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DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AYURVEDIC MANUSCRIPTS
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G-1160 (B) अर्कप्रकाशः
Arkaprakāśaḥ by Rāvaṇa, the king of Lankā
Substance : Country-made paper. Size: 23X12cms, Follos: 1-67. Lines: 8. Letters: 30. Script: Nāgari. Condition: Moth-eaten. Extent: Complete.
This MS. deals with the subject obstetrics narrated in the form of question-answer between king Rāvaṇa and his wife Mandodari. It also deals with the medicines which a pregnant lady should use for the gradual development of a foetus in her womb.
This manuscript is mentioned as complete. But it does not contain the last verse (i.e. verse no. 100) of the printed book (Published from Bombay, Sakābda 1841, with Hindi commentary by Mukundarama). In the above mentioned printed book the last verse appears as follows:
सुयोग्यं निजगेऽस्य सुखकार्यं कुरु प्रिये ।
अहं सन्ध्याविधानार्थं त्वथ यामि नदीतटम् ॥
But this last verse of the printed text appears to be an interpolation as there is no more scope of a further talk with wife since he left that place to perform the evening rites at the temple (उत्थितो मन्दिरं ययौ) as mentioned in the concluding verse of the MS. text. The other manuscript in possession of the Asiatic Society (G-10030) also corroborates this as the last verse there also is "एवमुक्त्वा... मन्दिरं ययौ ।”
Beginning:
श्रीकृष्णाय नमः ॥ श्रीगणेशाय नमः । औषधीपतिनेत्राय पद्मिनीपतिमूर्तये । कालकालाय नीलाय पार्वतीपतये नमः ॥१॥ गर्भभारपरिक्लिन्ना कं (क) न्या मंदोदरी शुभा । रावणं परिपप्रच्छ) पूजांते तुष्टमानसम् ॥२॥ मंदोदरी उवाच
