large Parts to the Curator whose busy schedule Newspaper/Tea/Chat Therapy /Aaraam Yoga on Desk permitted her the Time to open the Almirah only once a Day.

Hence, much as I wanted Peter Freund/Demian Martins/Mark Guruji’s Special Requests we could never make it ( except for 4 Entries from Mark Guruji).

All 155 Manuscripts can be seen here:

https://www.scribd.com/indicmanuscripts
Or at Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bw4MoXZjLpcMN19PLURndU5LYmM&usp=sharing

*Ever since, scribd scapped its Collection feature – I am unable to provide Selections.

The Ones we specifically did after my Last Newsletter in Diwali are here:

SharadaPostDiwali

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bw4MoXZjLpcMZU44U2p2a2JDZnc&usp=sharing

28 Manuscripts of Tantragama are in Devanagari :
57 are in Sharada

Interesting Ones amongst the Sharada Ones are:

Abhinavagupta’s Gitartha Sangraha ( Boris for You! )
10 Folios of Ishvara Pratyabhijna Karika of Abhinavagupta ( with unpublished magrginal Notes. )
Yoga Vasishtha of Valmiki ( at 684 Pages and 461 MB )
Bhairava Anukarana Tantra
Bhairava Stambha Tantra
Shiva Tantra
Bhagawat Gita
Martanda MAhatmya ( must be important for the Kashmiri Shaivites given the famous Martand Temple in Indo-Pak Border ) and Mattan a place name which is actually corruption of Martanda.
Nekshma Pratishtha
Two Panchastavis
few folios of Kularnava

Amongst the Devanagari Ones:
Hatha Pradeepika ( Jim M. for you )
some folios of Rudra Yamals ( Dr. Naithani for you ) and
Shyama Rahasya ( The Secrets of the Dark Godess )
The Printed Version of the Book available online at
Shyama Rahasya Tantram

the Introduction says something to the effect that this book is much feared by all and Practitioners scared to mention it but now my audacity and boldness I put it in front of You )

A Few in Gurumukhi which include Bhagawata Dashmam Skandha/Vedanta Prakriya Jana Bodhini/Vedanta Siddhanta Sara/Guru Mahima Prakasha.

I am still not sure if the Vedantic Titles refer to Sanskrit Originals in Gurumukhi Script or Translations. The former I am told is difficult because Gurumukhi lacks the halanta which would render the task of transliterating Skt impossible.

Some others the titles are not known, volunteers who know Gurumukhi can kindly inform me the missing titles

A interesting discovery was a hidden letter in Gurumukhi stamped 1886 with Devanagari and English also seen and the British Stamp in Urdu. Some glimpse of History through this Letter.

Gurumukhi

The Last Leg of Swami Amrit Vagbhava Books/Docs is now over.

The folowing are Letters which various devotees and acolytes had written to him over the Years

Letters of amrit Vagbhava:

Two very interesting documents we found were Sanskrit Letters of Dina Nath Yaksha. Dina Nath yaksha as we all know had a immense Library of Rare Sharada Manuscripts in Srinagar which was unfortunately destroyed by Vandals in the Riots of the 90s.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzs7df1AKxSWYzdVT0dTYmtLRHc/view?usp=sharing

The Letter is written in a very flowing and elegant style and also talks about the Plight of the Community in those days.

Spoke to Several Heads of Museums and Repositories in J&K ( Zahid Sahib, Haroun Rashid Sahib, Shailen Kumar Sahib, Paras Mishra ji ) – there welcome and kindness were truly amazing and rare.

Haroun Rashid Sahib told me that there is a Holy Quran in Sharada !!!

They all have assured me in providing access to there repositories and I hope soon I will get to digitize there Manuscripts as well.

Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan Jammu Campus, 73 Sharada Manuscripts work starts today. Thanks to Devanathan Sir.

Will end this with the Great News that the heart-rending BBC and Other Media Reports of the Complete sabotage of Sri Nagar Museum and destruction of All Manuscripts is not True – Zahid Sahib the Director confirmed on Phone that the only Items damaged were the papier machete items and no Manuscript got damaged !!!!

Zahid Sahib let my Team visit you and digitize the 600 Manuscripts you mentioned before another Flood’s unforgiving assault

Scanner for Manuscripts Scanning

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn Books, Manuscripts2 Comments

Avision Scanners are unfortunately not avilable in the Market anymore in India due to Certain Certification Requirements introduced.

