National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

kha-saṅ-ña-yis-rmi-lam-du
mtsho-nas-seṅ-ge-ñar-gyis-mchoṅs
rgyal-kha-tun-la-thim-par-mthoṅ
de-daṅ-dus-mtshuṅs-bu-mo-ḥdi
sems-can-daṅ-ni-ldan-par-gyur
ḥdi-la-bu-zig-ñes-par-skye
miṅ-la-seṅ-ge-rnam-rgyal-thogs.

Then also, in the tale of the battle of Babsgo, Schlagintweit's MS., we find
a little song of four lines included, as follows (with two corrections by myself):—

Rgyal-po-Bab-sgor-bzugs-šiṅ
Kha-chul-dmag-daṅ-bcas
Sog-po-rnams-la-brgyab-pas
Sog-ḥbros-thabs-su-soṅ.

Another song referring to Ñi-ma-rnam-rgyal is found in C MS., and the last
chapter of the chronicle contains a few proverbial sayings.

The influence of prose productions of folklore (the Kesar-saga in particular) on
the writing of history is, of course, very distinct in the early parts of the chronicle.
Let me mention only the description of the seven heroes under Guṅ-sroṅ-ḥdu-rje,
which at once calls to mind the seven 'Agus of the Kesar-saga. But also passages
like the description of Lha-dbaṅ-rnam-rgyal's three sons, who lived as late as the
sixteenth century, look as if they had just come from the Kesar-saga.

This brings us to the question of the Bon religion, which religion is apparent in
many parts of the Rgyal-rabs. Thus (1) in the chapter on cosmology we find
a line of gods, preceding the gods of the four continents, which looks as if it
might be of Bon-po origin. It begins with Nam-kyer-rgyal po, who is probably
identical with Kyer-rdzoṅ-sñan-po of the Gliṅ-chos (religion of the Kesar-saga).
(2) The tables of nations in the same chapter, which are not yet entirely intelligible,
also look as if they had come down to us from early Bon-po times. (3) The ancient
dynasties of kings from Gña-khri-btsan-po down to Lha-tho-tho-ri-sñen-bśal, look as
if they had been introduced wholesale from Bon-po mythology. As we know from
the mythology of the Kesar-saga (Gliṅ-chos, the most original type of the Bon
religion), the world consists of three realms, viz. (a) heaven, the land of the gods;
(b) the earth, the land of men; and (c) the underworld, the land of the Nāgas (klu).
Now it is remarkable that all the five groups of mythological kings are connected
with one or other of these three realms of mythology, as follows:—The seven heavenly
khri (thrones) are connected with the land of the gods; the two Bar-gyî-ldiṅ, the
six Saḥi-legs, and the eight Saḥi-lde are connected with the earth; and the five
Smad-kyi-btsan or Klu-rgyal (Nāga-rājas) belong to Yog-klu, the realm of the Nāgas.
(4) Then the history of Sroṅ-btsan-sgam-po with his two wives at once calls to mind
the tale of King Kesar with his two wives, as I have repeatedly stated. And the
influence of the Kesar-saga is felt also in other parts of the chronicle, as stated

c