Rare Mmanuscript Of Asamgas Abhidharma Samuccaya

This article, "A Rare Manuscript of Asamga's Abhidharmasamuccaya" by V. V. Gokhale, discusses the discovery and initial analysis of an incomplete palm-leaf manuscript of Asamga's Abhidharmasamuccaya. This manuscript was found by Rāhula Sāmkrtyāyana in a Tibetan monastery.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the key points:

1. The Manuscript and its Discovery:

• What it is: An incomplete palm-leaf manuscript of Asamga's Abhidharmasamuccaya.
• Dimensions: 214 by 2 inches.
• Script: Māgadhi script, with seven lines per page.
• Discovery: Found by Rāhula Sāmkrtyāyana in the Tibetan monastery of Şa-lu near Si-ga-rtse.
• Availability: Photographs of the seventeen leaves were enlarged for consultation at the Bihar Research Society, Patna.

2. Asamga and the Yogācāra System:

• Context: Asamga (4th century A.D.) is credited with establishing a comprehensive scheme for realizing the "mode of Becoming" within Buddhist philosophy. This was a return to a more realistic attitude, influenced by direct experience (yoga) rather than solely intellectual critique (prajñā).
• Historical Context: Asamga's thought is seen as reflecting the "activising, reconstructing, and even compromising spirit of the Gupta age."
• Key Works: Asamga is attributed with three fundamental works:
  • Yogācārabhūmiśāstra (encyclopedic)
  • Abhidharmasamuccaya (summary)
  • Mahāyānasamgraha (summary)
• Asamga's Life: Legends suggest he was born in Peshawar, initiated into the Mahīśāsaka school of Hinayāna, and later received inspiration from Maitreya after years of effort. He spent his later life teaching and converting others, including his younger brother, Vasubandhu.

3. Analysis of the Manuscript's Content and Condition:

• Incompleteness: The manuscript is significantly incomplete. Calculations based on comparisons with Chinese and Tibetan translations suggest only about 40% of the original text is available in the seventeen photographed leaves.
• Pagination and Lacunae: Marginal numbers (3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 31, 30, 36, 42, 38(?)) were noted on the reverse sides of the leaves. A damaged condition on the last folio of 2B led to a conjectural numbering (38).
• Comparison with Translations: The article presents a table showing the correspondence between missing Sanskrit folios and sections of the Chinese translation (Taishõ 1605) and the Tibetan translation (Narthang Tanjur). This comparison helps estimate the missing portions.
• Physical Description: The manuscript was written on palm leaves in ink, with the typical two holes for binding strings. A blank column divides the writing on each page.

4. Paleographical and Orthographical Analysis:

• Script Evolution: The characters show a development from an older acute-angled script towards the Northern Nāgarī form, with advanced forms of certain letters already present.
• Dating: Based on paleographical comparisons with dated manuscripts (e.g., Pehoa-Prasasti, Deccan College MS.), the manuscript is dated to the first half of the eleventh century A.D.
• Corrections and Hands: Evidence of multiple revisers and different writing hands is noted, suggesting the manuscript was handled over time. A specific correction on folio 19a, written in a clearly proto-Bengali hand, further supports the dating.
• Orthographical Peculiarities:
  • Frequent use of anusvara for ending 'n'.
  • Use of 'm' or 'n' for anusvara.
  • Lack of distinction between 'va'/'ba' and 'sa'/'sa'.
  • Tendency to avoid multiple consonants (e.g., urddha for urddhva).
  • Inconsistent writing of 'dharmā', 'karmā', 'nirvāṇā'.
  • Limited use of the avagraha symbol.
• Textual Fidelity: The Chinese and Tibetan translations are noted to follow the Sanskrit text of this manuscript closely.

5. Structure of the Abhidharmasamuccaya:

• The original work comprised two parts: lakṣaṇa and viniscaya, each divided into four sections.
• The Chinese and Tibetan versions arrange the text differently, into seven and five chapters respectively.

6. Significance of the Find:

• The Abhidharmasamuccaya is considered a comprehensive and standard textbook of Yogācāra philosophy.
• This manuscript is important for reconstructing the history of ancient Indian thought, particularly Buddhist philosophy.
• The author mentions a planned edition of these fragments with a Sanskrit commentary by Yasomitra.

In essence, the article introduces a significant, albeit incomplete, manuscript of a foundational Yogācāra text, providing a detailed paleographical analysis that helps date it and offers insights into its textual variations and relationship with its translations.