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82   ANTIQUITIES OF INDIAN TIBET   [VOL. II

His son was Hbron(L MS. : Hgron)-span-Me-ru.

NOTE

In the Dpag-bsam-ljon-bzan, p. 150, his name is spelt Hbro-gnan-ldeh.

His son was Stag-ri-snan-gzigs. During the lifetime of this king mdzos and

mules originated from cross-breeding. The prices of goods were determined, and

the grass of the hills was plaited in bundles. Such like things were done.

NOTE

In the Dpag-bsam-ljon-bzan, p. 150, the name of this king is spelt Stag-ri-gnan-gzigs.

His son was Gnam-ri-sron-btsan. During the time of this king there came from

China [the arts] of medicine and divination. The King of Gna-zur and others who

dwelt in the west of India and Gru-gu were subdued. In the north salt was found.

A castle called Khri-brtsegs-h bum-gdugs was built.

NOTES

The name of this king is not spelt differently in the Dpag-bsam-ljon-bzan, p. 150. As regards Gna-zur, I do not know anything about its situation. Khri-brtsegs reminds me of Khri-rtse in Ladakh ; but I do not venture to identify these two places. Gru-gu is probably identical with Thon-mi, situated in the vicinity of Kamba-rdzoii.

p. 31.   His son was Sroii-btsan-sgam-po, [Chinese date 600-50 A.D.] (L MS. : Sroii-btsan-

rgam-po), an incarnation of • the Bodhisatva Spyan-ras-gzigs (Avalokita). During

the lifetime of this king all the kingdoms on the frontier were united under his rule,

and every one of the little kings sent presents and letters. Although this king

issued innumerable documents signed with his seal, there were no characters

in Tibet to send replies to the letters from [various] quarters. And, as [the books

of] the famous sanctuary of his ancestor Tho-tho-ri-seen-bsal remained a mystery,

[since they were written] in Indian characters, he thought, ' We must translate them ,   ,

so as to be in Tibetan writing.' Therefore he sent Thon-mi, the son of -nu, with –~

a fibre (a measure) of gold, and sixteen fellow-students to Kashmir to earn the

characters. They learned the characters from the Brahman Li-byin ; Pandit Sen-

ge-sgra (Simhaná,da) taught them (L MS. : Pandit Sen-ge taught them the language).

Bringing them into agreement with the Tibetan language, they made twenty-four

Gsal-byed [consonants] and six Hilts, [altogether] thirty [characters]. Besides,

they made them to agree in form with the Nagara characters of Kashmir.

Then, when Thon-mi arrived in Tibet, he met with the king, who was in the

garden of his wife 'U-ru. The king said : ' Have you learnt the letters and the

language ? Then you may offer praise to Spyan-ras-gzigs (Avalokita) ! ' Thereupon

Thon-mi wrote down the so-lo-ka (sloka) :—

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