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Sinhalese protective charm yantras, circa 1700-1850.

Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts Ms. Coll. 390 Item 3027
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Format:
Book
Manuscript
Contributor:
Coomaraswamy, Ananda K. (Ananda Kentish), 1877-1947, former owner.
Brown, W. Norman (William Norman), 1892-1975, former owner.
Language:
Malayalam
Sinhalese
Tamil
Subjects (All):
Yantras.
Mantras.
Healing--Religious aspects.
Healing--India.
Amulets (Hinduism).
Rites and ceremonies--India.
Rites and ceremonies.
Healing.
India.
Genre:
Handbooks and manuals
diagrams
Manuscripts, Sanskrit -- 18th century.
Manuscripts, Sanskrit -- 19th century.
Penn Provenance:
Formerly owned by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, given to W. Norman Brown circa 1937.
Formerly owned by W. Norman Brown, given by his estate to the University of Pennsylania Libraries after 1975.
Physical Description:
1 item (8 leaves) : palm leaf ; 7 x 17 cm
Contained In:
Collection of Indic Manuscripts. Item 3027
Place of Publication:
circa 1700-1850.
Language Note:
In Sinhalese, Jaffna Tamil, and Malayalam.
Summary:
Manuscript is a compendium of cure-amulets meant to be carried about or worn as protective charms. Contains diagrams (yantras) of cosmologies, the human body, deities, and animals along with various mantras to be recited during the performance of healing rites and to ward of danger. Such diagrammatic manuscripts are found throughout South Asia on palm leaves or sheets of copper.
Notes:
Title supplied by cataloger.
8 leaves.
Text and diagrams engraved in palm leaf and rubbed with black ink.
Palm leaf with hole in center for string, which is missing.
Publications about:
Levitt, Stephan Hillyer. "New manuscripts from the collection of W. Norman Brown added to the Indic manuscript collection of the Library of the University of Pennsylvania." Manuscripta orientalia 7, no. 3 (Sept. 2001).
Cited as:
Sinhalese protective charm yantras (Ms. Coll. 390, Item 3027). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.
OCLC:
828639355

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