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Introductory In the Siddha-Nātha tradition (c. 8th cent. - 12 th cent.) connected with the latest phase of Indian Buddhism, Sarahapāda (also known as Saroruhvajra and Rāhulabhadra) was the leading figure among its pioneers. of his several works (most of them now available in Tibetan translation), the one generally called Dohā-Kośa (the Treasury of Dohās) in Apabhramśa is well-known. As mentioned previously Haraprasad Shastri was the first to bring it to light in his ‘Bauddha Gān O Dohā' (1917) based on a single Manuscript. It contained some 40 Dohās of Saraha. Thereafter P.C. Bagchi published in 1942 the ‘Dohākośa' on the basis of a new and better Manuscript. It has 112 Dohās of Saraha. In 1957 Rahul Sankrityayan published the 'Dohākośa' on the basis of a Manuscript which he acquired from the sa-Skya monestary of Tibet. According to him its kutila script can be dated in the 10th or 11th century. It contains 164 Dohās of Saraha (which is the same work which was titled as 'Dohākośa' earlier). Besides the ‘Dohā-kośa-gīti' he has also given its old Tibetan translation (134 Dohās) and the Tibetan text of that translation and the translation of 14 other works of Saraha, besides some stray verses and songs of the latter. Sankrityayana has also given close Hindi renderings of most of these texts. His Introduction deals with the times, life and works of Saraha, his language, poetic merits and philosophy. Seven appendices that include Apabhramśa-Tibetan and TibetanApabhramśa glossaries add to the value of this scholarly work that is of unusual excellence and a rich mine of otherwise inaccessible information.
There are many problems connected with the Dohākośas and the Cāryāpadas (or Caryāgītis) ascribed to Saraha, Kānha and other Siddhas : Establishment of the correct text, determination of the original character of their language, their definite authorship, chronology, interpretation and the proper significance.
The original text and language of the Dk. has been inevitably subject to numerous changes due to several factors. The
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