Description of University of Pennsylvania Ms. Coll. 390 Item 1132: Mahāvākya University of Pennsylvania These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Coll. 390 Item 1132: Mahāvākya are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. Metadata is ©2018 University of Pennsylvania Books & Manuscripts and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Title of manuscript from title of colophon of first work (f. 2v); title of second work Brahmaikavṛttisaṃdhāna from final colophon (f. 4r). Written in 9 lines per leaf. 4 leaves foliated 1-4, upper left and lower right verso. Colophon (first work): iti śaṃkarācāryaviracitaṃ mahāvākyaṃ sampūrṇaṃ // (f. 2v). Mistakes blacked out; some corrections and additions in margins; vertical margins marked with double red line. 3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206. University of Pennsylvania Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Coll. 390 Item 1132 9963187493503681 http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/898034948 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/medren/6318749 Manuscript was used for contemplation and recitation and is a short Hindu philosophical treatment of, as well as a means to promote, various Hindu deities (such as Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu), while reiterating and repurposing Vedic mantras and verses, especially drawn from late Vedic upaniṣads. The manuscript is comprised of two works, the Great sayings (Mahāvākya) and a second which is a collection of verses promoting the idea of the oneness of the ultimate principle of the universe, the brahman. Both works have as a background, the sentiments and perspective of the Advaita (non-dualism) Vedānta school of philosophy and are attributed to the 8th century philosopher Śaṅkarācārya, though the works serve as prayers as much as philosophical treatises and may or may not be the work of this author. In Sanskrit Mahāvākya वाक्यवृत्ति Śaṅkarācārya Colophon (first work): iti śaṃkarācāryaviracitaṃ mahāvākyaṃ sampūrṇaṃ // (f. 2v).

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 1 item (4 leaves) : 10 x 15 cm Devotional literature, Sanskrit Advaita Vedanta Hindu philosophy Philosophy, Indic Brahmā (Hindu deity) Siva (Hindu deity) Vishnu (Hindu deity) Prayers Hymns Treatises Manuscripts, Sanskrit--18th century Manuscripts, Sanskrit--19th century Manuscripts--India--18th century Manuscripts--India--19th century