The Pillar at 'Phyong Rgyas

The tomb inscription of Emperor Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (also known as Sadnaleg, r. c. 800–815 CE) stands at 'Phyong Rgyas — the Valley of the Kings in central Tibet, where the emperors of the Yarlung dynasty are buried. The pillar was erected shortly after his death, between 815 and 817 CE.

The inscription is a royal eulogy in fifty-nine lines. It opens with the divine lineage of the Tibetan emperors, descended from the gods of heaven through 'O Lde Spu Rgyal. It praises Khri Lde Srong Brtsan's wisdom, expansiveness, and mental strength, describes the domestic peace he achieved, records his military dominion over China, India, the Turks, and the Hor peoples, and celebrates his Buddhist patronage — his striving for enlightenment, his accumulation of merit, and his expansion of the holy dharma. The final line names the tomb: Rgyal Chen 'Phrul, "Great Miraculous Royal."

The stone is very badly weathered. Lines 1–19 survive largely intact, aided by an appendix of earlier readings made by Ka-thog Rig-'dzin Tshe-dbang Nor-bu in the eighteenth century when the surface was less damaged. Lines 20–38 are severely damaged, with most content irrecoverable. Lines 39–59 are partially readable. Lacunae are marked with [---]. This is the most damaged of the Tibetan imperial inscriptions.

This translation is independently derived from the Old Tibetan transliteration as published by the Old Tibetan Documents Online project (OTDO). First freely available English translation. Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

Preamble

The Emperor, divine son, 'O Lde Spu Rgyal — who descended from the gods of heaven to be lord of men:

His virtuous ways never changed.
His great power never diminished at any time.
His realm was outwardly vast; his military authority endured long.

Like a great eternal temple, the divine son Khri Lde Srong Brtsan was lord of men.

In accord with divine custom, his power was great.
Matching the laws of heaven, his edicts were mighty.

Through the waves of his profound wisdom and the ways of his good decrees, both inner and outer affairs prospered, and his realm was great.

So that all people might know this at all times, a summary has been inscribed on this stone pillar.

The King's Character and Governance

The Emperor, divine son, Khri Lde Srong Brtsan — from his divine miraculous presence:

His wisdom was profound, his mind expansive, his command steadfast and balanced, and his mental strength was great.

Being such as he was, though he was lord of all, because he put an end to unnecessary works, there was no internal strife and no unhappiness. All of Tibet prospered under him, and the subjects were happy.

So that forever his royal descendants' realm would be firm and the subjects happy, he established counsel and decrees of unprecedented excellence — instructions for governing and extraordinary strategies for subduing external enemies — thinking broadly of enduring benefit.

The Four Directions

From his divine miraculous presence, to the four borders and eight directions, his edicts were mighty and his realm was great.

East — China

To the east, where China sat as a great kingdom, disputes arose. From the first, as soon as he took the realm into his hands, the Tibetan army drove them toward their territory, and they were frightened.

Since these events, having been sovereign of the realm — China at times did not contend for dominion, and always requested audience.

South — India

To the south, as for the great kingdom of India [---]

The Weathered Section

Lines 30–38 are severely damaged. The stone is nearly illegible. Scattered words survive: "governance" (chab srId), "stone" (rdo), "both… Tibet" (bod gnyIs), "under the sun" (nyI 'og tu), and "peace-making" (zhI sbyor). No continuous passage can be reconstructed. These lines likely described the western and possibly southern campaigns, or the relationship with India, but the content is lost.

North — The Turks and the Hor

To the north, where the Turks dwelt, [---] and the Yellow Hor [---] disputes arose for dominion.

From the conflict [---] Tibet [---]. Boundaries were established [---] China's [---] and the great territorial borders [---]. The Hor peoples also submitted to the realm and requested audience.

These and other kings [---] under [the sun] [---]

Buddhist Patronage

Besides governance, [---] the holy dharma [---] he strove greatly [---] for great enlightenment. Through the most holy means, merit was extensively accumulated [---]. The holy dharma was expanded. Through the grace of his accomplishments [---]

From his divine miraculous presence, his wisdom profound and his edicts mighty — through the merit of former lives, he was exalted above all, his form surpassing others in beauty and accomplishment.

Each [---] all people knew [---]. The kings of the four borders, great and small alike, all came under his authority, and his fame spread everywhere.

[---] The wide reach of his great edicts [---] the neighboring kings, great and small, all paid homage. Their cherished ministers, many in number, offered respectful greetings and petitions, performing great service.

The Tomb

In this way, having been lord of men's lands, he departed [---].

This is the lord's tomb in Ba Shod, named "Rgyal Chen 'Phrul."

Colophon

The Tomb Inscription of Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (insc_Khrilde) is a stone pillar inscription at 'Phyong Rgyas, the Valley of the Kings in central Tibet. It dates to 815–817 CE, erected shortly after the death of Emperor Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (also known as Sadnaleg, r. c. 800–815 CE).

