108 Kano
(12) Pramāṇaviniścayakārikā, 2 fols.
(13) Hevajrasya yoginītantrarājasya pañjikā, 27 fols.
(14) Hevajre smṛtinirvartana, 12 fols.
(15) Hevajre smṛtinirvartana, 20 fols.
(16) Title unknown, 1 fol.76
Here, too, we find precious works hitherto unavailable in the Sanskrit origi-
nal. For the moment, however, we shall just focus on titles relevant to Atiśa’s
manuscripts.
The Madhyamakahṛdayakārikā was translated by Atiśa and Nagtsho in
Trulnang (Tib. ’Phrul snang) monastery in Lhasa,77 with (2) probably being the
manuscript utilised by them.
As for (13), Luo Zhao presents its Tibetan title (probably transcribing a note
on the title page of the manuscript): “the Hevajrapañjikā muktāvalī, composed
by [Ratnākara]śānti” (Tib. shan ti bas mdzad pa’i kye’i rdo rje’i ’grel pa mu tig
phreng ba). We have already seen, as stated by Lhundrup chöpel, and by his
source (Tāranātha in his autobiography), and on the basis of Lhundrup chö-
pel’s list, that this work was in Atiśa’s manuscript collection.
The damaged condition of the manuscripts in boxes A and B is strikingly
in conformity with Tāranātha’s 17th-century description of them,78 and also
with Retreng Rinpoche’s (Tib. Rwa sgreng Rin po che) in the 20th century.79
The clearly burnt edges are seen in black-and-white images of the Third
Bhāvanākrama manuscript (preserved in the Russian Academy) published by
Obermiller (fig. 3.2).
Obermiller describes the manuscript material as “grey Tibetan paper”;80
Luo Zhao calls it “Bhutanese paper” (Tib. ’brug shog), which is also often grey.
From these reports, we learn that the Russian and Potala manuscripts were
written on a similar type of paper. Closer investigations (e.g. a comparison of
their physical properties, including a scientific analysis of their microscopic
76 The list is extracted from the Luo Zhao’s catalogue (Budala gong, 68–80, no. 21).
77 Derge Tōhoku no. 3855, 40b6–7: ra sa ’phrul snang gi gtsug lag khang gi gzhir / rgya gar
gyi mkhan po dī paṃ ka ra shrī dznyā na’i zhal snga nas dang / lo tstsha ba dge slong tshul
khrims rgyal bas bsgyur cing zhus te gtan la phab pa’o //
78 Tāranātha, bDag nyid kyi rnam thar, vol. 1, 164: rgya dpe me thub ma rnams kyi rten mjal
byas pas [.. .]
79 Sāṅkṛtyāyana, Merī Jīvan Yātrā, vol. 2, 247, 252.
80 Obermiller, “A Sanskrit Ms. from Tibet,” 4: “The said MS. consists of eight leaves, grey
Tibetan paper, in Nepalese characters, very legible and correct, the number of mistakes
being quite insignificant. The edges of the leaves are singed, but the damage is not consid-
erable (usually not more than 3 or 4 letters are wanting from both sides).”