This is highly painful for the Small Medium Scanners aiming at high quality and Ease.

But this allowed us to experiment with Fujitsu’s Scan Snap SV 600 and now that for the first time we are shifting to Manuscripts it was very timely that we switched to this new Nifty and Excellent Contactless Auto-Page Splitting Scanner.

The folowing youtube Video is a Demonstration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUFeI3lU_z0

Feature Details:
http://www.fujitsu.com/sg/products/peripherals/scanner/models/scansnap/sv600/

We did our First Few Sharda Manuscripts with this Scanner here are the results:

https://www.scribd.com/collections/5923164/Kokilujis-Sharada-Manuscripts

Didnt cause any kind of Damage to the Manuscript.

For Books in general though this scanner is not as optimal as Avision

A New Digitial Library of India Interface

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn BooksLeave a comment

We all know that the Digital Library of India addresses a Critical Need of the Masses – Online Books.

However, we are all aware that the Data Entry Team they employed was in direct rivalry to the Data Entry Guys who do your Indian Govt. Voter Id Cards and other similar Govt. Agencies who recruit directly from the Fields – of agricultural India.

This has created a very unsurmountable and unfortunate impediment in these books ever making it to the Lay Person – not least a constant irritating affair for Regular Users.

Just like Govt. of India’s passe Railway Enquiry Interface was given a very elegant and smooth makeover by the guys at http://erail.in, such an effort is possbile for DLI as well by a small group of Volunteers.

This is the Idea.

Step 1).

For each DLI Bar Code the Corresponding Library of Congress Unique Identifier is identified.

Thus – Our Customized and Improved Search Interface allows you to directly search for everything through the LoC Entries and then the result is fwd. to the DLI eBook Link.

This task can be easily done by the Netizens who regularly surf DLI.

Step 2). The above alone will tremendously remove the inconveniences. But a second step will furthur make the process even smoother. As we all know the Interface only presents you with an Image which we have to keep scrolling.

For each book searched and attempted for download through the New Interface:  do the following:

i.  Run a backend process that will download all the images once and only once

ii. pdf these images in the Server.

iii. shift this pdf with Correct Title and Author using the LOC Values into Google Drive using the very easy Google Drive API.

iv. Let this PDF be available as a Link to Google Drive .

v. Let User download this book by Add to My Drive and share it with click of buttons, no infinite cycles of upload-download

vi. This process happens only the first time. Next Time. Same Book is needed we present them with the Link which is maintained in out Internal Database.

 

 

 

Scanner for Books Scanning ( FB22080E )

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn BooksLeave a comment

Avision FB2280E Book Scanner from Taiwan

A lot of us are using various kinds of Book scanners and are at the mercy of hit and trial to get the optimal scanner.

And some of us dont have that luxury so they are stuck forever with unproductive and low quality and slow scanners.

We went through that route and started with a dedicated HP Scanner. This was slow and not optimal for Book Scanning.

Then we changed to Avision’s FB2080E that gave us the output of 300 pages/hour. This was faster than HP and best thing about it was that it had one portion of the scanning glass completely exposed with no border.

Hence thick books with adjacent pages almost merging in the middle of the book could be placed easily in the middle and stil capture everything without missing a purna-virama or a full-stop.

But Avision’s FB2080E was still slower.

Then we purcahsed Avision’s FB2280E ( twentty-two eighty as oppsed to twenty-eighty ) which gives us between 500 pages to 700 pages per hour depending upon the competence of the Operator.

It cost us around 23,000 Rs in Delhi.

The following will give more details.

http://www.avision.com.tw/motion.asp

This is the most satifying scanner we have ever used. and we will wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

Complete Works of Late Shri Vraj Vallabha Dwivediji, Scholar of Agama par excellence

On By eGangotri Digital Preservation TrustIn BooksLeave a comment

Shri Tarun Dwivediji surviving son was very lind to let us access to the 50+ Works of his Father.

However, it is unfortunate that we were only able to scan only aroung 60-70% of his Works which were the only one in Tarun’s possession.

We will contact the Other Prominent Library in Varanasi where he has donated his books.

http://www.scribd.com/collections/4298536/Vraj-Vallabha-Dwivedi

The books above dont include the Other Works that have been scanned by other people and are available on Scribd.