Khri Lde Srong Brtsan was one of the last great emperors of the Tibetan Empire. He inherited the empire at its zenith — the period following his father Khri Srong Lde Brtsan's conquests, including the capture of the Chinese capital Chang'an in 763 CE (recorded on the Zhol inscription). His reign saw continued military dominance over the Tang Chinese, the Turkic peoples (Dru-gu), and the Hor (likely Uighurs), alongside significant patronage of Buddhism. The inscription presents him as both a military sovereign and a Buddhist patron — a king whose authority over the four borders was matched by his striving for enlightenment and accumulation of merit.

The inscription consists of fifty-nine lines on a single pillar. It is the most badly weathered of all the Tibetan imperial inscriptions. The Old Tibetan Documents Online project provides two layers: the primary transliteration (lines 1–59), and an appendix (lines a1–a30, a39–a47) preserving the readings of H. E. Richardson (1985), who worked from earlier readings by Ka-thog Rig-'dzin Tshe-dbang Nor-bu (1688–1755). The appendix is critical for lines 14–30, where the primary text has extensive lacunae that the earlier readings can partially fill. Lines 31–38 have no appendix coverage and are the most severely damaged section — virtually illegible.

Historical identifications: 'O Lde Spu Rgyal — the legendary ancestor-emperor of the Yarlung dynasty, from whom all btsan-pos claimed descent. Dru-gu (Dru gu) — Turkic peoples. Hor Ser (Yellow Hor) — likely the Uighurs. Rgya — China (Tang dynasty). Rgya Gar — India. Ba Shod (or 'Ba' Shod) — the location of the tomb within the Valley of the Kings. Rgyal Chen 'Phrul — "Great Miraculous Royal," the proper name of the burial mound.

Translation notes: "btsan-po" is rendered as "Emperor" for consistency with the archive's Zhol Inscription translation. "chab srId" (political authority/governance/realm) is rendered variously as "realm," "governance," or "dominion" depending on context. "mnga' thang" = power/authority. "bka' brtsan" = mighty edicts/commands. "thugs sgam" = profound wisdom (honorific). "dbu rmog" (lit. "helmet") = military authority (metonymy). "g.yung drung" = eternal/indestructible. "dam pa'I chos" = the holy dharma. "byang chub chen po" = great enlightenment (Skt. mahābodhi). "bsod nams" = merit (Skt. puṇya). "bang so" = tomb/burial mound. "lha 'phrul" = divine miracle, used as a royal epithet.

Where the primary text has lacunae that the appendix can fill, the appendix reading has been silently adopted. Where neither text provides a readable passage, the gap is marked with [---]. The translation of lines 30–38 is acknowledged as irrecoverable; only scattered words survive. The colophon of the original stone reads the tomb's name clearly in the final line — the stone remembers what it was built for even when it has forgotten the campaigns.

This translation is independently derived from the Old Tibetan transliteration as published by the Old Tibetan Documents Online project (OTDO). The standard scholarly references are H. E. Richardson, "A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions" (Royal Asiatic Society, 1985) and Li Fang-Kuei and W. S. Coblin, "A Study of the Old Tibetan Inscriptions" (1987). These were not used as the basis for this translation; the English is independently derived from the Old Tibetan source.

Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Formatted for the Good Work Library by Tanken (探検), Expeditionary Tulku Life 59.

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Source Text: ཁྲི་ལྡེ་སྲོང་བརྩན་གྱི་བང་སོའི་རྡོ་རིངས།

Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) project, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Transliteration of the stone pillar inscription at the tomb of Khri Lde Srong Brtsan, 'Phyong Rgyas. The primary transliteration (lines 1–59) is followed by the appendix (lines a1–a30, a39–a47), which preserves the readings of Richardson (1985) based on comparison with Ka-thog Rig-'dzin Tshe-dbang Nor-bu's earlier readings. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Primary Text (Lines 1–59)

