Seven New Fragments of the Sanskrit Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra (manuscript SI 6781) in the Serindia Collection (IOM, RAS)

Abstract

The present paper introduces seven new manuscript fragments that have been identified with the Sanskrit Buddhist text — the Lotus Sūtra (Skt. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka). Until quite recently these fragments have had no pressmark and were revealed among the unregistered materials of the Serindia Collection (IOM, RAS). The fragments represent different parts of seven pothi-type leaves of paper containing Sanskrit text in South Turkestan Brāhmī script, which was used for recording Buddhist texts in the 8–9 cc. AD in Khotan — the largest center of Mahāyāna in Serindia (the Eastern part of Central Asia within the current borders of Xinjiang). Seven fragments bear clear similarities in terms of paleographic and codicological features (type of script, size and shape of graphemic symbols (akṣaras), number of lines and line-spacing, paper characteristics etc.). Given the express similarities, it is reasonable to assume that all the fragments could belong to one and the same manuscript. Furthermore, it was revealed that two new fragments almost join with those kept under the pressmarks SI 1934 and SI 6584 and represent altogether two relatively complete pothi leaves. After the identification and investigation these seven new fragments were assigned the inventory number and the pressmark SI 6781. This paper includes description of the fragments SI 6781, transliteration, comparison with the corresponding text of the Petrovsky manuscript (the most complete Central Asian copy of the Sanskrit Lotus Sūtra), English translation, and facsimile of two fragments.