THT 73
| Known as: | THT 73; B 73; THT 73 a , b |
|---|---|
| Cite this page as: | Adrian Musitz (translation). "THT 73". In A Comprehensive Edition of Tocharian Manuscripts (CEToM). Created and maintained by Melanie Malzahn, Martin Braun, Hannes A. Fellner, and Bernhard Koller. https://cetom.univie.ac.at/?m-tht73 (accessed 14 May 2025). |
Edition | |
| Editor: | Adrian Musitz (translation) |
Provenience | |
| Main find spot: | Shorchuk |
| Expedition code: | T III Š 64.16, T III Š 79.31, T III Š 75.5, T III Š 93 |
| Collection: | Berlin Turfan Collection |
Language and Script | |
| Language: | TB |
| Linguistic stage: | classical |
| Script: | classical |
Text contents | |
| Title of the work: | Lakṣaṇa-Buddhastotra |
| Passage: | 11a-16a |
| Text genre: | Literary |
| Text subgenre: | Buddhastotra |
| Verse/Prose: | verse |
| Meter: | 554443 (4x) |
Object | |
| Manuscript: | Araṇemi α |
| Material: | ink on paper |
| Form: | Poṭhī |
| Number of lines: | 6 |
Images
Images from idp.bl.uk by courtesy of the International Dunhuang Project, the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Orientabteilung.
Transliteration
| a1 | 10 sklo ka cceṃ śā mnaṃ¯ ¯ts [s]kl· ksa [wi] /// /// nti ne ra¯ ¯mt kau[ṃ] ta pā ki ra¯ ¯mt ñ· [kcy]· |
|---|---|
| a2 | la kutsai ñä kcye ra treṃ aṃ śū ksa : eṃ ṣke /// /// [ly]· lyko rmeṃ ka ntwa snai sklo¯ ¯k ma skeṃ tra ai |
| a3 | śmau¯ ¯ñ śā mna te maṃ twe skeṃ wa tka /// /// s̝a ṅwa nma meṃ sa rwā nā ṣṣe ye rpe meṃ |
| a4 | tse ñā na rkwi na me ñyo ka ñña na /// /// ñä kte ṣe¯ ¯k ta¯ ¯ñ su me rṣṣa na swa ñcai |
| a5 | ntsa ra¯ ¯mt yai tu tā kau¯ ¯y kauṃ ñä kte : tu s· /// /// 10 2 tpa rya ne ta ṅki wa rtsa ne āṃ |
| a6 | tsne wa rtsa wla ś·a l·ā[¯] [¯k] pra tsā ·o – – /// /// – ntse wa¯ ¯t maṃ t[k]e ktse ñe kau c[p]ā ke |
| b1 | ñ· [k]cy· pa dū mne ywā rcka ke [s]· – – kka rwi sa mi tta rwi sa tse tska ño ṣta ña lī n· : y[ai] [l]u wa ta ṅki pa rkr[o] n· pr· r· ññn· p· m· – – – – ·[k]·¯ ¯ñcä śc[i] r· nts· [ra]¯ ¯[m]t |
| b2 | lye lyku wa 10 3 kā tso mā – – mā ra ru kau sa pwa sā ñcne sa wa wlā wau sa pra tsā kai sa yai tu sa • wla śka lya kwa ñña ṣlya ṣṣ· pra ka ry[a] ka tkre wa rtse ke le |
| b3 | ywā rśka mī ṣe ka re pe – – – po ai śi ññe ṣeṃ pe lai kne ntaṃ¯ ¯ts lwā ke ścmo ñña ai śa mñe ntse kre ntau na ṣṣe sa mū dra : dhya na nma ṣṣa na swa ñcai |
| b4 | ntse ne nmeṃ lye lyū ku sa sū – kāṃ tṣi ke rci ra¯ ¯mt la ktse ci 10 4 pa lsko ṣṣi śpā lmeṃ cke nta pi śre skeṃ ra ddhi nma ṣṣi spa ntai tsne ṣṣi nā gi yā kṣi |
| b5 | ga ndhā rvi : o mpa lsko ñe ṣ[ṣ]i – – – w[ä] rtto nta pe lai kne ṣṣi pre ṅki au rcci kre ntau na ṣṣi nau mye nta : mā rga¯ ¯ṅk nta ṣṣe wa rkā rū nä ṣṣe ci ntā ma ṇi kwä ntsa ññe ṣ[ṣ]· |
| b6 | s[u] me rrī ye ne rvāṃ ṣṣa : – – – kā tsā ṣṣe sa mu dta rsa swa ka tka rñe sa kre ntau na sa sa mu dta rnta ṣe ṣṣi rku : 10 5 ka ñcā ni sā ṣṣai ta pā ki ne ra m· |
Transcription
| a1 | 10 |
|---|
| 11a | sklokacceṃ śāmnaṃts ; skl(o)ksa wi /// 17σ |
