(Excerpt from Hazod, forthcoming)

The following is a translation of the main part of the Gsang ba yang chung (GYC; in Mkhas pa Lde’u chos ’byung (Lde’u-2), pp. 377.9–380.9), which is specified as appendix to the Can lnga (together with Khu ston’s (lost) Lo rgyus chen mo; cf. Lde’u Jo sras chos ’byung (Lde’u-1), p. 99). The latter text group, which is exclusively dedicated to the history of the Tibetan royal line (Karmay 1998: 282ff.), has been dated to the early 10th century (Karmay, op. cit., p. 308), whereas for the GYC certain entries (such as the mention of the apothe-osis of Srong btsan sgam po and his two consorts; below Group-5.1-2) rather suggest a later dating of this “even smaller (account) of the secret (tradition)” (gsang ba yang chung). In any case it represents the earliest and at the same time most extensive written evidence to the burial mounds related to the Tibetan royal house, and one of the most important basis text for the grave accounts in the later chronicles. However, the quotes from the GYC in the same chronicles suggest that the reproduction of the GYC in Lde’u-2 apparently is not complete. Other details of the graves in later sources that are not mentioned in the GYC, show that originally several different records of the royal tombs were in circulation; noteworthy here are the quotes from “older books” (yig tshang rnying ma) or the “record of Mgar” (Mgar gyi dkar chag) in ’Jigs med gling pa’s Gtam gyi chogs (Hazod 2013), or the well known grave descriptions in the Rgyal po Bka’ thang (Haarh 1969), where information of the graves (and grave interior) from the imperial time appear combined with the situation of a much later period (13th century). Cf. Panglung 1988; Hazod 2013

The GYC starts with a description of the earliest tombs and their respective locations between heaven and the cultivated area, followed by the descriptions of the historical burial mounds, with details on position, names, form of construction and other features (376.15-17). And it says summarising at the end that there is a total of “18 bang so of the throne holders of the royal line (gdung rgyud zin pa’i bang so bco brgyad), the two bang so of the Khu chen (see below, Group-2, no. XV), the nine bang so of (heir-bearing) queens (jo mo srid zin gyi bang so), and the nine bang so of junior queens (srid ma zin pa[’i jo mo’i] bang so)” (380.7-9). This rather idealised summary is itemised more precisely in the main text, which lists 28 tombs located in the two grave fields. The number can be largely confirmed by the situation on site, although with roughly half of the cases the precise identification remains uncertain. Other tomb descriptions relate to various members of the royal house, with the positions given as being outside of ’Phyong po, or they are without any place information, and – provided that their location can be assumed as being in ’Phyong rgyas – apparently haven’t left any trace.

Additions to the translation are given in square and curly brackets. The personal names in bold relate to emperors and queen mothers, and are given in the spellings of the older Dunhuang documents (P.t. 1286 respectively). The numbering I to XVII follows the chronology of the succession to the throne (Dotson 2009: 143). See also the map “The Royal Tombs of ’Phyong rgyas” and “Summarising Table”. For earlier works on this issue, cf. Panglung 1988, Hazod 2013 (with details on the history of the plundering of the royal tombs), and most recently Shawo Khacham 2014.

Lde’u-2, p. 377.9:

• [1] [The early forms of burials: From the Seven Khri to the Btsan lnga]

