Buston On Languages Used By Indian Buddhists At Schismatic Period

Author(s): Akira Yuyama
Publisher: Akira Yuyama

Page 5

Bu-ston on the Languages Used by Indian Buddhists
179
the tenth or at the beginning of the eleventh century (ed. Sde-dge 4133 SU 66 a 1-70b3; Peking 5649 U 317 a 1-323 a 8) 20):
lo-dri mkhan-po ltar-na / ... yod-smra-la bãi ... ya-rabs-las 'jig-rten-gyi chos lugs 'byun-ba bžin-du) sam-sky-ta'i skad-kyis brjod-cin sde-pa gźan-gyi chos lugs 'byun-ba'i gzi yin-pas gzi-thams-cad-yod-smra'o / mkhan-po rgyal rigs ... sgra-gcan-zin-bzan-pol skad sam-skr-ta'i skad ... (folios 89 b 6-90a 1 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folios 810.6-811.1) 21).
"According to the author of the Bhikşu-varsāgra-prcchā, ... (there were) four (schools) among the (Sarva)astivādins ... Just as the mundane laws and customs derive from the upper classes-speaking in the Sanskrit language, (the Sarvāstivādins) were the root (gži = mūla) of derivation of the laws and customs of the other schools, and thus (they are) the Mūla-Sarvāstivādins. The master was ... Rāhulabhadra, a Ksatriya. The language was the Sanskrit language ..."
4.2. ... dge-'dun-phal-chen-pa / mkhan-po bram-ze... 'od-srun-chen-po/ skad tha-mal-pa'i skad / ... (folios 90 a 2-3 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folio 811.2-3) 22). ."... thè Mahāsāmghikas: The master was Mahākāśyapa, a Brahmin ... The language was the Prakrit language ..." 23)
4.3. ... kun-gyis-blur-ba, mkhan-po dmans rigs ... ñe-bar-'khor/ skad zur-chag-pa a-bha-bhram-si’i skad / ... (folio 90 a 3-4 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folio 811.3-4) 24).
"... the Sammitiyas: The master was Upāli, a Śūdra ... The language was the corrupted Apabhramśa language ..." 25)
20) Cf. Cordier's Catalogue III p. 416f. ad Mdo-'grel XC-21; also Lamotte, op.cit. p. 603. The reference to the Snar-than edition made by Mibu seems to be incorrect: A Comparative List of the Tibetan Tripitaka of Narthang Edition (Bstan-hgyur Division) with the Sde-dge Edition, compiled by T. Mibu, Tokyo 1967, p. 98.
21) Cf. Obermiller II p. 99f., Teramoto p. 402. Incidentally, Bu-ston's description of the language etc. has been ingeniously incorporated (without referring to the source) by Padma dkar-po in his 'Brug-pa'i Chos-'byun (folio 24b 5-6 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folio 48.5-6): ... thams-cad yod-par smra-ba / sam-sks-ta'i skad-kyis brjod-cin sde-pa gzan-gyi chos lugs 'byun-ba'i gzi yin-pas gźi-thams-cadyod-par-smra-ba'o // mkhan-po rgyal rigs . . . sgra-gcan-'dzin-bzar-po...
22) Cf. Obermiller II p. 100, Teramoto p. 402.
23) Teramoto's translation of tha-mal-pa with "Bongo (Sanskrit)” is a fatal mistake. The original must have been tha-mal-pa (neither legs-par sbyar-ba nor sam-sky-ta): cf. 'Brug-pa'i Chos-'byun of Padma dkar-po (folio 25a 1-2 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folio 49.1-2):... dge-dun-phal-chen-pa... // mkhan-po bramze'i rigs ... 'od-srurs-chen-polskad tha-mal-pa/...
24) Cf. Obermiller II p. 100, Teramoto p. 402. The correct reading for a-bhabhram-di should be a-pa-bhram-da, equivalent to Tibetan zur-chag(-pa). Teramoto reconstructs it as Avabhaça (for Avabhāşā ?), which is not at all acceptable. Padma dkar-po reads A-wa-bhram-sa (i.e. Apabhramsa) (cf. n. 25 below).
25) Cf. 'Brug-pa'i Chos-'byun of Padma dkar-po (folio 25 a 2-3 = ed. Lokesh Chandra folio 49.2-3): skye-bo man-pos bkur-ba'i slob-d pon-gyi luge ston-pas manba-kur-ba / mkhan-po dmans rigs ... ñe-bar-'Khor / skad zur-chag-pa a-wa-bhram