Fragments of the Sanskrit Paссaviṃњatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (SI 3492, SI 3650) in the Serindia Collection (IOM, RAS)

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Abstract

According to the latest data, the Sanskrit part of the Serindia Collection (IOM, RAS) includes 667 storage units, which represent manuscript fragments of various Buddhist texts. About 100 of the largest and most well-preserved manuscripts have been studied and introduced into scientific circulation by Russian and foreign researchers. At the same time, many other texts in a rather scattered and fragmented condition still remain unpublished. Among the unexplored Sanskrit Buddhist manuscripts in the Serindia Collection, the most important place belongs to the fragments of fundamental texts in the Mahāyāna tradition — the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras (“Sūtras on Perfect Wisdom”). The present paper deals with three previously unpublished Sanskrit fragments (SI 3492, SI 3650) housed in the Serindia Collection as part of the “N.F. Petrovsky Subcollection”. Fragments have been identified as parts of the Paсcaviṃњatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (“Sūtra on Perfect Wisdom in 25000 lines”). Judging from the external characteristics and contents, these fragments not only belong to the same manuscript, but also fit together like three puzzle pieces. The paper includes a description of the fragments, a transliteration of the manuscript and its comparison with the critical edition of the Sanskrit text of the Sūtra, a Russian translation, and facsimiles made before and after its restoration.

About the authors

Artiom V. Mesheznikov

Institute of Oriental Manuscripts RAS

Author for correspondence.
Email: mesheznikoff@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8883-1284

Junior Researcher, Serindia Laboratory

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

References

  1. Bongard-Levin, Grigorii M. & Hori, Shin’ichirō. “A Fragment of the Larger Prajñāpāramitā from Central Asia”. Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. Summer 1996, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 19–60 (in English).
  2. Conze, Edward. The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, with the Divisions of the Abhisamayālaṅkāra. Translated by Edward Conze. Berkeley–Los Angeles–London: University of California Press, 1975 (in English).
  3. Conze, Edward. The Prajñāpāramitā Literature. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Tokyo: The Reiyukai, 1978 (Bibliographia philologica Buddhica. Series Maior. The Reiyukai Library; I) (in English).
  4. Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. Vol. I–II. New Haven: Yale University Press; London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University Press, 1953 (in English).
  5. Karashima, Seishi, et al. Mahāyāna Texts: Prajñāpāramitā Texts (1) (Gilgit Manuscripts in the National Archives of India: Facsimile Edition, Vol. II.1). Ed. by Seishi Karashima, Youngjin Lee, Jundo Nagashima, Fumio Shoji, Kenta Suzuki, Ye Shaoyong and Stefano Zacchetti. New Delhi: National Archives of India; Tokyo: International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, 2016 (in English).
  6. Kimura, Takayasu. Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā I-1. Ed. by T. Kimura. Tokyo: Sankibo Busshorin Publishing Co., Ltd., 2007 (in English).
  7. Myall, Linnart E. “Ashtasakhasrika Pradzhniaparamita” kak istoricheskii istochnik [The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā as a Historical Source]. Dissertatsiia na soiskanie uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk: 07.00.09 Istoriografiia i istochnikovedenie. Tartuskii ordenov Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni i Druzhby narodov gosudarstvennyi universitet [Dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences: 07.00.09 Historiography and source studies. The Tartu Order of the Red Banner of Labor and Friendship of Peoples State University]. Tartu, 1984 (in Russian).

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1. JATS XML
2. Fig. 1a. SI 3492, Serindia Foundation of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recto

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3. Fig. 1b. SI 3492, Serindia Foundation of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, verso

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4. Fig. 2a. SI 3650, fragment 1, Serindia collection of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recto

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5. Fig. 2b. SI 3650, fragment 1, Serindia fund of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, verso

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6. Fig. 3a. SI 3650, fragment 2, Serindian Fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS, recto

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7. Fig. 3b. SI 3650, fragment 2, Serindian Fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS, verso

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8. Fig. 4a. SI 3492+SI 3650, Serindian Fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recto
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9. Fig. 4b. SI 3492+SI 3650, Serindian Fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, verso
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