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. The first index leaf (see below) bears a rectangular IOL paper sticker, white with red borders (as in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner), with the red handwriting: "323 pages"; and in blue writing, "MISC. COL GYUT 4"; and in large Tibetan writing, "rgyud nga".
Paper composition
Some of the sheets of paper are thicker than others.
Size of folios
The size of the standard non-illuminated folios is around 577 x 125mm. There is some size variation. Some of the sheets of paper are not cut very straight and thus, are not very exact rectangles. The top and bottom edges of folio 302 are both cut in rather wavy lines.
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 writing is not always exactly square on the page (eg. 73 is 575mm top/578mm bottom x 125mm, and the ruled lines are not exactly horizontal on the page, sloping down slightly from left to right).
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-3, and 5. gNyis, gsum 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 style in the regular double yig mgo, with some larger or more elongated than others.
In this volume, there is more frequent use of (rin chen spungs shad) (U0F11) after 1st syllables than in other volumes, where (nyis tsheg shad) (U0F10) or (tsheg shad) (U0F0F) is preferred.
Handwriting
The writing in this volume seems to be of a fairly consistent style throughout, varying slightly in size, rather smaller than many of the volumes, but generally with quite thick ink strokes.
We find a couple of instances of colophons of named persons given in small writing, as is usual for the first (cover) title of a text.
Corrections and interventions
We find some evidence of corrections: the insertion of syllables beneath lines, or the rubbing out of syllables (eg. 108a) and in some cases, the writing in of corrections (eg. 74a, 132b), but it is uncertain whether these were later or the work of the original scribe.
Marks and blemishes
Some pages (eg. 6a, 81a) have areas of ink smudges, although this rarely makes the letters illegible.
State of preservation
The writing in this volume is rarely obscured by tears, smudges or washing out, but there is much damage to the edges of many of the folios, especially in the first half of the volume, with large pieces of paper, especially corners, torn off. Folios 2-58 all have damage to upper right corners, the earlier folios with large corners torn off (but not affecting writing area), the later folios with the corners only slightly torn. Folios 293-4 have a small part of the top right corner torn off. Folios 46-86 and 90-131, 148-176, 231-252 all have badly damaged upper left corners (folios 132-147, 228-230 are also damaged but less severely). Folios 127 and 198 have the bottom right corner torn off. Folio 3 has the bottom left corner torn off, and pieces also torn out along its edges. Folio 41 has a section of the bottom edge torn away. Folio 318 has repair work to two tears extending right down the folio, near the right-hand-side, cutting the folio into pieces. The torn sheet has been attached together again with black stiches sewn across both tears, making four rectangles of stitching above and below the writing area. Some sheets have one or more small holes outside the writing area (eg. 38, 96, 99, 107, 108, 112, 120-127, 159, 174, 176-7, 179-180, 188, 192, 195-6, 228-9, 233, 240, 242-3, 246-7, 249, 312, 321-3). 39 has two such holes, and a piece of paper torn out of its right edge, as well as some corner damage. Some sheets have edge indentations, not affecting the writing area (eg 73, 91, 102, 116, 129, 175, 178, 197, 226, 242-4, 260-1, 271-280, 282, 295-6, 299-301, 308, 313-6), or small tears (eg. 126, 195). Some sheets (eg. 59, 198, 236b and 237a) have small areas of white spots, but again, writing is not affected. 160 has a small hole within the writing area, affecting syllables on both sides of the sheet, but the words can still be made out. 204, 240, 264, 281 have small holes in the writing area, but the syllables are unaffected, and 235 also has a tiny hole in the writing area, seemingly where a correction to the text has been made. The final folios 321-3 are frayed around the edges, and 322 has its upper right corner torn off, but the writing remains clear.
Cover folios
The blue lacquered front folio, measuring approximately 573 x 115 mm, has a tear down the middle, extending about two-thirds of the way down, and it is badly frayed at the edges, with the bottom left corner torn off. The lacquer has come away in parts. The recto side is plain blue in colour, with margins ruled in red, making a box measuring 453 x 49mm. The verso is also plain blue, but in addition it has attached to it beneath on the right an ordinary paper folio with unused red boxes and margins both sides, attached to which also are the index leaves. The index leaves are sewn with large string stitches visible from both sides of the folio.
Index leaf 4: 100mm visible x 85mm, plain beige canvas type cloth, stained with dirt, badly fraying and thin in places, two horizontal neatly ruled red lines at top, below which there is writing: [yig mgo x 1]/ /gled. bam nga [nga in red, slightly larger] pa 'di la/
Nga1, yees gsang ba sgron ma man ngag gi rgyud/
Nga2, rin po che 'khor lo'i rgyud/
Nga3, yees gsang ba'i ['a subscribed] rgyud/
Nga4, yees rdzod. pa'i rgyud/
Nga5, byang chub kyi sem.s kun la 'jug pa rnam. dag ston pa'i rgyud/
Nga6, rdoe 'od 'phro ba'i rgyud/
Nga8, de'i rgyud phyi ma/
Nga9, 'phad. lam. bkod pa'i rgyud/
Nga10, lta ba klong yangs [sa subscribed, end line] chen po'i rgyud/
Nga11, rdzod. pa chen po phyi nang gi skor las [sa subscribed] srid pa bar do rang snang gi rgyud/
Nga12, lha ma yin g.yul ngo bzlog pa'i rgyud/
Nga13, ro sreg thal ba nag po'i rgyud/
Nga14, lha rgyud rien spungs pa/
Nga15, mtshan yang dag par brjod pa'i bshad rgyud rin po che'i phreng ba/
Nga16, 'jam dpal dgongs [sa subscribed] pa 'dus pa gsang sngad. chen po'i rgyud/
Nga17, sku gsum. gyi snang ba gsal bar ngo sprod pa'i [unclear] rgyud/
Nga18, dur khrod phung po 'bar ba man ngag gi rgyud/
Nga19, rdo rje [next sylls illegible, presumably, should be: yang rtse'i] rgyud/
Nga20, rdo rje yang tog gi snying po'i rgyud
rnams bzhugs so//
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 14 sheets, 578 x 124 mm.