|---|---|
| 11b | 6σ /// ntine ramt kauṃ ; tapāki ramt ; ñ(ä)kcy(ai) a2 lakutsai ; ñäkcye rätreṃ ; aṃśūksa : |
| 11c | eṃṣke /// 23σ |
| 11d | /// ly(e)lykormeṃ kantwa ; snai sklok mäskeṃträ ; aia3śmauñ śāmna ; te maṃt weskeṃ ; watka /// 5σ |
| 12a | 14σ /// ; ṣäṅwanmameṃ ; särwānāṣṣe ; yerpemeṃ |
| 12b | a4 tseñān= arkwina ; meñ yokäññana ; /// 15σ |
| 12c | 6σ /// ñäkte ṣek tañ ; sumerṣṣana ; swañcaia5ntsa ramt ; yaitu tākauy ; kauṃñäkte : |
| 12d | tus(a) /// 23σ /// 10-2 |
| 13a | tparyane taṅki ; wartsane āṃa6tsne ; wartsa wlaś(k)a ; l(y)āk pratsā(k)o ; – – /// 7σ |
| 13b | 16σ /// – ntse wat ; maṃt kektseñe ; kauc pāke |
| 13c | b1 ñ(ä)kcy(e) padūmne ; ywārcka kes(ārne) ; (ca)kkarwisa ; mittarwisa ; tsetskäñoṣ tañ ; alīn(e) : |
| 13d | yailuwa taṅki ; pärkron(a) pr(a)r(o)ññ ; n· p· m· – ; – – – ·k· ñc ; ścir(i)nts(o) ramt b2 ; lyelykuwa 10-3 |
| 14a | kātso mā (tparya) ; mā ra rukausa ; pw asāñcnesa ; wawlāwausa ; pratsākaisa ; yaitusa • |
| 14b | wlaśka lyakwañña ; ṣlyaṣṣ(a) prakarya ; kätkre wartse ; kele b3 ywārśka ; mīṣe kare ; pe(rnettse) (:) |
| 14c | po aiśiññeṣeṃ ; pelaiknentaṃts ; lwāke ścmoñña ; aiśamñentse ; krentaunaṣṣe ; samūdrä : |
| 14d | dhyananmaṣṣana ; swañcaib4nts enenmeṃ ; lyelyūkusa ; sū(rya)kāṃtṣi ; kerci ramt ; läktseci 10-4 |
| 15a | pälskoṣṣi śpālmeṃ ; ckenta piś reskeṃ ; räddhinmaṣṣi ; späntaitsneṣṣi ; nāgi yākṣi ; b5 gandhārvi : |
| 15b | ompalskoñeṣṣi ; (snai) (keś) wärttonta ; pelaikneṣṣi ; preṅki aurcci ; krentaunaṣṣi ; naumyenta : |
| 15c | mārgaṅkntaṣṣen1 ; war kārūnäṣṣe ; cintāmaṇi ; kwäntsaññeṣṣ(e) b6 ; sumer rīye ; nervāṃṣṣa :n2 |
| 15d | (maṃt) (tañ) kātsāṣṣe ; samudtär saswa ; kätkarñesa ; krentaunasa ; samudtärnta ; ṣeṣṣirku : 10-5 |
| 16a | kañcān isāṣṣai ; tapākine ram(t) |
Translation
| a1 | Through the doubt of the enemies that are doubts... |
|---|---|
| a1+ | ... like the sun, like a divine mirror, brilliant, with a divine red cloak... |
| a2 | ... having seen the tongue, they become without doubt. |
| a2+ | The wise people speek thus: |
| a3 | ... from the throats, from the orb of the face... blue, white, moon-coloured... (rays?)... |
| a4+ | Like the sun would be adorned with the rays of Sumeru... |
| a5+ | The high, very wide shoulders, the wide, soft, brilliant chest... |
| a6 | ... thus (is) the body, the upper part. |
| b1 | In the middle of a lotus, the two filaments (?), your palms, are adorned with two wheels and two suns. |
| b1+ | Densely curled, long fingers... seen like... of the stars... |
| b2 | The belly, not big, not lean, all controlled by the buttocks (?)n3 , adorned with the chest, soft, brilliant, full (?), firm. |
| b2+ | The navel in the middle of it deep and wide. |
| b3 | He is a field of glory, a vessel for the laws of the all knowing one, a foundation of knowledge, an ocean of virtue, illuminated from within with the rays of meditations, bright like a palace made of sun-crystal. |
