And the Story of Gyim Po Nyag Cig's Bride

This text occupies the verso (103 lines) of IOL Tib J 731, a scroll from the sealed cave library at Dunhuang (Mogao Caves, Gansu Province), now held by the British Library (Stein Collection). The recto (133 lines) preserves a separate mythological narrative about the origin of the horse-human alliance and the founding of funeral horse sacrifice. The verso contains two interleaved stories: the funeral rites of Father Sten Rgan Nyer Pa, which cannot be completed despite lavish offerings; and the origin tale of Gyim Po Nyag Cig, whose family is destroyed by a demon before the surviving boy is rescued by an ancestral sky goddess and eventually finds a magical bride who provides the means to fulfill the funeral at last.

Written in Old Tibetan during the Tibetan Empire period (seventh to ninth century CE), the text belongs to the genre scholars call smrang — ritual origin myths that authorize ceremonial practice through mythological precedent. Like the recto narrative, this text serves as a ritual charter: it explains why funeral rites require specific offerings and establishes the connection between bride-price, prosperity, and the duty to honor the dead. The recurring refrain \u2018on cig ("come!") punctuates the text as a liturgical invocation, framing the narrative within a ritual performance.

The text is significantly damaged in its opening and closing lines. Lines v1–v2 are nearly entirely lost. Lines v93–v98 have substantial gaps. The manuscript was written between columns of Chinese Buddhist text on the verso of the scroll, suggesting it was recorded opportunistically on available writing material — a common practice for Tibetan texts at Dunhuang. The bride-price catalogue (v11–v15) and the demon narrative are among the clearest passages; the opening invocation and closing ritual formula are the most damaged.

This is the first freely available English translation. The Old Tibetan source text is from the critically edited transliteration at the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) database, maintained by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA) at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

The Invocation

[opening damaged]

...the palace... many scatter; the watchful are few. The storehouse — the watchful are few. Come!

Bzang Dar... caterpillars also — come! When gathered, nail-dust fills a heap; when spread, it fills the field.

...the grieving woman adrift. Come! Heart-heavy, please — Elder Bsen Rgan Rog Mgyogs, that one to the northern fortress, sheltering, climbing the nine. Come!

The Lament

Then from the sons of the Gyim Po kinsmen, words:

"The father's funeral rites displayed, the father's horse —"

From the words of Gyim Po Nyag Cig:

"Among the poor, I am poor. Fortune is thin. The father's funeral cannot be fulfilled. The father's memorial horse cannot be established. I searched — far and wide I searched — yet what was sought could not be found."

Thus spoke the sons of the Gyim Po kinsmen.

The Bride-Price

A hundred black horses threaded on leather halters —
like cranes gathered at a pool.

A hundred reddish-brown ones threaded on leather halters —
like berries ripening on the vine.

A hundred geese threaded on leather halters —
like terns gathered at the lake's edge.

A hundred white horses threaded on leather halters —
like hailstones scattered on the ground.

A hundred blue-dark ones threaded on leather halters —
like pigeons gathered at the cliff.

And yet —

The Offerings That Failed

The father's funeral rites were not fulfilled. The swift one at the northern fortress — it would not do. Red silk was dyed — entering the meadow, rows upon rows. White silk was dyed — white as snow on the mountain peaks. Black silk was dyed — like a vulture soaring.

Come! And yet the father's funeral rites were not fulfilled. The father's horse could not be established.

Bzang Dar Cha's portion, cocoon-silk — it would not do. A hundred white sheep, a hundred black, a hundred mixed, a hundred draft — offered for the father. And yet for shelter-sheep it would not do. For cattle it would not do. The morning praise was not accepted. The fierce speech's whip was not struck. Though yogurt was churned for the covering — it would not do.

...offered into the hands of the pure mother, the noble queen. Loaded and loaded. Melted and melted. Served and served. Owned and owned. The palace scattered outward, the top-knot scattered — but the root would not hold. From inside, evening was not born; from evening, inside was not born. In summer, rotted. In winter, froze. The palace scattered outward, the top-knot scattered — it would not do.

The father's funeral rites were not fulfilled. The father's memorial horse was not established.

Father Sten Rgan Nyer Pa — his body sank into the variegated earth, from the throat downward. He departed.

The Father's House

Now the father's name: in the language of Rgyal Nam, he was Father Ltong Te'i Mye Kru. In the language of Imperial Tibet, he was Glong Myig Long. His wife's and mother's names were established. His wife was Ngar 'Byam.

