Bhiksukarmavakya

Summary

This article presents an edition of the Bhiksukarmavakya, a Sanskrit treatise on the monastic ordination of Buddhist monks, based on a single manuscript discovered in Gilgit, Kashmir. The editors note that although the procedure for ordination exists in scattered passages in the Pali Vinaya, particularly in the Mahavagga, there is no systematic arrangement in any surviving work. In his Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts, Pundit H. P. Shastri mentioned a similar text under the title Kriyasamgrahapannika, but his brief description of the ordination ceremony differs from the present manuscript. Dr. N. Dutt’s edition of the Bodhisattvapratimoksha Sutra, a Mahayanic text, gives another account of ordination, but again the details vary considerably. A Tibetan version of the treatise appears in the Sde-dge edition of the Kanjur, though it is more elaborate. The editors therefore argue that the Bhiksukarmavakya has not been previously published and that it offers a unique view of the ritual. The article begins with an introduction outlining these textual relationships and justifying the publication of the Sanskrit text. It then presents the Sanskrit text in roman transliteration, accompanied by a word-by-word translation and commentary. The text opens with homage to the Buddha and sets out the preliminary conditions for ordination, such as the candidate’s purity and the presence of a quorum of monks. It describes the role of the upadhyaya (preceptor) and acharya (teacher) and details the ritual announcements (patti and patticatutthukamma), the taking of the three refuges (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and the renunciation of possessions. The text proceeds to enumerate the ten precepts and thirty rules of training, including abstention from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, intoxicants, and various forms of luxury. It specifies ceremonial actions like shaving the head, wearing saffron robes, and handling the begging bowl. The article also discusses variations between the Sanskrit manuscript and the Tibetan translation, noting that the latter elaborates on certain formulas and adds explanatory glosses. Throughout, the editors compare readings and provide philological notes on Sanskrit compounds, Pali equivalents, and Tibetan loanwords. The conclusion stresses that the Bhiksukarmavakya is an important witness to early Buddhist ritual because it presents a concise yet systematic procedure for ordination, filling a gap in Vinaya literature. It also highlights the value of the Gilgit manuscript cache for understanding the transmission of Buddhist texts.