The recto side is plain azure blue lacquer, but with gold margins ruled and the collection, volume, and folio identifications given at the left border (rgyud nga gcig), in gold writing. The box made by the ruled lines measures 433 x 67 mm, with the vertical lines not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, but coming down slightly to the left. The blue sheet is torn at the edges and creased and slightly torn down the middle. The upper right-hand corner of the page is torn off. Thick crossed stitches attach the folio together, two along the top, five along the bottom, and one to the left and the right of the folio.
Decorated first folios: frames [ TITLE PAGE]
The verso side of gcig (1b) is blue lacquer, with elaborate intertwining straight gold lines around the outside of the page, outlining exactly the same interlocking key design as we find in other volumes. The upper sheet has a rectangular window cut out for the text, 448 x 76mm, outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line. There are some small tears and rips to the window frame.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a material cover fitted over the window, with three layers. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 430 x 65mm visible (the upper part tucks under the blue frame above). A blue layer is the middle layer, with white thread around the outside, measuring 436 x 66mm visible. The third and final layer beneath is orange, with green thread around the outside, measuring 444mm x 75mm visible. They are not exact rectangles of material, the orange layer bulges out and then goes in very slightly at the left-hand side near the bottom, and goes in very slightly at the bottom on the right-hand side. It does not quite cover the whole of the window.
Decorated first folios: window layout
Beneath the cover is a double lined gold rectangle drawn on black lacquer, with 3 lines of gold writing, split across two sides of the page. There are miniatures to the left and right, besides which the areas for writing are bounded by vertical strips with a regular pattern of gold lines, in this case, the hexagon and dot design (see "General Information on Volumes"), with 5-7 dots surrounding each central dot. The larger miniature in the centre, which breaks up the page, is bounded to the left and right by a thin double vertical gold line, outlining a rectangle, 82 x 69mm. The lefthand miniature is within a rectangle 51 x 69mm, the righthand miniature's rectangle is 49 x 69mm. The legends for the miniatures are written below each, within the border of gold lines outside the window. Each legend is within double ornamenal brackets:
[first, to the left:] {{//rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu la na mo//}} [second, to the left of centre:] {{//lha lcam man dha ra ba// [yig mgo x 1]//sangs rgyas [ the next syllables are torn off; if reconstructed in line with other volumes, we probably have: gnyis pa] [then continues to the right, on the other side of the gold vertical strip transversing the text:] oyan rje// [rje// smudged and unclear, but reconstruction is consistent with other volumes] mkha'gro [ma prefix not legible, smudged and torn] ye shes mtsho rgyal//}} [third, to the right:] {{ [yig mgo x 1]//rgyal ba mchog dbyangs la na mo//}}Size of folios
The second folio, gnyis, measures 575 x 125 mm.
Decorated second folios
The recto side of gnyis is blue lacquer, with 4 lines of gold writing, within a gold rectangular box, 489mm x 82 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 folio’s upper right corner is torn off. 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 lines overshoot the boxes slightly. The boxes measure as follows. 2b: 485 x 82mm left/80mm right; 3a: 497mm top/500mm bottom x 80mm; 3b: 497 x 79mm left/83mm right; 4a: 489 x 84mm; 4b: 490 x 80 mm; 5a: 486 x 84 mm; 5b: 490 x 80mm left/84mm right; 6a: 489 x 82mm. 6b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Handwriting
Unusually, Nga 5, Nga 6 and Nga 8 each have a colophon in small writing.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
Folio 185 is missing.
Modern library pagination and markings
IOL rectangular note placed in the text: "page 185 missing 28/1/1959" or "1969"? The left-hand section of the note must originally have been stuck onto the top of 186a; a corner of the note remains stuck at the top left of 186a, but the rest has come away without causing further damage to the sheet or obscuring the writing.
Microfilm
In the microfilm, the IOL note regarding missing Folio 185 is placed over 186a, obscuring part of the page on the film.
Page settings
264b is ruled but otherwise blank. 265a is a title page, with the title centred and the usual folio identification on the left, but without any box, or red ruled lines, followed by 265b, which has six lines within a ruled red box, 498 x 78 mm. It also has the double yig mgo usual for the recto sides in the top left-hand corner. 266a then returns to the usual layout.
Page settings
323a is the final folio; the writing is within a red rectangular box, 496 x 81mm, with 6 lines ruled, of which only 3 are used. 323b is blank.