  • Furthermore, the tombs of the seven [kings with the name element] khri have been erected in heaven. The divine bodies possessed no corpse; they dissolved like a rainbow. {Elsewhere it is further detailed that the seven khriof heaven (gnam) remained to be connected by the sky rope dmu thag, and their departure to heaven coincided to the time when the respective sons were able to control a horse. It does not say which son (elder, middle, younger), but indicates a rule of succession, which apparently was combined to the regulation of regicide. This we find recalled in the later chronicles’ stereotype formula, which with respect to the historical time claims “when the son reached the age of 13 the father went to heaven.” However, the historical data do not confirm this; and as to the order of succession to the throne, there was apparently no strict rule, although there are indications of an ideal type – the preference of the middle son (Chayet 1994; Dotson 2009: 27). In a recent paper, Zeisler (2015) proposes to read the term khri (usually given as “throne”) in this and parallel contexts (such as P.t. 1038) in its possible older meaning of “star”, indicating to see behind the group of the seven celestial khri a certain constellation, with the seven (brightest) stars of the Great Bear representing here the likely candidate. This astronomical implication we have not least to consider when raising the question of the graves’ orientation, not only in respect of the royal tombs, but generally of the elite grave mounds in Central Tibet.}
  • The grave-sites (dur) of the two stengs (“two upper ones”) have been erected in the rocks and slate zones (rdza, g.ya’).
  • The graves (bang so) of the six [kings carrying the name element] legs (“excellent”) have been erected between the alpine meadows and the plain. {The group is also known as the Sa’i Legs drug (Six Legs of the Earth (or Sa la legs drug), with the tombs’ position given as being between the slate mountain and the alpine meadows (g.ya’ and spang). The group perhaps similarly relates to a certain constellation. Note that the birth at this point appears associated with the image of the hero of the earliest period, namely referring to G.ya spang skyes (“Born at border of g.ya and spang”), the first in the group of the Eight Ma sangs (nine with G.yang ’brum Si le ma; Lde’u-2 224-25). On this figure, see Ramble 2015.}
  • The gravesites (dur sa) of the seven [kings carrying the name element] lde have been erected in the middle of the river. {Lde bdun is also the rendering in Lde’u-2 248; otherwise this group includes eight members, called the “Eight Lde of the Water”. Ka khol ma 89.11-12 gives Sham chu (= Yar lha Sham chu, the name of the Yar lung river) as the actual burial site of the Lde brgyad. It has been suggested to see behind this and the other (not mound grave related) burials of the kythical kings an allusion of forms of exposing the corpse; Hazod 2013.}
  • From the [time of the] Seven [kings with the name element] btsan (“mighty”) the grave-sites (dur sa) have been erected in the country (yul); the country’s name was Yar lung Ngar ma thang. Moreover, they were without phul, and resembled raised earthen mounds.
    {Yar lung Ngar ma thang refers to a place in Grang mo of Upper ’Phyong po; Hazod 2007. This group is usually listed as Five Btsan (as e.g. in P.t. 1286), or even Three Btsan. With regard to the latter view, Dpa’ bo in his Mkhas pa’i dga’ ston (169.8-11) states that this would be nonsense, “because it says in the Gsang ba yang chung etc.: “The graves (mchad pa) of the Five Btsan are piles of earth that resemble tents; they are without phul, square tombs were not known [at that time]. This is well known since early times.” Dpa’ bo evidently used here a version of the GYC different to the present one.}

• [2] [The tombs of the succeeding kings and emperors: From no. I to XVII]

  • [I] [The grave of] Khri Snyan gzung btsan [Khri Snya zung brtsan] have been raised in Don mkhar mda’. It is similarly without phul, square tombs were unknown at that time, it is said.
  • [II] The bang so of ’Bro Gnyan lde ru [’Bro Mnyen lde ru] is in Don mkhar mda’ (sic); ruler and subjects, the three, entered the grave alive. [See no. #0037.]
  • [III] The tomb of Stag gu snyan gzigs [Stag bu snya gzigs] have been erected in Don mkhar mda’. Its po-sition is to the left of Khri snyan [no. I]. It is also without phul, and resembles an extended earthen mound.
  • [IV] Then the [tomb with the] phul skyed construction, which has [the form of a] shoulder blade: The name is Gung ri Sog kha. [The tomb of] Gnam ri Srong btsan [Khri Slon btsan] have been erected in Don mkhar mda’. The position is to the left of Khri Snyan gzung btsan.
    
