1892.] S. C. Das— The Origin of the Tibetans. K9 



Long' before the advent of Buddha, when the countless armies of the 

 Ivuru were defeated by the Pandus and the hero Duryodhana fell in the 

 battle-field of Kurukshetra, one of his generals named Rupati dressed 

 in woman's attire fled towards the Himalayas with one thousand 

 followers. For fear of being- pursued by the enemy, he penetrated into 

 the country of Himavata and settled there with his men. At that 

 time, the aborigines of Tibet were still wild and uncultured and lived 

 in caves and holes dug in mountain sides. In coarse of time, the 

 Indians visited the country and multiplied their settlements. The 

 people of Hor (Tartary) also came to Tibet. These three people 

 mingling togther, produced the Tibetans proper, and Avalokitesv.ini, 

 the patron deity of Tibet, feeling compassion for the benighted hordes 

 chose to appear among them as a Lama or a king. It is on this 

 account that even infants spontaneously lisp, in the sacred six syllables 

 ' Om mani-peme-linm. 



A scion of the Pandava dynasty after wandering in the Himalayas, 

 as a traveller, at last entered the country of Himavata by crossing the 

 pass over Lhari-tse now called Yarlha-shambo. From the top of this 

 mountain he descended to the valley of Yarlung, which on account of its 

 fertility as well as scenery and also being the place where the first 

 king was annointed, was called Tsan-thang go-shi (King's plain with 

 four entrances). At this time twelve chief herdsmen had been pasturing 

 their cattle in that plain. As soon as they saw the solitary prince 

 coming towards them from an unexpected quarter, they were struck with 

 wonder and curiosity, and assembled round him. When asked who he 

 was and whence he came, the graceful youth not knowing their language 

 pointed his fingers to the top of Lhari-tse which he had crossed. The 

 Tibetans inferred from it that he was devaputra the son of a god come 

 from heaven, descending the Lhari-tse (the top of the god's mountain). 

 They conferred together what to do with him and at last resolved 

 to make him their king. They then placed him on a chair re- 

 sembling a dooly and conveyed him to Yam bu la gang. From being- 

 carried on the back (N/jah) of the people in a chair (thl) and made 

 king (Tsan-po) he was called Nyah-thi-tsau-po.* The Tibetans under 

 his direction built for him a lofty house of stone called Ya,mbu lha khar 



the wretched race, who were subsequently to people it. In this belief of the 

 Tibetans, which is too general to be totally rejected, it is not difficult to discover 

 strong traces of the universal deluge, though the tradition, as might naturally be 

 expected, is obscured by fable, and disfigured by a mixture of absurdity." 



Turner's Embassy. 

 * There are different accounts of the parentage of this prince in the records 

 and ancient histories of Tibet. 