From their union, three daughters were born. The eldest: Tseng Gi Rba Ga. The middle: Tseng Gi Rbag Zhin. The youngest: Tseng Gi Rba Ga. Father Ltong Te'i Mye Kru herded sheep and guarded fortune.

The Coming of the Demon

From the nine dark demon lands, the Demon Lord of Nine Pinnacles rode on a demon-mule and came.

Father Lha Ltong Te Mye Kru — his flesh was consumed raw. His blood was drunk raw. His skin was worn raw. The sheep and fortune were led away.

The demon came to the home and house. He stayed. He lay with Ngar 'Byam.

When the dawn sky brightened: "I am old and cannot manage the sheep. Send daughter Tseng Gi Rba Ga to herd the sheep and guard the fortune."

Tseng Gi Rba Ga went to herd sheep and guard fortune. Her flesh was consumed raw. Her blood was drunk raw. Her heart was wrapped in thorns and brought back to Ngar 'Byam's side. "Today — a healing, a song, please!" The heart was placed before her. The flesh was taken as Ngar 'Byam's portion.

"And daughter Tseng Gi Rba Ga — what has become of her?"

"I do not know."

A boy — round and long-eared, with bristling spine. A girl — round and long-eared, with smoky back. Though dawn fills the sky, "I go about my business."

"Send Tseng Gi Rbag Zhin to herd the sheep!"

The Little Striped Donkey

Tseng Gi Rbag Zhin went to herd sheep and guard fortune. In the land of Rgyal Nam... in the land of Imperial Tibet, she met the Little Striped Donkey of the Meadow.

From the words of the Little Striped Donkey of the Meadow:

"Listen! From the nine dark demon lands, the Demon Lord of Nine Pinnacles rode on a demon-mule and came. Your father Ltong Te Mye Kru — his flesh was consumed raw. His blood was drunk raw. His skin was worn raw. Your elder sister Tseng Gi Rba Ga — her flesh was consumed raw. Her skin was worn raw. You also — your flesh is about to be consumed raw. Your skin is about to be worn raw."

Upon the Little Striped Donkey of the Meadow, silk banners were made great and raised high, firmly bound. A turban was placed and a yak-heart bell was tied to his neck. The turban went cog cog cog. The yak-heart bell went khrol khrol.

The daughter fled to the home and house and told Ngar 'Byam.

The boy also met the Little Striped Donkey of the Meadow. Father Ltong Te Mye Kru — the nine dark demons had consumed his flesh raw and worn his skin raw. Elder sister Tseng Gi Rba Ga — her flesh was consumed raw. Her skin was worn raw.

As for the boy — with the Little Striped Donkey of the Meadow, silk banners were raised great and high, firmly bound. The yak-heart bell was tied to the Little Striped Donkey's neck. The turban was placed on the boy. To herd sheep and guard fortune — but the boy fled.

The Mother's Lament

He went.

From the mother's mouth: "In this way there is no justice! Tonight — at dawn I will examine."

"You — hide in the pig-pen tonight. At dawn, look and watch carefully."

Then the daughter — whatever she said was true. Her flesh was consumed raw. Her skin was worn raw. Many things were kept with demons. She departed to the demon land.

In the language of Rgyal Nam: the peacock bird, the peacock-sparrow, up to the chick's height. In the language of Imperial Tibet: the colorful-winged needle-bird. Its name and title were changed. Placed into a meadow cave.

After a while, two white crane birds came from the plain. He grabbed the tail of the white crane — to the edge of the sky, the rim of the heavens, into the cave of the heights.

The Grandmother

There: Phyi Byi Gnam Phyi Gung Rgyal Mo — the Ancestral Queen of the Outer Skies. With coverings the head-wrappings were washed. The attendants of the face washed the face-coverings. The door-keepers swept and served.

From the mouth of Phyi Byi Gnam Phyi:

"Son! Where from? Where did you go? What person — what kind of man?"

The boy: "Father's name was Ltong De Me Bkru. We the wretched folk — our kinsmen three — from the nine dark demon lands, the Demon Lord of Nine Pinnacles came. The father — his flesh was consumed raw. His skin was worn raw. The elder sister — her flesh was consumed raw. Her skin was worn raw. The mother — she departed to the demon land. The boy — he grabbed the tail of the white crane and fled."

"Son! How dense your suffering!"

Thus she spoke. "From here, go forth."

The Restoration

Nine generations passed. Nine generations rose.

The Gyim Po kinsmen became rich among the rich. Fortune gathered in flocks. Turquoise necklaces worn, silk horse-strings threaded. Golden necklaces worn, silk horse-strings threaded.

