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Editorial
The Khasa'nārikā, a San-krit commentary by Ratnākarašānti, on a Buddhist Tantra text entitled Khasama, is presented here for the first time. It is edited by Prof. Jagannath Upadhyaya from two manuscripts-ong Palm leaf Ms. in old Nepali script Bhuñjimola and another paper Ms, in Devavāgari-both discovered in Nepal. A translation of the commentary in Bhota language of Tibet (Tanjore series) has also been utilised.
The Kusumātikā is of manifold importance. The commeatator not only explains the contents of the Tantra text but at the same time provides many other information about the text. He tells about the metrical composition of each verse of the text enumerating the ganas and the mātrās of each pada of the verse. So much so he tells about the accent of the svaras used for linguistic expression (zradi Era 79:) etc. the placement of the words in the verse (TTTT foto:), grammar of the unfamiliar words in Sanskrit, (cala7UUTA UYICITA) and not but least Sanskrit form of almost the full original Tantra text. Thus it is not difficult to restore the text from the commentary even if it is not discovered in original independently.
र्थम
Ratnākaraśānti narrates these facts in brief in the beginning of his commentary with few more informations,
इह द्वित्रिचतुःपञ्चषड्मात्राः पञ्चधा गणाः । प्रायेण द्विपदीवृत्तं पादस्त्रिचतुरैर्गणः ।। अपभ्रंशस्तु भाषात्र विकारः संस्कृतस्य च ।
gcui raatacafarga arawfraå: 11 (P. 232) In the Bhoța translation of the commentary, these detaills are not found.
Ratnākarašānti quotes some oiber Tantra texts viz 1) Sri-Guhyasamāja (pp. 233-246), 2) Sri-Paramadya (p. 23!), 3) Sarvarahasyatantra (0-235), 4) Srisamāja (p, .35), and 5) Vajrašikhara (P. 236). Further he says in clear words that this (Khasa ma-Tantra) is the uttaratantra of all the Tantras-Sarvatantrānāmuttaratantramidam (p. 235). He narrates the importance of the present Tantra in the following words,
asmintantre sulabhā siddhiritikhyāpayitum dvipadi şarkamāhu (p. 253).
The commentator indicates more than once that he has before him more than one manuscripts of Khasamatantra with different readings. He says :-jei iti kvacit pathah (p. 242), kvacit pustake mahatvasya stāne
संकाय पत्रिका-१
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