Pelliot tibétain 983
Pelliot tibétain 983 is a fragmentary Old Tibetan version of the Rāmāyana preserved in the Dunhuang cave library and now held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The manuscript is a concertina of five folios with both the beginning and the end missing. Twenty lines on the recto and twenty-four on the verso survive, covering several episodes from the Indian epic: Rāma's renunciation of the kingdom, the finding and betrothal of Sītā, her abduction by a ten-headed being, and the alliance with the monkey prince Sugrīva against his brother Vāli.
The text belongs to a small cluster of Tibetan Rāmāyana manuscripts from Dunhuang (PT 981, 982, and 983), representing the oldest surviving Tibetan versions of the Indian epic. The Tibetan scribe adapted the story freely, condensing multiple books of the Sanskrit original into a continuous narrative with Tibetan character names: Rāma becomes Ra-ma-na, Sītā becomes Rol-rnyed-ma ("She Who Was Found"), Sugrīva becomes 'Grin-bzangs ("Fine-Neck"), and Vāli becomes 'Ba'-li.
The transliteration is from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) corpus, maintained by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Previous scholarly treatments include Balbir (1963) and de Jong (1971, 1977, 1989). This is the first freely available English translation.
[...the beginning is lost...]
Having abandoned worldly things, he pledged to become a sage. "I do not desire the kingdom," he said. Then Lag-sha petitioned him:
"Though you have pledged to act as a sage and will not grant the kingdom to another, let one of your sandals be placed upon the royal throne, and I shall serve as great minister to the subjects of the sandal-regent."
Having petitioned thus, one of Rāma's sandals was sent and placed upon the royal throne, and Lag-sha performed the minister's duties.
Then after some time, a girl — Rol-rnyed-ma — came of age, and in all the world there was no girl more beautiful, lovely, and fine than she. The farmers thought: "A girl this beautiful and fine is too precious for a common man. We must find a man worthy of her — a suitable match — and give her to him." So they all searched in the ten directions.
When they met Rāma and looked upon him, among men there was none more handsome and radiant — well-proportioned, with a lovely complexion and fine appearance — no equal anywhere. "This one is a fit companion for Rol-rnyed-ma," they judged. They brought the girl before Rāma and spoke these words of petition:
Her hair rises high, her eyes have the beauty of the lotus.
Her voice is pure as Brahmā's melody, her complexion utterly clear.
Adorned with supreme ornaments, lovely and auspicious in form —
glorious, unstained, born from the supreme lotus.
Her body is perfectly proportioned, her limbs harmonious from birth.
Her form is beautiful, her limbs all complete —
like a golden figure polished with jewels,
radiant with light in all directions.
Her body carries the fragrance of royal sandalwood.
When one speaks of this divine being of graceful motion,
even lotus-beauty and the majesty of gods rise in reverence.
When she smiles and laughs, beauty itself comes into being.
This precious woman born in this world
has not fallen under the power of any.
Save for you — besides you —
in the world of men there is no other master for her.
O you who possess the beauty of a hundred marks,
you of every virtue —
if we offer this girl before you,
may the leaves and branches flourish!
Trees and flowers of beautiful color blossoming,
adorned and dressed, supremely pleasing —
in precious silk wrapped: this one,
please accept her!
Thus with words of praise they offered her. When Rāma looked upon the woman, among all women there was none more beautiful, virtuous, and pleasing. By the power of desire, he awoke from the sage's austerities and departed.
Filled with wonder, he spoke these words:
"Now, O fair one, lovely one — your grieving tears
streaming long from your beautiful eyes,
falling upon your pure moon-face, rolling down.
Your sun-ray-like, wise mind —
by evil, has become like the darkness of night."
So he spoke and departed. Coming to a certain valley, he found a dark stream flowing down. The younger brother offered a drink, saying, "Drink this." The elder brother said, "This is the fluid of a great being. It is impure — do not drink it."
The younger brother asked, "How do you know it is the fluid of a great being?"