But Gyim Po Nyag Cig was poor among the poor. Fortune thin...

"A turquoise necklace — do not hold as you would hold it. Do not press upon it. A horse-drum string — grasp as you would grasp it! The treasure of hope — press upon as you would press!"

He did as if pressing upon the treasure of hope, and went.

The Magical Bride

Gyim Po Nyag Cig put his right arm into the conch and watched. He came to the home and house. He placed it into a bamboo tube and left it.

When the dawn sky brightened, he went to the wooden throne. When he came to the home and house —

In the offering-garden, at a single gift: a turquoise pillar was erected, steaming — lu lu lu! In the offering-ladle, with a white scoop, erected — white and overflowing, ltem se ltems!

Gyim Po Nyag Cig — the people were covered with food. Offerings presented, people refreshed, libations offered.

"What is this? What is this?"

[passage damaged]

...turquoise pillar erected, the offering-ladle...

"In the treasure-house, a fortune was struck. Among brides — none better than this!"

[passage damaged]

...resembling — from the snowy valley, if the mother's kindness is not savored, the cuckoo bird...

...resembling — finely wrought in the nest. And yet:

"Perform the father's funeral rites! Establish the father's memorial horse!"

Thus was spoken. The palace scattered outward, the top-knot scattered. Roots — come! Summer tears on the mountain, weeping — come!

[closing damaged]

...come! ...climbing the nine — come!

Colophon

This text occupies the verso (103 lines) of IOL Tib J 731 (= Ch.82.IV = Scroll Box 139), a scroll from the Dunhuang caves, Mogao, Gansu Province, now held by the British Library (Stein Collection). The verso was written between columns of Chinese Buddhist text on the back of the scroll whose recto preserves "The End of the Good Age and the Tragedy of the Horse and the Yak" (133 lines, translated separately). The beginning of the verso is damaged; the ending is worn with substantial lacunae.

First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan, by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (Arashi, Expeditionary Tulku, Life 30), 2026.

Translated independently from the Old Tibetan transliteration at OTDO. No reference English translation was consulted. No previous English translation of this text is known to exist. Stein (1971) and Thomas (1957) discuss IOL Tib J 731 but focus on the recto; the verso texts appear to be untreated in the secondary literature accessible to this translator.

On the translation: This text presents significant challenges beyond those of the recto. The narrative interleaves two stories — the funeral frame (the rites that cannot be fulfilled) and the origin tale (the demon, the escape, the magical bride) — and the transitions between them are sometimes abrupt. Key difficulties:

Lines v1–2: Almost entirely lost. The invocatory refrain 'on cig ("come!") is reconstructed from its recurrence throughout the text.

Lines v3–6: The opening invocation is fragmentary. "stsang" (palace), "sgye" (scatter), "dmyig nyung" (the watchful are few) suggest a funeral dispersal formula. The names Bzang Dar and Bsen Rgan Rog Mgyogs appear to be either the deceased or spirit-guides. "dgu la 'dzeg pa" (climbing the nine) may refer to the nine stages of the funeral journey.

Lines v16–27: The "offerings that failed" section uses compressed, formulaic language with doubled verbs (bkal bkal, bzhu bzhu, bran bran, bdag bdag) expressing intensified accumulation. The ritual logic — why each offering fails — is not transparent. The paradox "from inside, evening was not born; from evening, inside was not born" may describe a cyclical impossibility that prevents the ritual from completing.

Lines v43–44: "A boy, round and long-eared, with bristling spine; a girl, round and long-eared, with smoky back" — the identity of these figures is uncertain. They may describe the demon's offspring born from his union with Ngar 'Byam, or they may describe the remaining human children in transformed or diminished form.

Lines v66–70: The "bird transformation" passage is obscure. The boy appears to undergo a name-change and is placed in a cave before the crane arrives. This may describe a shamanic transformation or a ritual preparation for the flight to the grandmother goddess.

Lines v82–85: The paradoxical advice ("do not hold a turquoise necklace as you would hold it; grasp a horse-drum string as you would grasp it") appears to be instruction for the bride-quest. The meaning is: do not handle fine things delicately — grip the rough reality; press hard upon the treasure of hope.

Lines v93–98: Heavily damaged. The magical bride narrative is partially lost. Enough survives to confirm the bride produces miraculous food and offerings.

