A Study on the Manchu Version of the Tripitaka of the Ch’ing Dynasty

Chuang Chi-fa
National Palace Museum

35^th Meeting of the PIAC, Taipei 1992

The official translations of the Tripitaka executed by the Ch’ing government were mainly translations from and into the languages of various ethnic groups in China. Aside from the Tibetan and Mongolian versions, a Manchu translation of the Chinese Tripitaka was completed in 1790, the 55th year in Emperor Ch’ien-Lung’s reign. Translated by the Imperial Household Department, this version was printed in red ink and decorated with Buddhist figures in brilliant colors — a very unique style. A total of 108 volumes from the initial production have survived the passage of time, and are now in the collections of the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

In the process of translating the text into Manchu, it was necessary to “create” new words based on their corresponding Sanskrit pronunciations, resulting in an expansion of Manchu vocabulary. This is most obvious in the names of buddhas and bodhisattvas as well as special Buddhist terms, for which Manchu equivalents Were nowhere to be found.

While the Chinese Tripitaka was written in the classical style, one that is relatively difficult to understand, the Manchu vergion was translated on the basis of the Manchu spoken language, and was therefore much clearer and easier to comprehend. By cross-examining both, one is able to achieve a better understanding of the Chinese rendition. Further, an analysis of the translation techniques employed and the phonetic variations emerged should provide us with some clues to the evolution of the Manchu language in the Ch’ing period. The Manchu Tripitaka thus constitutes a most valuable source of information and inspiration for the study of the Manchu language.