Tattvasvabhavadrstigitika Doha An Old Bengali Doha and its Tibetan Versicn
By Anathnath Basu
Summary
The Tattvasvabhavadrstigitika doha is an Old Bengali text preserved in the Tibetan Tanjur as part of the Rgyud Hgrel section. Originally attributed to the 10th-century Siddhacharya Luipada, it was later identified as the 29th doha of the Caryacaryaviniscaya, a collection of caryapadas linked to Mahayana Buddhism. The work explores metaphysical concepts, emphasizing the absence of duality (bhava and abhava) and the ineffability of ultimate reality. Key themes include the limitations of perception and the paradoxical nature of truth, likened to a moon’s reflection in water. The Tibetan translation, faithful and explanatory, clarifies ambiguous passages from the lost Bengali original. Scholars like Haraprasad Shastri and Suniti Kumar Chatterji contributed to understanding the text’s historical and linguistic context. Discrepancies between the Bengali and Tibetan versions persist, such as the misplacement of the term *tattva* in the Tibetan title. The work remains significant for its insights into Sahajayana Buddhism and later Mahayana developments.
Conclusion
This study illuminates the complex historical and textual entanglements surrounding the attribution of the *Tattvasvabhavadrstigitika doha*, revealing how traditions about Canakya and Kautalya may have conflated over centuries, mirroring broader patterns in literary and political history. The identification of the Bengali doha with the Tibetan translation of Luipada’s *Caryacaryaviniscaya* advances understanding of Sahajayana Buddhism’s later phases, offering a rare window into 10th-century Mahayana thought through faithful Tibetan renderings. By reconciling these disparate sources, the analysis clarifies ambiguities in earlier scholarship, underscoring the doha’s significance as both a linguistic artifact and a key to interpreting obscure Mahayana concepts. The findings emphasize the necessity of cross-cultural textual comparisons in unraveling historical confusions, while acknowledging the unresolved questions that persist without further evidence.