Genre: The verso contains a composite smrang — two origin myths braided together. The funeral frame (v1–28, v99–103) provides the ritual context: why is this funeral being performed, and why does it require such elaborate provisions? The origin tale (v29–98) provides the mythological answer: because the family was destroyed by demons, the boy was rescued by the ancestral goddess, and only a magical bride could restore the prosperity needed to fulfill the rites. Together they form a ritual charter: the funeral of Sten Rgan Nyer Pa is the prototype for all funerals that require bride-price, divine intervention, and the passage of generations before the dead can be properly honored.

Phyi Byi Gnam Phyi Gung Rgyal Mo (the Ancestral Queen of the Outer Skies) is a significant figure in Bon cosmology — an ancestral grandmother goddess who receives the boy after his escape from the demon-world. Her role as protector and sender-forth parallels other Inner Asian grandmother figures.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: IOL Tib J 731 (verso)

Old Tibetan transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) critical edition, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Line numbers follow the OTDO edition. Brackets indicate uncertain or damaged readings; [---] indicates lacunae. Parenthetical annotations (e.g., (/variant)) indicate variant readings from the critical apparatus.

(v1) [---] [snam?] [cig?] [kis?] [---]
(v2) [---]
(v3) stsang [---] cig mang sgye ma dmyig nyung stsang bang myig nyung / 'on cig / bzang [dar?]
(v4) [---] 'om 'bu yang ['on (/'od)] cig bstus na sen rum gang bgram na dbya le gang
(v5) [---] / skyo ma la ba rkyal 'on cig / [do?] ma thugs dags / [chus?] bsen rgan
(v6) rog mgyogs kho de byang rdzong yob cin dgu la 'dzeg pa 'on cig [ma?]
(v7) nas bu gyim po spun drag ki mchid nas pha'i shid gdang ngo yab ki
(v8) ya rmang gyim po nyag [gcig?] [ki?] mchid nas myi dbul du ni [dbul?]
(v9) g.yang na rid pha'i shid myi thengs yab ki rmang myi tshugs so
(v10) btsal rgya ru btsal yang rnyed shir myi rnyed cis gsung bu gyi po spun [---]
(v11) gis [ma?] rta nag po brgya zhig bse'i mang lag la g.yus na lcung ka khron la [lkhag?]
(v12) pa lta shu smug brgya zhig bse'i mang lag la brgyus na se'u smyin ko lta ngang bu
(v13) brgya zhig bse'i mang lag la brgyus na ngur bu mtsho mthar 'dus ko lta rta dkar
(v14) po brgya zhig bse'i mang lag la brgyus na ser ba 'dris ko lta sngon po brgya
(v15) zhig bse'i mang lag la brgyus na phug ron brag la 'dus ko lta / 'on gyang
(v16) [pha'i?] shid ma thengs mgyogs kho de byang rdzong du ma rung dar dmar po btsos gyis
(v17) spang po zhugs gyis gral go lta dar dgar po btsos gyis kha bo gangs pas dkar /
(v18) ma nag btsos gyis / bya slang nge [lding (/ldang)] 'on gying pha'i shid ma thengs yab gyi ['bang?]
(v19) ma tshugs bzang dar cha 'om bur ma rung lug dkar la brgya gnag la [brgya?] sre
(v20) la brgya dgro la brgya pa yab gyi phyag du phul 'on kyang skyibs lug du ma
(v21) rung ma ba ru ma rung snga khrin che'i khrin ma blangs smra dos drag ki lcag
(v22) ma btab / bgab ki zho bzhos kyang skyo ma ba rgyal du ma rung / rgyab ki bal bal
(v23) [---] [ma?] yum rtsang bdagi btsun mo'i phyag du phul rmal zhing bkal bkal
(v24) bkal zhing bzhu bzhu bzhu zhing bran bran bran zhing bdag bdag stsang phar
(v25) sgye phud sgye sgye ma rtsa ma rung nang bas na nub ma bltam nub bas
(v26) na nang ma bltam dbyar cing rul dgun cing ['khyags (/'khyegs)] / stsang phat sgye [phud (/phur)]
(v27) sgyer ma rung pha'i shid ma thengs yab ki rmang ma tshugs yab sten rgan