"I will show you — come," he said. Going further into the valley, they saw an extraordinarily large monkey lying there weeping — its saliva, mucus, and tears flowing into the stream. So this was the source of the dark water.
"Monkey, who beat you? Who wounded you?"
"I am the son of the monkey king. We are brothers — my younger brother is 'Grin-bzangs and my elder brother is 'Ba'-li. They fought over the kingdom, and my elder brother, being stronger, beat me," he said.
Then the king asked, "Have you seen a woman such as this?"
"I was so overcome by the grief of my suffering that I did not see her. But in my retinue there are three monkeys. When you came, they fled and are now in the mountain cave of Ya-bi. They may have seen such a one — if they have heard, please ask them."
They looked into the mountain cave. Three great monkeys were there.
"We will not harm you — come down!" they called.
The three monkeys came down and were asked. The monkeys said:
"Some time ago, a being with exactly ten heads — the first among them a horse's head — placed a woman beautiful as a goddess upon the ground at the boundary of the fourth level. The queen spoke these words: 'I am Sītā, the noble queen of King Rāma. Whoever has power — will you not think with compassion? Rescue me from this ugly one!' she cried. Then he carried her through the sky and fled."
Having heard this, King Rāma said, "'Grin-bzangs — if I aid your cause and install you in the kingdom, you must pledge to help me search for my queen."
'Grin-bzangs replied, "If the king aids my cause, then I too shall obey whatever command is given, from the very first."
They made a pact. The next day, they set the time for battle and sent the two monkeys to fight. But when the king was about to shoot his arrow, he was distracted by the spectacle and did not shoot. 'Ba'-li struck 'Grin—
[...the end is lost...]
Colophon
Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text: Pelliot tibétain 983, Bibliothèque nationale de France, transliteration from Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
This is the first freely available English translation of PT 983.
The text is one of three Dunhuang Rāmāyana fragments in Old Tibetan (PT 981, 982, 983). The Tibetan scribe condensed and adapted the Indian epic into a continuous narrative, giving characters Tibetan names alongside their Sanskrit equivalents. Character identifications: Ra-ma-na = Rāma; Lag-sha = likely Bharata (the regent who places Rāma's sandal on the throne); Rol-rnyed-ma = Sītā ("She Who Was Found," reflecting her origin story of being discovered in a furrow); Si-ta = Sītā (her Sanskrit name, used when she identifies herself in captivity); 'Grin-bzangs / Mgrin-bzangs = Sugrīva ("Fine-Neck"); 'Ba'-li = Vāli/Bālin. The ten-headed being with a horse's head corresponds to Rāvaṇa, though he is not named in the text. The mountain cave Ya-bi may correspond to Ṛṣyamūka, where Sugrīva hides in the Sanskrit original.
The narrative covers episodes from multiple books of the Sanskrit Rāmāyana: the Ayodhyākāṇḍa (Rāma's exile and the sandal on the throne), the Bālakāṇḍa (Sītā's discovery and marriage to Rāma), the Āraṇyakāṇḍa (Sītā's abduction), and the Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa (the alliance with Sugrīva and the battle with Vāli). The Tibetan version compresses these into a single flowing narrative. A verse section praising Sītā's beauty (recto, folios 3–5) is embedded within the prose. The text contains a notable Tibetan variation: the monkey who tells Rāma of the succession dispute names both a younger brother ('Grin-bzangs/Sugrīva) and an elder brother ('Ba'-li/Vāli), placing himself as a middle sibling — a departure from the standard Indian version, which has only two monkey brothers.
The description of Rāvaṇa's "first head being a horse's head" among his ten heads is another Tibetan variation, not found in the standard Sanskrit tradition.
Previous scholarly editions and translations: Balbir (1963), de Jong (1971, 1977, 1989). The present translation was derived independently from the OTDO transliteration of the Old Tibetan text. De Jong's published translations were not consulted during the translation process.
