Book Reviews

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

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REVIEWS
239
(Rangoon, 1858; second enlarged ed., ibid., 1866; third edition, London, 1880; fourth ed., London, 1911-1912; popular edition, London, 1914). According to Bechert, Bigandet's work is a translation of the Tathāgata-udāna-dipani of Dipaiyan 3 Sirisaddhammābhilankāra (1772 A.D.). In a previous publication Bechert stated that Bigandet's work was based on the Mālālankäravatthu (Buddhismus, Staat und Gesellschaft in den Ländern des TheravādaBuddhismus, Dritter Band, Wiesbaden, 1973, p. 58). The same source is mentioned in other publications (M. B. Emeneau, A Union List of Printed Indic Texts and Translations in American Libraries, New Haven, 1935; p. 364; Hla Pe, 'Letteratura Birmana', Storia delle letterature d'Oriente, Vol. IV, Milano, 1969, p. 280). However, Bigandet himself wrote that the first edition of his book was based on the Malla-linkara-wouttoo, but that for the second edition he availed himself of a manuscript of the Tathagata-oudana (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 149). It would appear therefore that the second and later editions of Bigandet's work are based upon two Burmese biographies of the Buddha, the Mālalarkāravatthu and the Tathāgata-udāna-dīpani. I do not know whether the sources of these two works have been studied. The author of the latter work declared that his work is a translation from the Pāli (op. cit., vol. 1, p. 4). In his Buddhismus (loc. cit.) Bechert indicated the following dates for the birth and death of Bigandet: 1812?-1894. Bigandet was born on 13 August 1813 and died on 19 March 1894 (cf. Dictionnaire de biographie française, vol. 6, Paris, 1954, col. 425). Henri de Lubac mentions two articles published by Bigandet in the Annales de philosophie chrétienne: Principaux points du système bouddhiste (t. XXVII, 1843); une traduction du Ka-ma-wa-tsa ou Livre des ordinations des prêtres bouddhistes (t. XXXVI, 1848), cf. La rencontre du bouddhisme et de l'occident (Paris, 1952), p. 148, n. 173. The confusion as to the sources of Bigandet's work is a good indication of the state of knowledge on Burmese literature in the West. Important works seem to have been published in Burma in recent years, but already in previous centuries bibliographical works were compiled by Burmese authors. Well-known is the Pitakat samuin3, composed in 1888 A.D., which lists 2047 titles. A manuscript of an older unpublished bibliographical work is described in the catalogue (no. 116). The compilation of this work was undertaken on the order of King Man Rai Kyo 2 Than of Ava (1673-1698 A.D.) in 1681 A.D.
The Burmese manuscripts described in the catalogue contain mainly canonical Päli texts, mediaeval Ceylonese Pāli works, Pāli texts composed in Burma and works in the Burmese language including nissayas of Pāli texts. The introduction gives a short historical survey of the works of Burmese origin. In the catalogue itself the manuscripts are classified under the following headings: manuscripts with mixed contents; Buddhist texts; classical Burmese poetry (one manuscript. A poetical version of the Vessantarajā taka composed in 1799 A.D.); history of literature (No. 116, see above); secular historical literature and documents, grammar, lexicography and orthography, astrology, alchemy, medicine, occultism, charms and spells, and popular cults. With regard to texts which are not available in print, very detailed information is given on the author, the date, the contents, etc., including quotations of the beginning and the end of the manuscript and the text of the colophon. The system of transliteration is fully explained on pp. XXI-XXIV. Very useful are the lists of abbreviations found in Burmese manuscripts (pp. XXV-XXXII). Catalogues of printed books and manuscripts, reference works on Pāli and Burmese literature and general works relating to Burma are listed on pp. XXXVI-XLI.
In the preface Bechert points out that the number of Burmese manuscripts in German collections is rather large. We can therefore expect the complete catalogue to be of the greatest importance for a better knowledge of the Burmese literature. This first volume has been compiled according to very exacting standards, which constitute a useful guideline for similar undertakings in other countries. Heinz Bechert and his Burmese collaborators deserve our greatest thanks for this splendid volume.
Australian National University
J. W. DE JONG