[INDOLOGY] Date of Candranandana

[Roland Steiner]

Dear collegues,

Maybe I missed it, but has anyone taken a look at Naudou's "Les  
Bouddhistes Kaśmiriens" yet?

Jean Naudou, Les Bouddhistes Kaśmīriens au moyen age. Paris 1968, pp. 103 f. :
 
« Avant d’aborder ces deux sujets — logique et /vajrayāna/ — signalons  
un personnage dont les œuvres sont admises au /bstan’-gyur/, mais dont  
rien n’indique qu’il ait été bouddhiste. Il s’agit d’un médecin, le  
plus savant sans doute du Kaśmīr médiéval, Candranandana, qui, au  
contraire de tant de maîtres, est daté avec une précision tout à fait  
satisfaisante, puisque l’un de ses ouvrages est accompagné de vœux  
adressés au Śāhi Thakkana, connu également par la /Rājataraṅgiṇī/ [VI,  
230.231 et 236], mais qui n’est pas mentionné par al-Bīrūnī.  
Abhimanyu, nous informe Kalhaṇa, mena une expédition contre ce  
souvereign qui reçu un nouvel /abhiṣeka/ à l’occasion de son  
allégeance au roi de Śrīnagar. Comme Abhimanyu régnait de 958 à 972,  
on peut admettre avec une approximation suffisante que Candranandana  
vivait dans la seconde moitié du xe siècle.
Ce médecin, auquel on donne le titre de /Sakalāyurvedaśāstrakuśala/,  
était, d’après les données généalogiques transmises par la traduction  
tibétaine de ses ouvrages, fils de [Ratinandana] et petit-fils de  
[Mahānandana)],  [p. 104] et il était originaire du Kaśmīr. II rédigea  
un volumineux traité qui n’occupe pas moins de 2 188 pages en  
traduction tibétaine et qui s’intitule /Padārthacandrikāprabhāsa/. Il  
se présente comme une vivṛtti de 1’/Aṣṭāṅgahṛdaya/ de Vāgbhaṭa II et  
comporte les huit divisions traditionnelles : la section traitant des  
généralités [/sūtrasthāna/] (/mdo’i gnas/) constitue à elle seule près  
du tiers de l’ouvrage (Mdo, CXX). La section relative au corps  
[/śarīrasthāna/] (/lus-kyi gnas/), l’étiologie [/nidānasthāna/]  
(/nad-gźi’i gnas/) et la thérapeutique, [/cikitsasthāna/] (/gso-ba’i  
gnas/) occupent un second volume ; la toxicologie [/kalpasiddhistāna/]  
[sic.] (/čho-ga grub pa’i gnas/) et l’[/uttarasthāna/] (/phyi-ma’i  
gnas/), où sont réunies differentes matières (ophtalmologie,  
oto-rhino-laryngologie, gynécologie, etc.), constituent le dernier  
volume (Mdo, CXXII 1). Le même auteura composé l’/Aṣṭāṅgādikabheṣaja  
nāma paryāya/ qui, bien qu’il se présente comme un traité indépendant,  
fait partie de /Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayavṛtti/ comme nous en avertit le titre  
tibétain : /sman-dpyad yan-lag brgyad-pa’i sñiṅ-po ’grel-pa las/, etc.  
(Mdo, CXXII. 2) (91 p .). »

 
* * *
 
Jean Naudou, Buddhists of Kaśmīr, First English Edition, Translation  
work from French by Brereton and Picron, Delhi 1980, p. 121 f.:
 
“Before grappling with those two subjects—logic and /vajrayāna/— let  
us mention a personage whose works were admitted to the /bstan’-gyur/,  
but about whom there is nothing to indicate that he has been a  
Buddhist. This is a doctor, doubtless the most learned of mediaeval  
Kaśmir, Candranandana, who, unlike so many teachers, is dated with  
quite satisfying precision, since one of his writings is accompanied  
by good wishes addressed to Śāhi Thakkana, equally known through the  
Rājataraṅgiṇī [VI, 230-231 and 236] but who is not mentioned by  
al-Bīrūnī. Abhimanyu, Kalhaṇa informs us, led an expedition against  
that sovereign, his allegiance to the king of Śrīnagar. As Abhimanyu  
reigned from 958 to 972, one is able to admit with sufficient  
approximation that Candranandana lived in the second half of the 10th  
century.
That doctor, who is given the title of /Sakalāyurvedaśāstrakuśala/,  
was according to genealogical information, passed down through the  
Tibetan [p. 122] translation of his writings, son of [Ratinandana] and  
grandson of [Mahānandana], and he was a native of Kaśmīr. He edited a  
voluminous treatise which occupies not less than 2188 pages in Tibetan  
translation and which is entitled /Padārthacandrikāprabhāsa/. It is  
presented as a /viv//ṛ//tti/ of the /Aṣṭāṅgahṛdaya/ of Vāgbhaṭa II and  
consists of the eight traditional divisions : the section dealing with  
generalities, [/sūtrasthāna/] (/mdo’i gnas/) constitutes itself alone  
nearly a third of the work (Mdo, CXX). The section relating to the  
body, [/śārīrasthāna/] (/lus-kyi gnas/), aetiology, [/nidānasthāna/]  
(/nad-gzi’i gnas/), and therapeutics [/cikitsāsthāna/] (/gso-ba’i  
gnas/) occupy a second volume; toxicology [/kalpasiddhistana/] [sic.]  
(/cho-ga grub-pa’i gnas/) and [/uttarasthāna/] (/phyi-ma’i gnas/),  
where are united various matters (ophthalmology,  
oto-rhino-laryngology, gynaecology, etc.) constitute the last volume  
(Mdo, CXXII, 1). The same author composed the /Aṣṭāṅgādikabheṣaja nāma  
paryāya/ which, although it is presented as an independent treatise,  
forms part of the /Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayavṛtti/, as its Tibetan title informs  
us : /sman-dpyad yan-lag brgyad-pa’i sñiṅ-po’i grel-pa las/, etc.  
(Mdo, CXXII, 2) (91 p.).”

* * *

M.A. Stein comments on the Śāhi ruler Thakkana mentioned by Kalhaṇa  
(note 230 ad /Rājataraṅgiṅī /6.230):
"Nothing is known of the ruler here referred to. He may have been some  
small chief in a neighbouring hill claiming descent from the great  
/Śāhi /family of Kābul and Gandhāra; [...]. The name /Thakkana /occurs  
elsewhere ; comp. vii. 422, 447, etc."

Best wihes,

Roland Steiner


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