Rāhula Sāṃkṛtyāyana’s Edition of Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa

Paṇḍita Rāhula Sāṃkṛtyāyana’s (1893–1963) contribution to Buddhist studies is well-known, substantial and everlasting, thanks to his sensational discoveries of Sanskrit manuscripts in the monasteries of Tibet during his four expeditions in search of manuscripts in 1929–1930, 1934, 1936, and 1938. He collected only Tibetan books and thangka paintings during the first trip. It was during his 1934 and 1936 expeditions that he discovered in Ngor monastery the Sanskrit manuscript of Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa-kārikā and Bhāṣya. However, in 1931, long before his discovery, Rāhul Jī had published his edition of the Abhidharmakośa in Sanskrit, which he based on the French translation of the text from the Chinese made by Louis de La Vallée Poussin (Paris 1923–1931). Rāhula Sāṃkṛtyāyana relying on de La Vallée Poussin’s annotated translation reconstructed all the kārikās and provided them with a lucid running Sanskrit commentary, which he called Nālandikā-ṭīkā (or vivṛti). Besides, the edition was provided with an introduction (bhūmikā) in which the learned Pandit offered a sketch of the development of Buddhism (sects, Buddhist canon, Abhidharma, etc.). At the end of the book, he attached many appendices (index of kārikās, index of kārikās reconstructed by him, word-index). In addition to these, he appended also numerous folded pages which contain various useful lists of terms, schemes, tables, drawings, etc. painstakingly prepared by the author. The present paper offers an overview of the pioneer work of Rāhula Sāṃkṛtyāyana.