It is needless to mention the significance and importance of the recovery of the complete text of the (hitherto unknown) Sanskrit Vimalakirtinirdesa in Tibet.
The Vimalakirtinirdesa has verses collectively in two places, that is, in Chaps. 1 and 7 (or 8 in the Chinese versions). In the Sanskrit text are contained 15 verses in Chap. 1, and 42 in Chap. 7 (the number completely corresponds with the Tibetan version, but differs in both chapters of all three Chinese versions); two different metres, the Vasantatilaka and the (so-called) Tristubh-jagati, are employed in Chap. 1, while a single Sloka is in Chap. 7. The oldest text among the extant five is no doubt the Chinese one translated by Zhi Qian (支謙), which has 10 verses in Chap. 1, and 40 in Chap. 8 (=7 in the Sanskrit text). Judging from this, it is probable, and the present author is confident, that the original text of the Vimalakirtinirdesa had just 10 verses (probably in the Vasantatilaka metre) in Chap. 1, and 40 verses (in the Sloka, as well) in Chap. 7.
Although, of course, the verse is in general composed in BHS, it sometimes shows features of probably not being original but Sanskritized (in later times). For example: in
bharya dharmaratis tesam maitri karuna ca duhitarau |
satyadharmav ubhau putrau grham sunyarthacintana || ([7] 2)
the metre requires the two short syllables duhi of duhitarau in the 2nd pada to be a single long one; and the dual ending au of the same word (and of the following three words satyadharmav [=$mau], ubhau and putrau in the next pada) is also doubtful (regarding this, see BHSG, 5.6 & 25.1-3; the dual form appears only in this verse). Thus the older form of this duhitarau may have been like dhitarah or dhitaro (the other three: satyadharma, ubho and putra, respectively).
In any case, we must keep in mind that this Sanskrit text of the Vimalakirtinirdesa is not an original, but rather one that has been modified in later times. Therefore we need as well to be sufficiently cautious in dealing with it.
