Report On Kanjur Of Ta Pho

Author(s): Ernst Steinkellner
Publisher: Ernst Steinkellner

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evidently of interpretational character. That means it was felt necessary to explain by these markings the meaning of these signs, which at a time later than the writing of the original manuscript had already become unusual or obsolete. These simple graphic and explanatory additions reveal the meanings: subscript na = 100, subscript ma = 200, subscript na = 300. But the real proof of these meanings is provided by cases of subsequent folios from the same manuscript which include a folio with a hundred number (34).
The subscripts, therefore, mean different hundreds as stated above, and are used to count the numbers from 'hundred and l' to the next hundred. And the system observed in the Ta pho fragments seems to be the same as that in the Tsaparang remains (cf. Eimer 1991: fn. 34) (35).
If future investigation of more presumably old West Tibetan manuscripts should strengthen my assumption that these subscripts were no longer understood at a later time and had to be interpreted by additional signs, the presence of this kind of signature in manuscripts may turn out to be an additional characteristic significant for their age.
6. A Note on the Contents of the Ta pho Kanjur'
The great diversity and number of manuscripts, the total dispersion and thorough mingling, the conspicuous lacking of manuscript beginnings and ends, the short time for inspection available and the thereby enforced speed of our work render the following notes highly accidental and preliminary. More definite information will become available after the photos of the specimens have been studied closely. A final survey of the manuscripts and texts in this treasure will not be possible before the necessary work of determining, separating, and reuniting the manuscripts has been accomplished.
explanation of the signature ka na. Between the volume signature ka-na and the page number rgu bcu tham pa another hand added gya dgu, evidently to interpret ka-na.
(34) 1) In LII we find a preceding folio: 'kha-na (followed by) one cross (and number) go rgyu (-99)'; middle folio: 'kha-na (followed by) two crosses (and number) gris brgya tham pa ( = 200)'; following folio: 'kha-ma (followed by) two crosses (and number) gcig ( - 1)'.
2) or without additional markings; 'ja-na 99' is followed by 'ja-na 200' and 'ja-ma l', and later 'ja-ra 1'. Similar from LIV without markings: 3) 'ga-na 200' is followed by folio 'ga-ma 1', and 4) 'ga-ma 300'. 5) From XLVI we get: 'na-ma 99' is followed by 'ra ma 300' and 'ra-ra l'.
6) Figure 6 shows a preceding folio: 'cha-ma (and number) go rgu ( = 99)'; middle folio: 'cha-ma (and number) sum rgya tham pa ( = 300)'; following folio: 'cha-na (and number) gcig ( = 1)'.
7) Figure 7 shows a preceding folio: 'kha (and number) go dgu ( = 99)'; middle folio: 'kha (and number) brgya tham pa ( = 100)'; following folio 'kha-na (and number) gcig ( = 1)'.
(35) The sequence of the letters na-ma-ra in use here for indicating units of hundreds within a volume, has a parallel, at least for the first two letters, in a method of pagination used in some Dunhuang manuscripts. There, the subscribed letters na and ma are attested to be used as differentiating the single letters of the alphabet to make for second and third series of counting pages in place of the normal pagination by ciphers. Cf. Imaeda 1981: 7 f.
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