No doubt text editorial issues are part of what is at issue, as well as the mix of Sanskrit and Prakrit elements informing BHS. For what it's worth, I note that when the alphabet is recited as a purificatory mantra in tantric contexts in Newar and Tibetan Buddhism,
all the vowels and semivowels are included, and kSa is added at the end following Ha. My hunch is that this perhaps originated due to the distinct graphic form in some scripts and so departs from the phonological principle of alphabetic order, but that's really
only a guess.
best,
Matthew
Matthew Kapstein Directeur
d'études,
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies,
The University of Chicago
From: INDOLOGY <indology-bounces@list.indology.info> on behalf of Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2019 12:24 PM To: Indology <indology@list.indology.info>; Bharatiya Vidvat parishad <bvparishat@googlegroups.com> Subject: [INDOLOGY] The alphabet found in the Lalitavistara
Dear Colleagues,
As I have been reading the Lipiśālāsandarśana-Parivarta of the Lalitavistara [p. 89, P. L. Vaidya edition], some interesting features of the alphabet popped up for me. The Alphabet omits r̥ and l̥, but includes ai, au, and aḥ.
Among the consonants, it adds kṣ at the end after h. The version of this passage as given in the Bauddhāgamārthasaṅgraha [ed by P. L. Vaidya] also omits l, while it is included in the version of Lalitavistara edited by Vaidya himself.
I wonder if there are textual variants about this. I don't know what this alphabet represents. The omission of r̥ and l̥ goes along the phonologies of Prakrits, but the inclusion of ai, au, and aḥ goes in the direction of Sanskrit.
The addition of kṣ and the possible omission of l point to something else that I cannot figure out. Any suggestions and references are welcome.