| b4 | Five excellent streams of your thought flow. |
| b4+ | Nāgas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas that are your magical powers and trustfulness, the forests without number that is your meditation, the wide islands that are the law, the jewels that are your virtues, the water that is your mārgaṅkntaṣṣe, the Cintāmaṇi jewel that is your compassion, the Sumeru that is your firmness, the the city that is Nirvāṇa. |
| b6 | In this way, the ocean of your body, lord, has surpassed the oceans in depths and in virtues. Like on a golden mirror... (the world is reflected in you?) |
Commentary
Remarks
| T III Š 64.16 and T III Š 75.52 are also labeled THT 73a and THT 73b, respectively. The original of the leftmost fragment is missing. In one frame with three other fragments. |
Philological commentary
kercicannot be the plural of kertte "sword". Sūryakānta-crystals were not used to make swords, but are used to decorate houses, cf. Śivapurāṇa 2.32.48 (page 606 in Shastri's edition). This would also fit better with the context, since the Buddha is said to be "illuminated from within", which would not be possible with swords. | |
| n1 | Adams 1999 s.v. mārgāṅk*translates mārgaṅkntaṣṣe"subsection of the way". This cannot be right. *mārgāṅga is not attested in Sanskrit, and it would not make sense in this context. What would be expected is a quality of the Buddha (like compassion, trustfulness vel sim.), cf. THT 212 a2 maiyttärṣṣe no warsa. However, the word still remains obscure. |
| n2 | This whole passage is rather peculiar in its imagery. It describes the "geography" of the Buddha: Five rivers of thoughts that flow into the ocean that is his belly, filled with the jewels that are his virtues. That is, the author is painting a "cosmos" of the qualities of the Buddha, mentioning its landmarks (islands, forests) and its inhabitants (Nāgas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas), all corresponding to some virtue of the Buddha. |
| n3 | The meaning of asāñcneas "buttocks" comes from Adams 1999 s.v. asāṃ*. āsana-, the Sanskrit term, does not seem to have this meaning. |
Alternative linguistic/paleographic classifications
| Tamai 2011 | C5 |
| Tamai 2011 | C14 |
References
Online access
IDP: THT 73a, THT 73b, THT 73c; TITUS: THT 73
Edition
Sieg and Siegling 1953: 12-13
Translations
Adams 2012a: b3 b4 (28); Carling 2000: b1 (349); Couvreur 1954c: a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 b1 b2 b3 b4 b5 b6 (103); Hackstein 1995: b3 (124); Krause 1952: b1 (191); Sieg and Siegling 1983: b2 (229), b3 (229), b3 (230); Thomas 1958a: a5 a6 (167), b1 (167); Thomas 1968: a1 a2 (211), b3 b4 (211); Thomas 1970: b2 (262), b3 (270), b4 b5 (261); Thomas 1979b: a3 a4 (45); Thomas 1993: b4=B075b1 (192); Thomas 1997: b3 (81)
Bibliography
Adams, Douglas Q. 1999. A dictionary of Tocharian B. Leiden Studies in Indo-European 10. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi.
