国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

Lha-luń, there is such a place in Ladakh; but I am not sure that there are not other places of this name. Rśa-mi (pronounced Sa-mi) I feel inclined to identify with Sami of the maps, west of the Manasarowar Lake, especially as the Singlabeha Pass (probably the old Siń-mi) is in close neighbourhood. Blo-bo is a Tibetan province north of Muktināth. Its ancient capital used to be Lho-mon-slań (Lo-Mantang of the maps). Žaś-žuś is one of the provinces of Gu-ge. All these provinces were apparently conquered before Lhasa was made the capital of Tibet.

Sroń-btsan-sgam-po's two queens, the white and the green Tārā, remind us of the Kesar-saga. Kesar's white wife was Ḥbru-gu-ma, and his green wife is Gyuḥi-dkon-mchog-mo (see my article on Gliń-chos in Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics). The Ladakhi tale of the minister Rig-pa-can of Shargola in Ladakh, who was sent to fetch the princess from China, is similar to the tale of the minister Gar (see S. Ch. Das' article in JASB., 1881, p. 218). Both versions remind us of the Kesar-saga.

Introduction of Writing.—The characters were formed after the Indian Lañtsha (Bodhimör, op. cit., p. 327). The abu-mel alphabet was formed after the Indian Vartula (acc. to the Togbarlova). This is all fantastical. The Indian script which is most closely related to the Tibetan is the Indian Gupta (North-Western Gupta according to Dr. Vogel) of the fifth to the seventh century (see my article on the Tibetan alphabet written for the Epigraphia Indica, vol. xi, p. 266).

Literature.—Works by Thon-mi-Sambhota :—Bstan-bgyur, Mdo, vol. cxxiii, Sku-gzugs-kyi-mtshan-ñid, by 'A-nuḥi-bu; vol. cxxiv, Sgrab-bstan-bcas-sum-cu-pa, a grammar; Luń-du-ston-pa-stags-kyi-hjug-pa, by Thon-mi-'A-nu (a grammar). Thon-mi-Sambhota's grammar is practically the same as the one which is printed in the Darjeeling School Series (Tibetan Primer Series, No. iv, where it is stated on p. 1 that the book is an extract from Thon-mi-legs-biad-sum-cu-pa). It is evident that this grammar was written in very ancient days; for it treats of the drag, a final suffix which has long disappeared even from the classical language. It treats also of the Tibetan system of tones, and is therefore more than a mere repetition of Indian grammars (see my article in ZDMG., vol. lvii, p. 285). Bu-ston says that the Chinese Kechana were the guides of the Tibetans in the commencement of Buddhism. But there are very few translations by Chinese Buddhists in the encyclopaedias. As regards the names of translators, only Kumara and Li-byin are generally known; they occur in the Alci inscription of c. 1000 A.D. Dharma-go-śa may be identical with Dharma-kirti of the Alci inscription, who is known to have lived during that period; Kumara's name is also found in the Bstan-bgyur. Sroń-btsan-sgam-po is the reputed author of the book Mani-bkaḥ-ḥbum, which contains a glorification of Avalokita, and his own history. Wassilieff says with regard to it that it is undoubtedly a modern book. He also wrote a book on horse-breeding (Bodhimör, op. cit., p. 329), perhaps the one which is still circulated in Ladakh. His lawbook: S. Ch. Das gives his sixteen moral precepts in his article JASB., vol. l, p. 219. His 'laws' are also found in the Bodhimör (op. cit., pp. 328-9). He had ministers of inner and outer affairs, the Sain and Berke of the Bodhimör.

Progress of Civilization.—The Bodhimör states (op. cit., pp. 340-1) that silkworms, mulberry-trees, barley-beer, water-mills, paper, ink, and the calendar were introduced from China.

His son was Mań-sroń-mań-btsan (650–79 A.D.).

NOTES

He is Sroń-btsan-sgam-po's grandson, according to the Dpag-bsam-ljon-bsań (p. 150) and the Bodhimör (op. cit., p. 347). The Chinese chronicles (Thangshu in H. Müller's comparative table, Tibet in seiner geschichtlichen Entwickelung, Zeitschrift für vergleichende Rechtswissenschaft, vol. xx, p. 325) call him Tsanphu. At first Lutung-tsan (Thon-mi-Sambhota) governs the country; later on Thon-mi-Sambhota's son (Majordomo). Then the Thangshu speaks of a war between the Tibetans and the Tukuhun (Turks). The latter, as well as the Chinese, were beaten by the Tibetans. Great extension of the Tibetan empire beyond the Pamir (Thangshu, op. cit., p. 329).

His son was Guń-btsan (L MS. : Guń-sroń-guń-btsan).

NOTE

This name is evidently in the wrong place. As a look at other chronicles shows, Guń-btsan was Mań-sroń-mań-btsan's father and Sroń-btsan-sgam-po's son.