(1) $ / / btsan po lha sras / 'o lde spu rgyal / / gnam gyI
(2) lha las myI'i rjer gshegs pa / / chos lugs bzang
(3) po ni gzhar gtsug myI 'gyur / / mnga' thang chen po ni nam zhar
(4) kyang byIn myi nyam ste / / chab srId ni phyir zhIng che / dbu rmog
(5) ni yun du brtsan pa'I / / g.yung drung gi gtsug lag chen po
(6) bzhin du / / lha sras khrI lde srong brtsan myI'i rje
(7) mdzad pa / / lha'I lugs dang 'thun par ni mnga' thang nI chen [po]
(8) gnam gyI chos dang mtshungs par ni / / bka' brtsan te
(9) thugs sgam po'i rlabs dang / / bka' lung bzang po'i
(10) lugs kyIs / / phyi nang gnyIs su legs dang chab srId che
(11) ba'i tshul / nam du yang / myi yongs kyis shes par / / mdo
(12) tsam zhIg rdo rings la brIs pa'o / /
(13) / / btsan po lha sras / khrI lde srong brtsan / lha 'phrul gyI
(14) zha snga nas / / thugs sgam / / kho[ng] ya[ngs] pa dang / brtan [zu]ng thub
(15) thugs stobs che'o / / [---] nyI [-] de lta bsam / '[---] gI
(16) rje mdzad na yang / / myI [--]s pa'i las rgya mu bskrungs pas
(17) nang du 'khrug pa dang / myI [--] ba myed cIng / / bod ljongs kyIs
(18) myI [---]l byung ste / 'bangs gyod do / / nam zhar dbon
(19) sras rgyud chab srId btsan dang / 'bangs skyId par bya'o
(20) [-]ms [-] gtang / / myI'i [---] [---]y[---] [---]n[---] yI [---]
(21) [-]n mye [-]p[-]I [---] [na]ng du bzhag [---]n gyi [-] g[-]
(22) yang rgya cher dgongs [---] lha 'phrul gyI zha snga nas m[---]
(23) phyogs brgyad du [bka' brtsa]n chab srId che ste [-] phyo[gs bzhir]
(24) rgyal po chen por m[---] b[---] / / bar du bka' khon byung nas
(25) dgra ru sdor [-]l [---]ng [j---] [---] du bzhes ma thag tu d[-]
(26) dmag gis rgyar [---]u[---] [---] [---]s ru drangs nas s[---]
(27) da tshun cad [---] rgyas [-]I[---] [---]r mdzad thog [---]
(28) [g]tsug lag [kha]ng [---] [---]s [-]o[-] ste / / rtag du [---]
(29) [-]d[---] [---] [che]n por cha gar 'dug
(30) [---] do dang l[---] [---]u[---] [---]yIs [-]ng chad dam
(31) [-]r [-]n dan [---] [---]y[---] [chab] srId [---]
(32) [---] mar [---] kha kyong du
(33) [---]r [---] su [---] rdo [---] dang [---] bcas pa
(34) [---] [---]y[---] po [---] bod gnyIs
(35) j[---] [---]r[---] [---] [---]n[---] [---] [---]yo [-] I zhan [---] du
(36) yang d[---] [---] myI [---] [---]d pa
(37) [---] [---]d [---] nyI 'og tu chab
(38) [---]c[---] [---][---]t zhI sbyor zhIng
(39) [---]d [---] p[---] [byang] phyogs na dru gu [---] s
(40) [---] ho[r se]r [---] [bar] du bka khong byung nas chab srId
(41) [-]s [---] [---]u[-] gu ru gya'i [---] dang [-] so ru [-]n chud cad du / bod
(42) [-]d [---] cher [---] / / man ngas bcad [-]n[---] rgya
(43) nga yul kyI [-]n[---] srung kong [---]d tshun cad lho hor khag
(44) gyis kyang chab srId la bsrong te / [---]u[-] du gsol lo / 'di dag
(45) [---] stsogs pa rgyal po [---]n [-]o [---]ng [---] [ny] 'og tu
(46) [---] [cha]b srId kya[ng] [---] de [---] pa dam pa'I chos
(47) [---] rab tu rtsal [-]u [-]u[---] [bya]ng
(48) chub chen po['i] sa khyon [---] du [-]o[---] rab tu dam pa'I sgo nas bsod /
(49) nams kyang rgya cher skyong [-]o[-] [-]u[---] [---]y[-]g[---] dam pa'I chos rgyas par /
(50) mdzad [-] pa'i bka' drIn gyIs kyang sa [---] pa'i [-]o[-] lha 'phrul gyI zha [snga] /
(51) [na]s / thugs sgam bka' brtsan chab [---] bsod nams snga ldan gyI /
(52) gong du 'phags par sku [-] gzhan las [kyang] lhag pa'I mdzes sku rtsal /
(53) lo / re [---]r sku [-]o[---] chan [---] par myI yongs kyIs shes shIng /
(54) [m]tha bzhI'I rgyal po che phra kun kyang bka' 'og tu chud par [-]I[-] gyIs khyab /
(55) [---] [---]u[-] bka'I che [---] pa rgya khyab kyIs [-] snga [-] bzhIs las stsogs /
(56) [g.ya] g.yo'I rgyal po che phra [-] [k]un byas / so so'I blon po gces pa mang po /
(57) [---]s nas [-] du [---] stsogs pa'I chIg snga srIm phul nas [sri] zhu cher byas
(58) [---] lta bus myI yul gyI rje mdzad pa las / zhongs [---] mgI [-]r gshegs
(59) [---] ba shod kyI rje'I bang so rgyal chen 'phrul zhes mtshan pa 'di lags so

