An Appendix to the new edition of the Bodhicaryavatara
By Sujitkumar Mukhopadhyaya
Summary
This appendix accompanies a new edition of the Bodhicaryāvatāra published by the Asiatic Society. The author reviews the 193 additional verses added by editor Vidushekhara Bhattacharya and compares them with a Tibetan translation to correct printing errors and misreadings. For each chapter, he lists page and verse numbers and offers emendations supported by Tibetan evidence. The article highlights the importance of cross‑linguistic textual criticism in establishing an accurate text and points out broader issues such as inconsistent transliteration and missing punctuation. It underscores the collaborative nature of editing classical Buddhist works and contributes to producing a reliable edition of Śāntideva’s ethical treatise.
Conclusion
By meticulously correcting and annotating the additional verses of the new Bodhicaryāvatāra edition, the article improves the textual foundation for studying Śāntideva. It demonstrates the value of consulting Tibetan translations and underscores the ongoing need for critical editions of Buddhist classics.