The Catalogue of the Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum
Modern library pagination and markings
In this volume, the western numbering is in black ink stamped numbers. There is a long rectangle of flowered pattern Western cloth, stuck to the verso side of the front unnumbered folio, on which is stuck a rectangular IOL paper sticker, which is white with red borders (as in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner). We find red handwriting, '276 pages'; blue writing, 'MISC. COLLN. GYUT 5', and in large Tibetan writing, 'rgyud ca'.
Paper composition
Most sheets in this volume are quite thick, apparently consisting of at least two layers of paper, although very occasional folios (eg. 119, 193) are rather thinner.
Size of folios
The size of the plain sheets is 577 x 125mm. There is some size variation (eg. 73 is 571mm in length). Some sheets are not cut very straight, and thus, are not exact rectangles.
Sheet numberings
As in other volumes, many of the sheets have tiny Tibetan numerals written sideways, some of which are missing or partially cut off, and where they do occur, they do not seem to correspond to the page numbering in words.
Pagination
Page details are given in words written sideways in black ink, to the left of the writing on each recto side.
Page settings
Most sheets, as in other volumes, have 7 lines of black ink writing, with double red vertical lines to the sides of the writing. The lines are ruled with faint (diluted?) reddish ink. The writing is not always exactly square on the page (eg the writing on 18b goes slightly upwards from left to right, while that on 23a and 41b goes slightly downwards).
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-5. gNyis, gsum, bzhi and lnga each have a triple yig mgo, and the verso side of gcig also has a triple yig mgo. There are some slight differences in the style of the regular double yig mgo, with some larger or more elongated than others, but generally, they are quite compact across. 243b, which follows the title page 243a, has an elaborate triple yig mgo, each section having a hook-shaped line, as in (tsa phru) (U0F39) going up from the top.
Handwriting
The writing in this volume seems to be of a fairly consistent style throughout, varying slightly in size, a little smaller than many of the volumes, with generally small vowel signs, and executed with rather thick ink strokes in much of the volume except for the first few folios.
Corrections and interventions
There are some corrections, eg. some syllables have been removed from 90a line 2, and possibly one from line 5; 70b, lines 2 and 3, has some letters rubbed off folio, and other syllables inserted, on line 3 making a small hole in the paper. There are other such corrections on 94a line 6, 98b lines 2 and 4, 252a line 3. It is difficult to say whether such corrections were made by the original scribe or later; the style appears to be that of the original.
Marks and blemishes
There is some ink smudging, eg. 3 syllables are affected on 14b. At the bottom of 24b and top of 25a, there is a smudged/washed out area where small pieces of some brown substance are stuck to the paper, but it is mostly outside the writing area and no words are badly affected. 42a has a smudged/washed out area on the left of the sheet, which comes through a little to 42b. Some of the words are affected but they remain legible. 174 has a blemish in the paper which appears to have been original: there are gaps in the writing avoiding the area on both sides of the folio.
State of preservation
The writing in this volume is rarely obscured by tears, smudges or washing out. Some sheets have one or more tears at the edges, eg. 3, 5, 14, 37, 40, 52, 70, 85-6, 231, 253, 265, 267, 270. 3 has long strip of white paper attached to the bottom of the recto side, as a reinforcement and repair of an edge tear. 5 and 6 each have a tear from the top of the folio, which extends into the writing area, but the syllables are still clearly legible. 27b has a tear in the top layer of paper, from the bottom left, extending into the writing area, but the words remain clearly legible. Some folios have edge indentations, eg. 14, 17, 35, 41, 46, 60, 84-5, 96, 113, 115, 118, 125, 187-8, 193, 198, 200, 221-2, 226-8, 231-3, 241-2, 254, 258, 260-1, 267, 269-76. Some sheets have corners torn off, eg. 3, 6, 12, 13, 108, 138, 233 bottom left corner; 144, 233 top right corner; 171, 276 top left corner; 188 bottom right. 12b has two tiny pieces of the top layer of paper missing, but the lettering is still readable. Some folios have small holes within the writing area, eg. 13, 32, 109, 111, 125, but no syllables are affected in these cases; 94 has a hole affecting letters both sides of folio, but the words are still possible to read. 115 has a hole which appears to have been avoided in writing on both sides of the sheet. Some sheets have holes outside the writing area, eg. 35-36, 41, 46-51, 85-9, 94, 142, 160-1, 276.
