Indian Antiquary Vol 20

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 98

86
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1891.
edition is based on three MSS.:-(1) in the India is based on an Arabic version, going back to a Office Library (palm-leaf); (2) in the Library of Pahlavi original. Some time afterwards I found the Royal Asiatic Society (palm-leaf); (3) paper in the British Museum a Persian M8., one of MS, in the editor's own collection. The text is the many valuable acquisitions of Mr. Sidney followed by a discussion on the author's age and Churchill, which gave a complete text of the his works. Santideva lived most probably in the non-Christian version. I wrote about it to Baron beginning of the VIIth Century A.D. Three works Rosen, quoting the first two lines of the MS., where of his are known: Bodhicharydvatara, Sikshusa- the author's name was given. Baron Rosen wrote muchchaya (of which Prof. Minayef is preparing a notice of it, identifying Ibn Babavaih and an edition), and Satrasamuchchaya (now only Muhammad Ibn Zakaria with the well-known known in the Tibetan translation). According Arabic authors of the Xth Century A. D., Al. to Tåranatha there were three recensions of the Kummi and Al-Razi. At his instigation I preBodhicharyavatára. Såntideva is mentioned in
pared an account of the MS. At the end of last the Subhdehitaval (ed. Peterson), of which v. 3313
year appeared the second part of Prof. Ahl. corresponds to the Bodhicharydvatára, 4.
wardt's Catalogue of the Arabic MSS. in the Berlin (ü) S. F. Oldenburg: The Persian version
Library, which contained the work of Ibn
Babavaih mentioned in the Persian version. of the Romance of Barlaam and Joasaf. A
Baron Rosen wrote about it to Prof. Hommel, who detailed account of the unique MS. in the British Museum of the Persian translation of the
having got the MS., found, in accordance with Arabic version of the celebrated romance,
Rosen's indications, the original of the Persian
version. dealing chiefly with the apologues contained
Prof. Hommel now promises us an. in the work. As an edition of the Arabic
edition of the Arabic text, which will be most original is to appear, it would be superfluous
valuable for the history of this renowned Buddhist
Christian legend. (See now also Prof. Rehateek's now to give a detailed notice of the Persian trans.
translation in the Journal of the R. A. S.) lation, and it will suffice to state briefly what has been done in the last few years towards making (iii) D. Kobeko : on the Question of the site of the Barlaam and Joasaf romance better known. Saraj, the capital of the Golden Horde. A In 1886 appeared Dr. H. Zotenberg's excellent critical review of some old documents bearing Notice sur le livre de Barlaam et Joasaph, in on the question. The existence of two Barajes which he proved definitively that John of
seems very probable :- Old Saraj (Ak-Saraj) now Damascus was not the author of the Ro.
the village Selitrjanoje, and the New Saraj (great manoe. In Dr. Zotenberg's opinion the original
Saraj) near Zarevy Pody. The article is illustrat. text was Greek, and composed in the first half of ed by a little map showing the sites of the two the VIIth Century by a monk named John of
Sarajes. the Monastery of St. Baba near Jerusalem.
(iv) N. Ostroumof: Elegy on the death of This opinion was contested by Baron V. Rosen in his review of the book. He pointed out that there
Urman Bek (Text and translation, with introduc.
tion). Urmân Bek was the fourth and favourite are traces of an old Georgian version, which was translated into Greek by Saint Euthymius
son of Khudâyâr Khan and his mother was the the Georgian, who lived at the end of the Xth
daughter of the Regent of Darvaz. He was born and the beginning of the XIth Century. Follow
in 1865, his mother dying shortly after his birth, ing the indications given in Baron Rosen's article,
and was educated by another of his father's wives,
I named Agacha-aïm. In 1879 Urman Bek went a young Georgian scholar, M. N. Marr, came in
to Tashkand, where he died in 1883, aged 19 the course of his researches on a Georgian MS
years. The author of this simple, but touching of the Romance called “The Wisdom of Ba|
elegy is unknown. lavar," of which he gave an account in the third volume of the Zapisky (1889). This version, (v) Baron V. Tiesenhausen : Oriental Coins however, seems, in my opinion, to be derived in N. P. Linevich's Collection. This interesting from the Greek or from another lost Georgian collection belongs to Colonel N. P. Linevich, version. Meanwhile Prof. F. Hommel, prompted and was made in the environs of Merv, which by Dr. E. Kuhn, gave an edition of the non- seems to be a rich field for numismatical disChristian Arabic version, unfortunately after
coveries. The following dynasties are repre. an unique and incomplete MS. (Vienna, 1887). sented : -(1) Parthian: an inedited drachma Dr. Hommel also expressed doubts about the of probably Arsaces I., and two drachmas of originality of the Greek text, which, in his opinion, Phraates II. (2) Bassanian: 2 silver coins of Lapisky, Vol. II. 1887. Zapisky, Vol. IV. 1889.
. The article under notice.