  • [V] [The tomb of] Srong btsan sgam po [r. 618(?)-40 plus c.646-49; d. 649] has been erected in ’Phyong po mda’ [Ka khol ma 309: Yar lung Don mkhar thang]. Its size (p. 378.1) corresponds to the range of an arrow shot. It has four chapels in the four corners. Name: Smug ri smug po. Since that time there was the construction of square tombs. {On this tomb (and the tomb’s inner structure), see most recently Hazod 2013.}
  • [VI] [The tomb of] Gung srong gung btsan (d. 646) is in Don mkhar mda’. The position is to the left of Gnam ri Srong btsan [no. IV]. Name: Gung ri gung che, so it is said.
  • [VII] [The tomb of] Mang srong [Mang slon Mang rtsan, d. 676] is to the left of Srong btsan [no. V.]. Its name is Sngo bzher hral po.
  • [VIII] [The tomb of] ’Dus srong ’phrul rgyal [’Dus srong Mang po rje, d. 704] is to the left of Ma[ng] srong. Its name is Seng ge brtseg pa can [elsewhere given as Seng ge brtsig pa, proper name: Lha ri can]. {In later chronicles its is stated that this (trapezoidal) “lion building” was erected by “Hor people” (probably here related to the Dru gu, Western Turks); Hazod 2015. 198; Hazod 2013: 94.}
  • [X] [The tomb of] Ag tshom [Khri Lde gtsug brtsan, d. 754] has been erected on the Mu ra ri. Its position is to the left of ’Phrul gyi rgyal po [no. VIII]. Its name is Lha ri gtsug nam, so it is said.
  • [For no. IX see below, Group (3). – No bang so is recorded for Lha Bal po, the elder [step-]brother of no. X, who ruled from 704-05 (Dotson 2009: 143), – i.e. the Pa tshab tsha Lha Bal po in Lde’u-1 120.20–21, who together with his two younger brothers Lod po and Lod chung was deposed.]
  • [XI] [The tomb of] Khri Srong lde brtsan [d. c.800] has been erected on the Mu ra ri; its position is behind the father [no. X] to protect [the latter’s tomb] against the flood. It was built by himself before his death. Its name is ’Phrul ri Gtsug nam [var.: ’Phrul ri Gtsug snang].
  • [XIV] Khri Lde srong brtsan [d. 815] is in front of ’Phrul rgyal [no. VIII.] [The ground of the tomb] is inside elevated, due to the queen-mother’s vision it could be flooded (yum gyis chab gang dgongs pas nang gi mtho). Its name is ’Phrul chen bzher [var.: Rgyal chen [’Phrul ri]].
  • [XVI] The position of [the tomb of] Dar ma [Khri ’U’i Dum brtan, d. 842] is between ’Phrul and Rgyal chen [i.e. no. VIII and XIV]. Its name is Bang rim ’khor lo can. {Some sources mention that the construction remained incomplete; Panglung 1988: 347}
  • [XVII] The position of [the tomb of] ’Od srung [Khri ’Od srung btsan] is behind ’Phrul rgyal [no. VIII]. Its name is Skyes bu lha bsten/rten.
  • [XII] Mu-ni btsan po [Mu ne brtsan, d. 798] is in front to the right of Ag tshom [no. XI]. [The grave’s] name is Lha ri lding bu [var.: Lha ri ldem bu/ po].
  • [For no. XIII see below Group-5.]
  • [XV] [The tomb of] Ral pa can [Khri Gtsug lde brtsan, d. 841] is situated in Don [mkhar] mda’, on the left side. Its name is Khri Stag smang ri. [var.: Khri Stengs rmang ri.]
    

• [3] The bang so of queens endued with power

  • [3.1] [The bang so of] Ong cong [Khon co Mang mo rje Khri skar; P.t. 1288: Mun chang Kong co; d. 680, funeral in 683] is in Don [mkhar] mda’, on the left side [Ka khol ma 309: Phying ba Stag rtse ri].
    
  • 3.2-4] Next to it are [the tombs of] Mong bza’ Khri mo ’brong [Mong Khri mo mnyen Ldong steng? mother of no. VI], Ru yong btsan mo mthso [Ru yong Stong rgyal mtsho ma; wife of Khri Thog brtsan, and mother of Lha Tho do Snya brtsan], and Mno bza’ Mar dkar [Rno bza’ Mang Dgar = Gno bza’ Mang mo rje Ji dgos], the wife of Lha Tho do Snya brtsan.]
    
  • [3.5] [The tomb of] Tshe spong ’Bri ma thod dkar [Tshes pong ’Bring ma thog dgos] is located to the right of yab [Gnam ri Srong btsan]. Name: Bang so G.yul mo’i thang.
    
  • [3.6] ’Dos (p. 379.1) bza’ Stong btsun ’Bro dkar [’Ol god Stong btsun ’Bro ga] is to the left of yab [Stag bu snya gzigs].
    
  • [3.7] Tshe spong Dmar rgyal [Tshes pong bza’ Rma rgyal Ldong skar, a.k.a. Me tog sgron, the chief consort of Khri Srong lde btsan] is in Don mkhar Shu po sna.
    
  • [3.8] Sna nam Dbyibs stang [Mang mo rje Bzhi steng? d. 742/43] is on the left corner [of the tombs] of yab [Khri Lde gtsug brtsan, no. X] and the son [Khri Srong lde btsan, no. XI.].
    
  • [3.9] ’Bro bza’ Stong dkar Phyi mo lod [Khri ma lod, d. 712/13] is on the left corner, on the other side of the son [’Dus srong, no. VIII]. There are [respectively separate tombs of altogether] 11 phyi ma (grandmothers) of lde’i sras. [I.e. heirs with lde as element in their names, or lde’ sras = divine sons / throne-holders?].

