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J. W. DE JONG
In 1937 Yamaguchi published a synoptic edition of the Tibetan translation and the two Chinese translations by Paramārtha and Hsüan-tsang of Vasubandhu's bhāsya.? A translation of the third chapter of the bhāsya was published by Paul Wilfred O'Brien S. J. in 1953-1954.8 In 1934 Rahula Sanskrityāyana discovered a manuscript of the bhāsya in the Nor Monastery in Tibet. The text was published by Gadjin M. Nagao in 1964.9 Nagao also translated chapters 1 and 3 of the bhāsya10 and a complete translation is due to appear in vol. 15 of the Daijo butten. Another edition of the bhāsya appeared in 1967.11 Vasubandhu's bhāsya contains the complete text of the kārikā-s. Parts of both the kārikā-s and the bhāsya are quoted in Sthiramati's tīkā. The publication of the text of the kārikā-s and the bhāsya makes it possible to correct the text of the quotations in the tikā. This is of course especially important for the quotations which have been restored from the Tibetan by the editors of the tikā.
The restoration of a Sanskrit text from the Tibetan is. a difficult undertaking. I believe that in the case of a philosophical text such as the Madhyāntavibhāgaţikā, which has been carefully translated into Tibetan, it is justified to attempt to reconstruct at least the technical terms. With the help of parallel passages it is also sometimes possible to restore the original Sanskrit text. However, it is certainly impossible to reconstruct the original text in its entirety. La Vallée Poussin, quoting Tucci's words: "by the combined efforts of myself and of Vidhuśekhara Šāstri, it is hoped to be restored completely in its Sanskrit original form”, comments as follows: "Magnanime pensée ! Car il est rare qu'on puisse restituer avec confiance ne fût-ce qu'une strophe estropiée ou lacuneuse.”'12 How different the results of attempted restorations can be is clearly pp. 271-273. D. L. Friedmann, Sthiramati, Madhyantavibhāgaţikā. Analysis of the Middle Path and the Extremes. Utrecht, Utr. Typ. Ass., 1937. 7 Kanzo taisho Benchūbenron. Nagoya, Hajinkaku, 1939. Reprinted by the Suzuki Research Foundation, Tokyo in 1966. 8 'A Chapter on Reality from the Madhyântavibhâgaçâstra', Monumenta Nipponica, 9 (1953), pp. 277-303; 10 (1954), pp. 227-269. 9 Madhyāntavibhāga-bhāşya. A Buddhist Philosophical Treatise Edited for the first time from a Sanskrit Manuscript. Tokyo, Suzuki Research Foundation, 1964. 10 Sekai no meicho, vol. 2: Daijo butten (Tokyo, 1967), pp. 397-426. 11 Madhyānta-vibhāga-bhāşya. Deciphered & Edited by Nathmal Tatia & Anantalal Thakur. Patna, K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, 1967 (Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series, vol. X). 12 Mélanges chinois et bouddhiques, V (1937), p. 401.