(v28) nyar pa ni sku mgur cu man cad sa dog rum du bying 'gis ma mchis da
(v29) pha yab ki mtshan na rgyal nam 'i skad du na yab ltong te'i mye kru spu rgyal bod
(v30) gyi skad du na glong myig long na bya glong gi lgo dang rje ma dang yum gi
(v31) mtshan ma bzhag ste'i ngar 'byam bshos dang nams kyi sras bo mo lcam sum
(v32) zhig du bltam lcam gi gcen mo tseng 'gi rba ga bo mo 'bring mo tseng 'gi rbag
(v33) zhin bo bo mo tha thungs tseng 'gi rba ga yab ltong te 'i mye kro na lug 'tsho [---]
(v34) skyong du / srin yul nag pa dgu sul nas sren rje nag pa dgu lcogs
(v35) ni srin rta dre'u la zhon de mchis yab lha ltong te mye ku ni sha rlon du zos khrag rlon
(v36) du 'thungs pags rlon du gyond lug ted g.yang ded de khab dang brang du byon de
(v37) bzhag ste ngar 'byam dang brnal de sang nam nangs dgung sangs na
(v38) nga rgas [te?] lug myi thub kis bbo mo tseng 'gi rba ga lug 'tsho g.yang skyong
(v39) du thong shig bmo tseng 'gi rba ga lug 'tsho g.yang skyong du mchi mchi na sha
(v40) sha rlon du zos khrag rlon du 'thug don snying ni skyer thur la gtur de
(v41) ngar 'byam gi gan du 'tshal te mchis de ti ring sman dags gle'u cig
(v42) khums te don snying ni bzhag ste ngar 'byan 'gi skal ba sha ni kho bos 'tshal
(v43) do bo mo tseng 'gi rba ga ga re zhis bgyis na kho bo ma shes so bu khye'u gor yun
(v44) rings dang ri ka sbyugs pas gang bo mo gor yun rings dang ri ka dud mos
(v45) 'gengs sang yang nga don gnyer du 'gro 'is tseng 'gi rbag zhing ni lug 'tshor
(v46) thong shig tseng gi rbag zhin lug 'tsho g.yang skyong du mchi mchi na rgyal nam pa
(v47) 'i na cho pyi cog zu spu rgyal bod gi na na spang 'gi bong bu stag cung dang
(v48) mjal do / spang 'gi bong bu stag cung 'gi mchid nas khar tsang srin yul
(v49) nag pa dgu sul nas srin rje nag pa dgu lcogs ni srin dre'u la zhon
(v50) te mchis so khyod gi pha ltong te mye kro yang sha rlon du zos khrag rlon du 'thugs
(v51) pags rlon du 'bungs so khyod ki pho mo tseng 'gi rbe ga yang sha rlon du zos
(v52) pags rlon du gyon to / khyod kyang sha rlon du zos ma khad pags rlon du gyon ma
(v53) khad spang 'gi bong bu stag cung dar shag rag che ru bgyis man mtho dam du
(v54) bcad spang 'gi bong bu stag cung la nam ti go cog ni skon dril bu g.yag snying
(v55) ni bong bu stag cung 'gi mgul du btags nam ti go cog ni go cog cog
(v56) dril bu g.yag snying ni khrol khrol tseng 'gi rbe ga ni khab dang brang du bros te
(v57) mchis ma bzhag ste ngar 'byam 'gi snyan du gsol la ngan bu spang 'gi
(v58) 'gi bong bu stag cung dang mjal yab ltong te mye kru yang srin nag pa dgu
(v59) lcog kis sha rlon du zos pags rlon du gyond pho mo tseng 'gi rba ga yang
(v60) sha rlon du zos pags rlon du gyond / ngan bu ni spang 'gi bong bu stag cung dang shag rag che
(v61) che ru bgyis man mtho che ru bcad dril bu g.yag snying ni bong bu stag cung 'gi mgul du btags
(v62) nam ti go cog ni ngan la bskon te lug 'tsho g.yang skyong du / ngan bu ni bros te
(v63) mchis so ma yum gi zhal nas 'di lta chos myed na do mod nam sros na brtag
(v64) te bgyi'o khyod brungs phag na gob shig do nub / nam sros su blta zhing gzhigs gzhigs
(v65) na bo mo ci zer ci bden nas sha ni rlon du zos zhin pags ni rlon du gyon
(v66) zhin mang ni srin dang 'tshos zhin yul srin yul du mchi 'o rgyal nam pa'i skadu na
(v67) bya rma bya'i rma li bye'u rma bye'u gi thing tshun spu rgyal bod ki na khab yo bya'i
(v68) 'dab bkra mying dang mtshan spos so / spang phug dir pa'i nang du bcug ste
(v69) '[o] na shig re shig na bya thang kar thang nang gnyis shig ya se [byung?] / bya thang kar gi
(v70) mjug la 'jus te gnam 'gi pa mtha dgung 'gi pha 'brum sa phug tir [pa'i?] nang
