Mahāvyutpatti

The Mahāvyutpatti (Devanagari: महाव्युत्पत्ति, compound of महत् (in compounds often महा) - great, big, and व्युत्पत्ति f. - science, formation of words, etymology;Wylie: Bye-brag-tu rtogs-par byed-pa chen-po), The Great Volume of Precise Understanding or Essential Etymology, was compiled in Tibet during the late eighth to early ninth centuries CE, providing a dictionary composed of thousands of Sanskrit and Tibetan terms designed as means to provide standardised Buddhist texts in Tibetan, and is included as part of the Tibetan Tengyur (Toh. 4346). It is the earliest substantial bilingual dictionary known.

The Mahāvyutpatti is traditionally attributed to the reign of Ralpacan (c. 838), "but as Professor Tucci has pointed out (Tombs of the Tibetan Kings, pp. 14–15), it undoubtedly goes back to his predecessor Sad-na-legs, and one might well assume, in its actual conception, even back to the time of Khri Srong-lde-brtsan, when these problems were first seriously confronted...." So, whatever the case, it must be dated prior to 838 CE, and probably to the time of Sadnalegs (reigned c. 800–815 CE).

Several Indian pandits were consulted before the translation began. A committee of three Tibetan translators who had definitely been translating during the reign of Sadnalegs, 'Bro Ka.ba dPal.brtsegs, Cog.ro kLu'i rgyal.mtshan, and sNa.nam Ye.she.sde, was set up to do the actual translation.

The original dictionary contained 9,565 lexical entries divided into 277 chapters, and was in three volumes – one on the Hinayana, one on the Mahayana, and one of indexes. Three editions were made and installed at pho.brang lDan.mkhar, 'Phang-thang, and mChims.phu.

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