Good Works Translation — translated from Old Tibetan.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Pelliot tibétain 983
Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) corpus, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (AA-Ken), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Transliteration of Pelliot tibétain 983, Bibliothèque nationale de France. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Recto
(r1-1) zang zing spangs te // drang srong bya bar dam bcas pas // rgyal srid myi 'dod ces smras pa dang // lag sha nas gsol pa //
(r1-2) drang srong mdzad par dam bcas te // rgyal srid bzhes par myi gnang na yang / khyed kyi chags gcig rgyal po'i gdan
(r1-3) du bzhag ste // bdag gIs chags gog gi 'bangs kyi blon po ched po bya'o zhes gsol nas // ra ma na'i chags
(r1-4) gcig skur te // rgyal po'i gdan la bzhag nas // lag sha nas blon pa'i las byed do // de nas re shig na bu mo /
(r2-1) rol rnyed ma nar son te 'jig rten na bu mo de las bzang zhing mdzes chags la sdug myed nas // zhing pa rnams
(r2-2) kyis bsam pa // bu mo 'di lta bu bzang zhing sdug pa myi phal la ni phangs te myi sbyin na // bu mo 'di zlar rung ba'i skyes pa
(r2-3) 'ga zhig btsal te rnyen na sbyin no zhes kun gyis phyogs bcur btsal te smras pa dang // ra ma na dang phrad de bltas
(r2-4) na // myir skyes pa la de las bzang zhing bkrag ce // sbyibs legs la mdog sdug mdangs mdzes pa gzhan
(r3-1) du myed pa zhig nas // 'di ni rol rnyed ma'i rogs su rung zhes dphyad de // bu mo khrid nas // ra ma na'i gan du 'ongs te gsol ba'i tshig la /
(r3-2) skra nI mtho 'tIng dmyig ni ^ud dpal la // tshangs pa'i dbyangs ltar kha dog rnam par dag // 'phral ba rgyan mchog mdzes
(r3-3) pa dbyibs su shis // dpal ldan dri myed pad mo mchog las skyes // lus ni rnam par yan lag ye nas mnyan // lus
(r3-4) kyi dbyibs legs yan lag yongs su tshang // gser gi gzugs la nor bu phyis pa 'dra // phyogs kun 'od kyis
(r4-1) rnam par gsal bar gda' // lus la cha 'dan rgyal po spos kyi dri // 'gro ldan lha rdzas yid du 'ong brjod pa'i tshe
(r4-2) g.yar nas ^ud dpal lha'I ngad kyang ldang // 'di ni gang tshe 'dzum zhing rgod pa'I dus //
(r4-3) byung bar 'gyur // bud myed rIn cen 'jig rten 'dir byung na // mtha ma kun gyi dbang du gyur ma lags // khyod la /
(r4-4) ma gtogs pa // myi'i 'jig rten na // 'di bdag po gzhan na gcig ma mchis // mtshan brgya'I sku gzugs mdzes mnga' ba //
(r5-1) yon tan sna tshogs ldan ba'I sku // khyod kyi zha sngar bu mo 'di 'bul na // sna tshogs lo ma yan lag rgyas gyur cig //
(r5-2) shing dang men tog mdog sdug rgyas pa'i mdog // rgyan dang chas shing shin du yId du 'ong // rIn cen dar pas
(r5-3) klubs pa 'dI / bzhes sheg ces bstod tshig dang bchas par phul ba dang // ra ma nas gzigs na / bud myed de myIr skyes pa la /
(r5-4) de las bzang zhing yon tan dang ldan te yid du 'ong ba myed nas // chags pa'i dbang gis // drang srong gi dka' thub las
Verso
(v1-1) pa dang sad de yang gshes nas // rmad 'dor zhing 'di skad du gsungs so // da tsham bzang mo yid 'ong gdung ba'i
(v1-2) mchi ma dkyus rings spyan bkra nas // zla zhal dag la dbab ltar 'dril ba snyam // gnyi zer lta bu'i mkhyen
(v1-3) pa'i thugs ngan gyis // mtshan mo'i mun pa bzhin du gyur ba snyam zhes gsung zhing bzhud pa las / lung
