On some Tibetan names of the Buddha

Summary

This linguistic study examines the Tibetan equivalents of several Sanskrit names of the Buddha. The author begins by listing a series of epithets—such as Tathāgata, Sugata, Śākyamuni and Vajrasattva—and provides their Tibetan translations. He analyses the phonetic and semantic adaptations that occur when Sanskrit terms are rendered into Tibetan, highlighting how the scriptural translators of the eighth and ninth centuries balanced fidelity to meaning with the phonological constraints of Tibetan. For instance, Tathāgata becomes De‑shin‑sheg‑pa (‘thus‑gone one’) and Vajrasattva becomes Dorje‑sempa (‘adamantine‑minded’). The author also notes cases where multiple Tibetan terms exist for a single Sanskrit name, reflecting divergent doctrinal emphases among translation teams. In addition to lexical analysis, the paper surveys Tibetan historical chronicles and ritual manuals to show how these names are used in different contexts—for example, as invocations in mantras, as titles in philosophical treatises, or as narrative devices in hagiographies. By exploring the intersection of language, doctrine and practice, the article sheds light on the Tibetan reception of Indian Buddhism and underscores the importance of philological precision in understanding cross‑cultural transmission.