The Bajaur Collection of Kharoṣṭhī Manuscripts

The evolution of the Buddhistrakṣāgenre in the light of new evidence from Gandhāra: The *Manasvi-nāgarāja-sūtrafrom the Bajaur Collection of Kharoṣṭhī Manuscripts

“…1987: 120), v. 14, cf. Sander 1987: 207 f.) (Strauch 2008: 120).Manasvin's name is also found in other protective texts, like in the mantra of the Mahādaṇḍadhāraṇī - Śītavatī (Hidas forthcoming b) and in the Megha - sūtra (Bendall 1880: 306 f.) 11 . According to this evidence the Gāndhārī sūtra most probably belongs to a northern Buddhist tradition.…”

“…Bodhi 2012: 1573).Similar, but not entirely identical lists of obstacles/calamities and advantages are found throughout Buddhist literature of different genres and periods (cf. for some of them Strauch 2007/08: 41–6). And they become a typical and characteristic feature of the newly composed protective texts, as for example the vyākaraṇa of the Nagaropama - sūtra : yaḥ kaścin māriṣa idaṃ vyākaraṇaṃ ... manasikariṣyati saḥ ahinā na daṃkṣyati viṣaṃ kāye na tariṣyati śastraṃ na kramiṣyati nodakena kālaṃ kariṣyati agninā na dhakṣyati rājāno ’pi na prasahiṣyaṃti corā na muṣiṣyaṃti rājakulamadhyagato ’pi svastinottariṣyati gāḍhabandhanabaddho ’pi mokṣyati āsannāsamāgato ’pi abhyavakāśagato bhaviṣyati sarve ca kṛtyakākhordamantraveṭāḍa prativigamiṣyaṃti sarve ca bhūtagaṇā na viheṭhayiṣyaṃti anyatra pūrvakeṇa karmaṇā .(Bongard-Levin et al 1996: 85; II.11, cf.…”

“…The original Sanskrit title of the Tibetan dhāraṇī text should therefore be reconstructed as Manasvi-nāgarāja-paripṛcchā-nāma-dhāraṇī (cf. Strauch 2007/08: 45 f.).…”

“…16 na ca khalu punar devaputrās tasya kulaputrasya vā kuladuhitur vā imāṃ prajñāpāramitām udgṛhṇato dhārayato vācayataḥ paryavāpnuvataḥ pravartayamānasya araṇyagatasya vā vṛkṣamūlagatasya vā śūnyāgāragatasya vā abhyavakāśagatasya vā pathi gatasya vā utpathagatasya vā aṭavīgatasya vā mahāsamudragatasya vā ... bhayaṃ vā bhaviṣyati, stambhitatvaṃ vā bhaviṣyati, utpatsyate vā (Vaidya 1960a: 25.18–22) “There will be no fear, will be no paralysis, and they will not appear, Gods, for the noble man or woman who is learning, keeping, reciting, mastering and teaching this Perfection of Wisdom, not in a forest, not at the root of a tree, not in an empty house, not in an open place, not on the path, not off the path, not in the woods, not on the ocean” (cf. Strauch 2007/08: 45).…”

“…Among these new manuscript collections (the Bajaur Collection of Kharoṣṭhī manuscripts, see Strauch 2008), is one text (Fragment 3) that can be attributed to the class of rakṣā or protective texts. As far as we know, this fragment represents the earliest preserved remains of such a text.…”