u p b y P ro fe sso r W ilso n , a n d some o f th e m o st im p o rta n t
p a rts o f th e T ib e ta n com p ila tio n s h av e b e e n an aly sed b y
A le x a n d e r C soma K b ro si, c e le b ra te d fo r b is k n ow le d g e o f
th e T ib e ta n la n g u a g e a n d lite r a tu re . T h e m o s t im p o rta n t
p a r t o f th is co lle c tio n co n sists o f th e K a h -g y u r, a g r e a t
w o rk , o r r a th e r a c om p ila tio n o f w o rk s o n th e B u d d h istic a l
h is to ry a n d re lig io n w h ic h , a c c o rd in g to Csoma, w e re comp
o sed a t th r e e d iffe ren t e p o c h s ;— firs t, im m e d ia te ly a fte r th e
d e a th o f S a k y a o r B u d d h a , th e fo u n d e r o f B u d d h ism ; seco
n d ly , in th e tim e o f a c e le b ra te d Icing o f In d ia n am e tf
K a la so k o , wh o re ig n e d one h u n d re d a n d te n y e a rs a fte r th e
d e a th o f S a k y a ; a n d th ird ly , in th e tim e o f K a n isk a , a
k in g o f th e n o r th o f In d ia who iiv ed a b o u t fo u r h u n d re d
y e a rs a fte r S a k y a ’s d e a th .*
I t seem s th a t th e o rig in a l w o rk , from w h ic h th e T ib etan
v e rs io n u sed b y C som a K o ro s i was m ad e , was w ritte n in th e
P a li la n g u a g e . I t is te rm e d th e P ita k a tta y a . Th is w o rk ,
to g e th e r w ith an a n c ie n t c om m e n ta ry , h a s b een r e c e n tly
ex amin ed by th e H o n o u ra b le M r. T um o u r.
I t is c le a r, in th e o p in io n o f M r. T um o u r , th a t th e w o rk s
w h ic h h e has ex am in ed , p a rtic u la rly th e A tth a k a th a , co n ta
in a contemporary re c o rd o f th e m o s t im p o rta n t ev en ts in
th e h is to ry o f B u d d h ism in In d ia from th e y e a r f iv e h u n d re d
a n d fo rty th r e e to th r e e h u n d re d a n d seven b e fo re C h ris t,
to g e th e r w ith some n o tices o f a n te rio r o c cu rren c e s. W h a t
is o f n o sm a ll h is to ric a l im p o rta n c e , th e re a l d a te s o f
of Nepal, where they are now perhaps only to be found. Heconaiders the
Ceylonese works as of very inferior authority. On this subject the learned
editor of the Asiatic Journal, Mr. Prinsep, has cited the opinion of Csoma, the
translator of the Kah-gyur from the Tibetan, which, as the editor says, simple
and authentic as it is, ought to put the sultfect to rest. According'to Csoma,
it is specified in-the register of the Kah-gyur, th a t certain books in th a t compilation,
mentioned by name, were written in,Sanskrit after the death of Sakya
bu t that all the remainder were in the Sindhf language. I t is generally allowed,
says Mr. Prinsep, th a t the Zend and Pali are derivatives of nearly the
samegrade from th e Sanskrit stock, and th e dialects of Sindh, as well as the
bhashas or popular dialects of upper and western India, present striking
analogies to the Pali. Grounds for the existence of this western dialect in the
heart of Magad’ha, may be found in the origin of the ruling dynasty of that
province which proceeded from the north-west.
* Prinsep, Asiatic Journal, Nov 91, p. 971.
S a k y a ’s life a n d d e a th , w h ich p e rh a p s may b e safely r e g
a rd e d as th e o rig in o f B u d d h ism , a re d e te rm in e d b y th is
re c o rd . T h a t g re a t re fo rm e r o f th e In d ia n sy stem o f
m o ra ls a n d re lig io n , who m ay b e te rm e d th e in v e n to r o f th e
le a s t corrupt* o ffa lf forms o f P a g a n ism , is sa id to h a v e d ied
in th e f a ll moon o f th e 'in o n th W e s a k k o , two th o u s a n d fo u r
h u n d re d a n d e ig h ty y e a r s ago, th a t is, in th e y e a r b e fo re
C h ris t five h u n d re d an d fo rty th r e e .* In th a t y e a r th e firs t
c o n v o c a tio n ! o f h is disciples was h e ld a t R a ja g o h a , th e
c a p ita l o f th e m o n a rc h o f M a g a d ’h a , A jh ta s a tto , th e n in th e
e ig h th -y e a r o f h is re ig n . - T h e second co n v o catio n was h e ld
a c e n tu ry a fte rw a rd s, fo u r h u n d re d a n d fo r ty th r e e y e a rs
b e fo re C h ris t, a tW e s a li, th e m o d e rn A llah ab a d , th e n th e
c a p ita l ©f th e M a g a d ’h a m o n a rc h y , in th e te n th y e a r o f k in g
K a la so k o . T h e th ird convocation was h e ld 'th r e e h u n d re d
a n d n in e y e a rs b e fo re C h r is ts one h u n d re d a n d th ir ty fo u r
y e a rs a fte r th e second, a t P a ta lip u tra , th e P a lih o th r a o f th e
G re e k s , a n d th e m o d e rn P a tn a , w h ich was th e c a p ita l o f
th e In d ia n em p ire ,’ in the.;.seventh- y e a r ^ofi th e re ig n o f
A so k a o r D h am m a so k o . A t .the firs t o f l i e s i f th r e e con-,
vo catio n s th e o rth o d o x v e rsio n o f th e P ita k a tta y a was upjj|
fin ed a n d a u th e n tic a te d , a n d com m en ta rie s fo rm e d , w h ich
re c e iv e d th e d e sig n a tio n o f A tth a k a th h . T h e fo rm e r was
co n firm e d a n d c o rre c te d , a n d th e la tte r a u gm e n te d a t th e
seco n d co n vo catio n b y th e ad d itio n o fico n tem p o ra ry re co rd s.
In th e y e a r b efo re C h ris t th r e e h u n d re d a n d six , M a h in d o ,
th e son o f th e em p e ro r D h am m a so k o visited- C ey lo n , a n d
e sta b lish e d B u d d h ism in th a t islan d . T h e p a rtic u la rs o f
th is e v e n t a re to b e fo u n d ;iin th e M ah aw an so . T h e comp
ila tio n was b ro u g h t to its p re s e n t sta te b y B u d d h a -G o so ,
* The age of .the Siamese Buddha, or rather the Siamese calculation of the
age of Buddha, coincides with this date ofthfe Atthakatha. It is before Christ
five hundred and forty two, as we are assUrda by Captdin James Low.—See
Transactions of the Royal Asiatic SociCty'of Great'Britain, &c., vol. $} p. 57.
Mr. Prinsep observes, that the, epoch of Sakya is determined by the concurrent
i testimon’y^of the Ceylonese, Siamese, Peguan, Burmese, and Chinese eras,
founded on the birth or death of the Buddhist,legislator, and though differing
more or less, placing him between fiv^hundred and for^ four yehts, and six
hundred and thirty^ eight years before Ghrist. — Prinsep’s Notes to Sir A.
Burnes’s collection of Coins, vol. 2, p. 469,