Lankaavataara-suutra

[Nobumi Iyanaga]

Dear List Members,

I would like to ask some questions on the Lanka-avataara-suutra:

I know that this suutra has been translated (at least) three times in
Chinese: 1. by Gu.nabhadra (who came from the Central India), around the
middle of the 5th century;
2. by Bodhiruci (who came also from the Central India), in the first half
of the 6th century;
3. by 'Sik.saananda (who came from Khotan), at the beginning of the 8th
century.

So, here are my questions:
1]  Are there any other (lost) Chinese translations (date?, translator?)?

2]  Is the date of the Sanskrit version of the suutra known or are there
any conjrctures on it?

3]  Are the approximative date and the place of the original text known?
or are there any conjectures on these points?

Here is the background of my questions:
My interest in this text is limited to a little point: it it related to the
history of .daakinii.  There is a mention of ".daaka and .daakinii" in the
sanskrit version of this suutra, in the Chapter on the meat-eating; in the
Chinese versions by Bodhiruci and "Sik.saananda, we read "raak.sasa and
raak.sasii", instead of ".daaka and .daakinii" (T. XVI 671 viii 563a24-25;
T. XVI 672 vi 624a3-4; D. T. Suzuki, The Lankaavataara suutra, London, 1932
; reprint 1968, p.216), and this seems to be one of the oldest mention of
this category of beings.  And in the Chapter on dhaara.nii, the version of
Bodhiruci has a mention of ".daaka and .daakinii" (T. XVI 671 viii 565a6)
also (I don't know if it is there in the Sanskrit version) [this is perhaps
the earliest mention of these words in the Chinese Buddhist literature].

Thank you in advance for any insight on these points.

Best regards,

Nobumi Iyanaga
Tokyo,
Japan