(v71) na phyi byi gnam phyi gung rgyal mo spyan [de?] lpags kis na shangs yogs shangs
(v72) ki gnyer mas na zhal [yog?] zhal gi gnyer mas ni sko sko yogI phyag ma dur
(v73) kis 'tshal phyi byi gnam phyi'i zhal nas bu ga las gar song song ci myi ci
(v74) khyi myi ngan bu pha yab gi mtshan ltong de me bkru ma bzhag ste ngar 'byam myi ngan
(v75) cag spun gsum srin yul nag pa dgu sul nas srin nag pa dgu lcags
(v76) mchis te pha 'ang sha rlon du zos phu mo 'ang sha rlon du zos pags rlon
(v77) du gyond / ma ni yul srin yul nang pa dgu sul du mchis myi ngan bu ni bya
(v78) thang kar gi mjug ma la 'jus te bros te mchis 'o na bu re stug re bsngal
(v79) zhis gsung 'di nas phar bzhud la dgu ni 'das rab dgu ni 'bos gyim po
(v80) spun drag myi phyug du phyug g.yang tsho ru tsho g.yu'i ltam bkar dar gi snyi 'dre
(v81) gser gi ltam bkar dar gi snyi 'dre
(v82) gyi po nyag gcig ni myi dbul du dbul g.yang rid dro'i mjol btsugs
(v83) rta rnga'i snyi 'dre g.yu'i ltam la zun pa lta ma zun cig g.yu'i ltam la non
(v84) pa la ma non / / rta rnga'i snyi la zin pa ltar byos shig rto ba'i mdzol la
(v85) non pa ltar byos shig / rto ba'i mdzol la non pa lta bgyis te mchis mchis
(v86) na gyim po nyag cig kis dphyang lag g.yas ki phu dung du bcug te bstams
(v87) [khab?] dang brang du byon smyug kha sbyor gi nang du bcug ste bzhag / sang nam
(v88) nangs dgung sangs na shing thu gdang thu ru gshegs gshegs na khab dang brang
(v89) [du?] [byon?] na bshos [tshal?] ster cig la bshan bu yu gar btsugs rlangs dang
(v90) thu lu lu / skyem pa yo gang la skyogs kar thal gyis btsugs dkar
(v91) dang ltem se ltems gyi po nyag cig kis myi sbribs bshos [---]
(v92) [gsold?] myi bskyems skyems kyang gsold / 'di ci rla ci bshan shing thu
(v93) [---]
(v94) [---]
(v95) bshan bu yu gar btsugs skyem pa yo gang la skyogs thal kis
(v96) [---] gdzos ki la bu brtabs / za mo'i nang na 'di las bzang ma
(v97) [---]
(v98) [---]
(v99) [---] dang mtshung ste gangs ki ltong nas skyos ma'i drin ma zos na bya khu byug
(v100) [---] dang mtshung ste tshang dang gzhibs na 'on kyang pha'i [shid?] thong shig yab
(v101) bki [mdad?] rmang tshugs shig gsung stsang phat sgye phut sgye rtsa dags 'on cig dbyal ngu ri la ngu
(v102) [---] ['on] cig [---] ma [la?] [---] [rgyal?] lo 'on cig bzang [dar?] [ca?] ['om?] ['bu?] [bltams?] [---]
(v103) [---] [can?] dgu la ['dzeg?] pa ['on?] [cig?] [---]

Source Colophon

Old Tibetan transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) database, item ITJ_0731. OTDO is maintained by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. The critical edition provides variant readings in parenthetical annotations and marks uncertain readings with brackets and question marks. Lacunae are indicated by [---].

Physical manuscript: IOL Tib J 731 (= Ch.82.IV = Scroll Box 139). Scroll format, beginning damaged. Held by the British Library, London (Stein Collection, acquired from the Dunhuang cave library, Mogao Caves, Gansu, China). Recto: 133 lines (separate text). Verso: 103 lines (this text), written between columns of Chinese Buddhist text.

References: Thomas, F.W. (1957), Ancient Folk-Literature from North-Eastern Tibet, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag. Stein, R.A. (1971), "Du récit au rituel dans les manuscrits tibétains de Touen-houang," in Études tibétaines dédiées à la mémoire de Marcelle Lalou, pp. 485–491, 528–535. Vallée Poussin, L. de la (1962), Catalogue of the Tibetan Manuscripts from Tun-Huang in the India Office Library, p. 233.

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