Appendix — Richardson Readings (Lines a1–a30)

(a1) $ / / btsan po lha sras / / 'o lde spu rgyal / / gnam gyI
(a2) lha las / myI'i rjer gshegs pa / / chos lugs bzang
(a3) po ni gzhar gtsug myI 'gyur / / mnga' thang chen po ni nam
(a4) kyang byIn myi nyamste / / chab srId ni phyir zhIng che / / dbu rmog
(a5) ni yun tu brtsan pa'I / / g.yung drung gi gtsug lag chen po
(a6) bzhin du / / btsan po lha sras khrI / lde srong brtsan / myI'i rje
(a7) mdzad pa / / lha'I lugs dang mthun par ni mnga' thang che /
(a8) gnam gyI chos dang mtshungs par ni / bka' brtsan te /
(a9) thugs sgam po'i rlabs dang / bka' lung bzang po'I
(a10) lugs kyIs / / phyi nang gnyIs su legs shing / / chab srId che
(a11) ba'i tshul / / nam du yang / myi yongs kyis shes par / / mdo
(a12) tsam zhIg rdo rings la brIs pa'o / /
(a13) $ / / btsan po lha sras / khri lde srong brtsan / lha 'phrul gyI
(a14) zha snga nas / / thugs sgam / khong yangs / bka' brtan / zung thub /
(a15) thugs stobs che'o / / rang nyid de lta bas na / 'greng gI
(a16) rje mdzad na yang / / myI dgos pa'i las kyi mu bskyungs pas
(a17) nang du 'khrug pa dang / / myI bde ba myed cIng / / bod yongs kyIs
(a18) khong la yul phyug ste / / 'bangs skyId do / / nam zhar / dbon
(a19) sras rgyud kyi chab srid brtan zhing / / 'bangs skyid par bya ba'i
(a20) gdams ngag dang / / phyI'i dgra 'dul ba'i byin gyi dgra' thabs
(a21) sngon myed pa'I bzang po bka' lung du bzhag ste / / yun gyi legs
(a22) pa yang rgya cher dgongs so / / lha 'phrul gyI zha snga nas mtha
(a23) bzhi phyogs brgyad du / / bka' brtsan / / chab srId che ste / / shar phyogs
(a24) $ / / rgyal po chen por rgya 'dug pa dang / / bar du bka' khon byung nas
(a25) dgrar bsdo ba las / / dang po chab srId phyag du bzhes ma thag du / bod
(a26) kyi dmag gIs / / rgya'i yul thog phyogs su drangs pas spa ba'o / /
(a27) de tshun cad kyis chab srid kyi mnga' bdag mdzad ma thog la
(a28) nar du lan 'ga' rgyas chab srId la ma bsdo ste / / rtag tu mjal
(a29) dum gsol lo / / lho phyogs kyi rgyal por rgya gar 'dug
(a30) pa yang / /

Appendix — Richardson Readings (Lines a39–a47)

(a39) [---] phyogs [-] dru gu 'dug
(a40) [---] bar du bka' khon byung nas chab srId
(a41) [---] bsdo ba las [-]u [-]u [-]u rgya [-]'i [---] dang go man tshun cad du / / bod
(a42) [---] dam [---] po che [---] / / mnangs bcad rgya
(a43) [---] dang / yul gyi mu che [---] [-]o dong [---] tshun cad stod hor kha ga
(a44) gyis kyang chab srId la [---] bsdo ste / / mjal dum du gsol lo / / 'di dag
(a45) las stsogs pa rgyal po / [---] 'og tu
(a46) [---] chab srId [---] da[-] pa'I chos
(a47) [-] gyid rab tu rtsal [-]u [-]u [---] nga [---]

Source Colophon

Old Tibetan transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) project, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Identifier: insc_Khrilde. URL: https://otdo.aa-ken.jp/archives?p=insc_Khrilde. © 2006 OTDO Project.

The OTDO transcription follows the readings of Li Fang-Kuei and W. S. Coblin, "A Study of the Old Tibetan Inscriptions" (1987), with line numbering per their correction. The appendix preserves the readings of H. E. Richardson, "A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions" (Royal Asiatic Society, 1985: 84–91), made by comparison with the earlier readings of Ka-thog Rig-'dzin Tshe-dbang Nor-bu (1688–1755). Note that after line 31, the OTDO line numbering is one less than Richardson's, as Richardson counted lines 31 and 32 as a single line.

OTDO editorial marks: Square brackets indicate damaged or uncertain readings. [---] indicates lacunae where the inscription is too damaged to read. Underscores in the original OTDO display have been removed for readability. The full diplomatic transcription with all editorial apparatus is available at the OTDO website.

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