A Newly Identified Kuchean Fragment of the Hariścandrāvadāna Housed in the Russian Collection

Abstract

This paper introduces one Kuchean (i.e. Tocharian B) fragment housed in the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences. The fragment has been identified as part of the Hariścandrāvadāna. This narrative is in the sixth chapter of the Daśakarmapathāvadānamālā in Old Uyghur. The colophon of this compilation in Old Uyghur states that it was translated from the Tocharian A translation, which itself had been translated from the Tocharian B original. The comparison between this newly identified Kuchean fragment of the Hariścandrāvadāna and the Old Uyghur version reveals that in both, discrepancies and parallel parts are observable. Thus, whether this Kuchean fragment belongs to the Kuchean version of the Daśakarmapathāvadānamālā or is part of the compilation of Buddhist legends in Kuchean remains uncertain.