(v1-4) pa gcig gi mdor phyin na // chab nag po zhIg 'bab nas / gcung skyems te bthung zhes byas pa dang //
(v1-5) gcen gi zhal nas 'di sems can ched po'i khu ba yin te brtsog gis ma 'thung zhig ces bgyis
(v2-1) pa dang // gcung gi mchid nas // ci ltar sems can chen po'i khu ba lags shes dris pa dang /
(v2-2) bstan gis 'dong ngo zhes gsungs nas / lung pa'i phur phyin na spre'u 'phags par ched pa zhIg snang de /
(v2-3) nyal nas ngu zhIng 'dug pa'i kha chu dang sna cu dang mchi ma da ci'i chu yin nas // spre'u khyod sus bsad rdeg shes
(v2-4) rmas pa dang bdag nI sre'u gi rgyal po'i bu / bdag cag spun gnyis la / bdag gi nu bo ste 'grin
(v2-5) bzangs zhes bgyi // bdag gi pho bo nI 'ba' li shes bgyi ste // rgyal srid la rtod pa las pho bo stobs che ba
(v3-1) ste bdag rdegs so zhes mchi'o // de nas rgyal pos bud myed 'di lta bu zhig mthong ngam zhes dris pa dang // bdag ni
(v3-2) bro 'tshal pa'I mya ngan gyis gtungs pas ma mthong na' // bdag gi slad 'khor na // spre'u gsum mchis pa /
(v3-3) khyed gda' ba dang / bros nas // da ltar rI grod ya bi na mchis te // de rnams gyis / de lta bu zhig mthong bar glangs
(v3-4) pa / thos na' / rmar gsol zhes zer ba dang // ri grod du bltas pa dang // spre'u che gsuM gda' ste / nged gnod
(v4-1) pa myi byed gyis / mar shog cig ches bgyIs pa dang // spre'u gsuM yang der 'ongs te rmas pa dang // spre'u
(v4-2) na re // gzhe ning sna zhig gi dus na / myi mgo bcu tham ba la mgo dang po rta mgor 'dug pa gcig gis
(v4-3) bud myed sman bzhin gcig sa bzhI gzhI tha gi tsham gi steng du bzhag ste // btsun mo 'i zhal nas 'dI skad mchI 'o // bdag nI
(v4-4) rgyal po ra ma na'I btsun mo dam pa si ta yin // mthu ltan gang zhig brtse bar myi dgongs 'am // myi sdug gzugs can /
(v4-5) 'di las phrog shig ces mchi nas // nam ka la khyer te bros te mchis so // zhes byas pa dang rgyal po
(v5-1) ra ma na'i zhal nas 'grin bzangs gi dan rogs byas te // rgyal srid du gzhug na // khyed kyis nga'i /
(v5-2) btsun mo btsal ba'i dan rogs bya bar dam bca' zhes byas pa dang // mgrin bzangs na re // rgyal pos bdag gi
(v5-3) dan rogs bgyis na // bdag gis kyang rngo ci thog gis bka' stsal pa bzhin nyan zhes gsol pa dang //
(v5-4) bro gtsigs bzung ste // sang gi nyin par thab mo bgyid par dus btab ste // spre'u gnyis thug ces bkye ba dang /
(v5-5) rgyal pos mdas 'phang bar bgyi bgyi na ltad mo la g.yengs ste / mda' ma 'phangs nas // 'ba' lIs 'grin
Source Colophon
Source text: Pelliot tibétain 983, Bibliothèque nationale de France. Digitized manuscript facsimile available through Gallica (ark:/12148/btv1b83073194).
Transliteration from Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (AA-Ken), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. URL: otdo.aa-ken.jp/archives?p=Pt_0983.
Manuscript description: Concertina format, five folios, four to five lines per side. Beginning and end missing. Recto: 20 lines. Verso: 24 lines. Textual notes from the OTDO transliteration (interlinear corrections, marginal annotations, variant readings) are preserved in the OTDO digital edition and may be consulted there.
Scholarly references: Balbir, J. (1963); de Jong, J.W. (1971), (1977), (1989). See OTDO reference page for full bibliographic details.
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