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सप्तमं परिशिष्टम् ।
१६५
Edition and is consequently different from the Peking Edition. This Li-Than Edition is believed to have been published later than the K'ang-hsi Peking edition, but the exact date is not known. The Bkah-hgyur of the Sde-dge Edition is said to have been compiled by using the Li-Than as the basic text, with much care lavished on the revision of the language by grammarians. A 5 comparision of the Bkah-hgyur of the revised Peking Edition and that of the Sde-dge reveals quite a number of accurate points in the latter, but since the former was thoroughly revised it is on the whole more reliable. The Bkah-hgyur of the New Snar-than edition in the possession of Otani Univerşity, with a publication dated given as 1730 A. D., belongs to the Sde-dge 10 group. The Peking Edition is very important since it belongs to the old Snar-than Edition group in contradistinction to the Sde-dge and the new Snar-than Editions.
Let us now glance at the Bstan-hgyur of Peking Edition. This part of the Edition has not been printed so often as the Bkah-hgyur as far as we know, 15 in fact, only once-by the command of the Emperor in the year 1724. A. D. The Bstan-hgyur of the new Snar-than Edition, published about 1742 A.D; originates from the same source as that of the Peking Edition and consiquently both of them differ in every respect from that of the Sde-dge Edition. Persual of the Bstan-hgyur of the Peking Edition and careful comparision with that of 20 the Sde-dge Edition show that the same remarks apply with regard to its value as have already been made in connection with the Bkah-hgyur in the preceeding pages.
It is well known that the Peking Edition was printed by command of the Emperor during the Ch'ing period, when China was in a most prosperous 25 state and that no expense was spared. It is beautifully bound and clearly. printed.
5. Significance of the publication.
We have mentioned a few salient features of the Peking Edition, it only remains for us to make one or two further observations. As far as we are 80 aware, only a few copies of the Edition were printed, nearly all of the wooden blocks used were either lost or destroyed by fire. A few of these blocks might be found at remote Buddhist historical sites in China such as Je-ho and WuTai-Shan, but it is very doubtful. As far as our knowledge goes there are only two complete editions of the Peking Tripitaka, at present, extant in the 35 world. One of them is in Paris at the Bibliotheque Nationale and the other at Otani University in Kyoto.
There may be some truth in the statement that it was from consideration of the political necessity of conciliating the Mongolian tribes, that the Emperor K'anghsi of the Ch'in dynasty and other rulers who followed him lavished 40
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