Cover folios
The blue lacquered front folio, measuring approximately 550 x 118 mm at its longest parts, is torn and frayed at the edge, and has a repaired tear from the top. The lacquer has come away in parts. It is plain blue in colour, with margins ruled in red on the recto side, making a box, measuring 447 x 45 mm. No index leaves are attached to the verso side. One large string stitch is visible on both sides, to which index leaves were presumably once attached. There is a rectangle of flowered pattern Western cloth, stuck to the verso side, with the IOL paper sticker, identifying the volume (see above).
There are no index leaves in this volume.
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gCig, is missing. There is a rectangular IOL paper sticker, noting its absence (see below).
Modern library pagination and markings
There is a rectangular IOL paper sticker, which is white with red borders (as noted above and in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner), stuck to 2a. It has red handwriting: “'7 alio I. Front page missing. 28-6-49”.
Size of folios
The second folio, gnyis, measures 576 x 124 mm.
Decorated second folios
The recto side of gnyis is blue lacquer, with 4 lines of gold writing, within a gold rectangular box, 476 x 78 mm. The margins are ruled as usual, with the collection, volume and folio identification to the left.. The box is not an exact rectangle; the vertical lines are not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, coming down slightly to the left. The folio is a laminate of about 9 pages, with thick cross stitches visible on both sides, two to the top and bottom, one to the left and right. The verso side is ordinary paper.
Page settings
As mentioned above, 2a has 4 lines of gold writing. 2b is ordinary paper. 2b - 6a have double red lined rectangular boxes and margins. 2b and 3a each have 4 lines of black writing; 3b - 5b, have 5 lines of slightly smaller writing, and 6a, 6 lines of writing. The boxes are not exact rectangles, and some of the red lines overshoot the boxes (eg. the lower horizontal lines of 3a go slightly downwards so that the right-hand-side of the box is slightly bigger; the horizontal lines on 4b are slightly wavy, and they go a little beyond the vertical lines on the left). The boxes measure as follows. 2b: 495 x 81 mm; 3a: 496 x 80mm (left)/ 84mm (right); 3b: 495 x 81 mm; 4a: 481 x 85 mm; 4b: 485 x 82 mm; 5a: 486 x 79 mm; 5b: 487 x 81 mm; 6a: 485 x 81 mm. 6b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Cloth volume wrapping
The whole text is wrapped in a coarse square red cloth with some holes in it and a red and yellow tassel attached at one corner.
Page settings
13a and b have only 6 ruled lines of writing.
Justification
Large spaces are left between each set of syllables (yig rkang) on the 6 lines of 13a and b.
Page settings
30b has only 6 ruled lines.
Justification
On the 6 ruled lines of 30b, the lettering is slightly more spaced out than on other pages.
Readers' marks
64a has some poor writing in pencil below the writing area; perhaps a reader learning Tibetan!!! In the same hand, 65a has some doodles in pencil at the bottom of the sheet, and some writing around the page, eg. an apparent attempt to copy the word, 'rgyud', given in the volume/folio identification on the left, and attempts to copy the yig mgo at the top left. Similarly, on 66a, there is an attempt to copy the volume/folio identification written beside it.
Readers' marks
There is some smudged out blue ink writing written sideways along the middle of the right-hand edge of 105a. It appears to be poorly written Tibetan letters.
Microfilm
175b and 176a are missing on the film.
Marks and blemishes
Note that 219b has an ink smudge over the right hand side, affecting about one fifth of the writing, although it is still possible to read.
Page settings
242b has 7 ruled lines, but only part of the first line is used. 243a is then a title page, with the title centred in a red rectangular box, (486 x 62mm (left)/ 60mm (right), and 243b has 6 ruled lines within a red rectangular box, measuring 497 x 80mm.
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
243b also has an elaborate triple yig mgo in the top left corner, each part having a design above the line like the top part of a letter tsa or tsha, (tsa phru) (U0F39) .
Page settings
276a is the final page. The text is within a red rectangular box, measuring 500 x 80mm, with 6 ruled lines, of which 5 are used. 276b is blank.
State of preservation
The final folio 276 has several small holes and tears in the edges, but all the writing is clearly legible.