Adams, Douglas Q. 2012a. “Shedding light on *leuk- in Tocharian and Hittite and the wider implications of reconstructing its Indo-European morphology.” Tocharian and Indo-European Studies 13: 21–55.
Carling, Gerd. 2000. Die Funktion der lokalen Kasus im Tocharischen. Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.
Couvreur, Walter. 1954c. “Koetsjische literaire fragmenten uit de Berlijnse verzameling (naar aanleiding van Sieg & Siegling’s Tocharische Sprachreste).” Handelingen VIII der Zuidnederlandse Maatschappij voor Taal- en Letterkunde en Geschiedenis, 97–117.
Hackstein, Olav. 1995. Untersuchungen zu den sigmatischen Präsensstammbildungen des Tocharischen. HS Erg.-Heft 38. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
“The International Dunhuang Project: The Silk Road Online.” n.d. http://idp.bl.uk.
Krause, Wolfgang. 1952. Westtocharische Grammatik, Band I. Das Verbum. Heidelberg: Winter.
Sieg, Emil, and Wilhelm Siegling. 1953. Tocharische Sprachreste. Sprache B, Heft 2. Fragmente Nr. 71-633. Edited by Werner Thomas. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Sieg, Emil, and Wilhelm Siegling. 1983. Tocharische Sprachreste. Sprache B. Teil I: Die Texte. Band 1. Fragmente Nr. 1-116 der Berliner Sammlung. Edited by Werner Thomas. Neubearbeitet und mit einem Kommentar nebst Register versehen v. Werner Thomas. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Tamai, Tatsushi. 2011. Paläographische Untersuchungen zum B-Tocharischen. Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft 138. Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachen und Literaturen.
Thomas, Werner. 1958a. “Zum Ausdruck der Komparation beim tocharischen Adjektiv.” Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Sprachforschung 75: 129–69.
Thomas, Werner. 1968. “Zur Verwendung von toch. A oki/B ramt und A mäṃtne/B mäkte in Vergleichen.” Orbis 17: 198–231.
Thomas, Werner. 1970. “Zu einer stilistischen Besonderheit im Tocharischen.” Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Sprachforschung 84: 254–80.
Thomas, Werner. 1979b. Formale Besonderheiten in metrischen Texten des Tocharischen: Zur Verteilung von B tane/tne “hier” und B ñake/ñke “jetzt”. Abhandlungen d. Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Klasse 15. Mainz: Verlag d. Akad. d. Wissenschaften und d. Literatur.
Thomas, Werner. 1993. Parallele Texte im Tocharischen und ihre Bewertung. Vol. 5. SbWGF, XXX. Stuttgart: Steiner.
Thomas, Werner. 1997. Interpretationsprobleme im Tocharischen. Unflektiertes A puk, B po “ganz, all, jeder”. Vol. 3. SbWGF, XXXV. Stuttgart: Steiner.
Gippert, Jost, Katharina Kupfer, Christiane Schaefer, and Tatsushi Tamai. n.d. “Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien (TITUS): Tocharian Manuscripts from the Berlin Turfan Collection.” http://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/tocharic/thtframe.htm.