• [4] Eight [junior] queens not endued with power (srid ma zin pa’i jo mo)

  • [4.1] Lcang mo Khri btsun [P.t. 1288: Jo mo Khri btsun],
    {The funeral of this consort of Khri Lde gtsug brtsan was performed in 745-46. The junior queen (jo mo) is identified in later sources as the mother of Lhas bon (below 7.4.), but also the Chinese Princess Kim sheng Kong co (d. 739-40) has been discussed as candidate in this context; cf. Dotson 2009: 124.}
  • [4.2] Snyen stengs Snye mo lod (?),
  • [4.3] ’Bro bza’ Ma khang Gzing ma lod (?),
  • [4.4] Tshe spong bza’ Khrim gung rgyal (?),
  • [4.5] ’Bro btsun Khri mo legs, {I.e. one consort of Khri Lde srong btsan (Sørensen 1994: 409), but apparently not identical with the queen-mother ’Bro bza’ Lha rgyal Mang mo rje.
  • [4.6] Mkhar chen bza’ Mtsho rgyal,
    
  • [4.7] Zhang zhung bza’ Zngo bzher Lig tig sman, [and]
  • [4.8] ’Chims bza’ [Mchims bza’ Lha mo btsan (?), consort of Khri Srong lde btsan] – altogether eight [jo mo] have been erected in bang so (’chims bza’ dang brgyad bang sor brtsig so).
    {The last sentence appears to be somewhat corrupt, leaving the possible reading that [the resting place of] the eight jo mo have been erected inside the tombs [of their respective husbands].}

• [5] [Ladies] not having entered graves (dur du ma tshud pa)

  • [5.1-2] Bal mo bza’ Khri btsun and Gi shang Ong cong – both disappeared into [the statue of] the Compas-sionate One.
    
  • [5.3] Tshe spong bza’ Mdor rgyal [– the chief wife of Mu ne btsan po –] was lodged in Mdo shod of Mdo stod Khams.
  • [5.4] Thag de bza’ (sic) Bu chung died after Sman Ngag ma (?), and since she was concealed in Zar po, [this site] became known as Se sman of Gra.
    
  • [5.5] Pho yong bza’ Rgyal mo btsun [– one of the consorts of Khri Srong lde btsan –] was placed in Dbu tshal [i.e the satellite temple of Bsam yas raised by herself; cf. Sørensen 1994].
  • [5.6] ’Chims bza’ Mu ne lod was choked in ’Phang thang [in lower Yar stod] and then placed there. These six [ladies] were left behind.

• [6] [Burials in] mchod rten replacing tombs (I.e. the MT-D type of graves)

  • [6.1] ’Bro bza’ Khri rgyal Mang po rje, who was named Jo mo Byang chub rje after she left for liberation (i.e having been ordained), erected the stupa in G.yi phu [where she later was buried].
    
  • [6.2] Cog ro bza’ Dpal gyi Ngang btsun ma.
    
  • [6.3] ’Chims bza’ Rin chen Rgyal ma gtsug.
    
  • [6.4] Tshe spong bza’ Lhun gyi Lha mo.
    
  • [6.5] Lha lung bza’ Dpal rab ’Byin rje.
    
  • [6.6] In addition, another [stupa-shaped] bang so is [inside?] the son’s platform[-constructed] [tomb] (de las bang so gzhan ma [gru] bzhi stengs sras so).
    

• [7] The bang so of disqualified [princes] (thang mtshams kyi bang so, with thang mtshams being short for thang mtshams su phab ba, i.e. “brought to the border of the plain”; cf. Lde’u-1 104f.)

  • [7.1-2] [The tombs of] the disqualified [princes] [in the generation] of ’Bro snyan Lde ru (above 2.II) relate to [his brothers] ’Bro tsha Rmu (p. 380.1) btsun and Mon bu Rgyal mtshan [cf. Lde’u-1 107] and exist in form of the two piles of earth situated below of Stag gu.
    *{The two mounds belong to the group marked as iii.1-4 on the map.} *
  • [7.3] The “border of the plain [tomb]” of Gnam ri Srong btsan relate to blon po Legs nam [i.e. ’Ol god tsha Blon Ger legs; Lde’u-1 107] and is situated to the left of Stag gu. {The tomb is included in the group iii.1-4.*} *
  • [7.4] Lcang tsha Lha dbon [Lhas bon, d. 739/40, funeral in 741-42] is located to the left of the father [Khri Lde gtsug brtsan]. The bang so is round-shaped.
    *{Other sources describe the tomb’s position as being in front of the father (Panglung 1988). Following the entry in the Annals, according to which the funeral for the son, Lhas bon, and the Chinese Princess (Kim sheng Kong co) were performed in the same year (741-42) it has been argued that it possibly relates to only one funeral and the two were buried together. Cf. the discussion in Dotson 2009: 24; 121-22; 124. This tomb is marked on the map as x.a /x.2, with the second symbol (indicating the Chinese Princess) representing here a rather uncertain identification; cf. also above 5.1-2.} *
  • [7.5] [The tomb of] Mu tig btsan po [Mu rug brtsan, d. c. 804] is in Don mkhar mda’. Skya ldem is this bang so’s name.
    {The name is alternatively given as Skya ring ldems pa, or also Gyang ri Rgyang ldam/ldem; Mu rug brtsan is counted as no. XIII* in our representation of the royal lineage.} *
  • [7.6] [The thang mtshams kyi bang so of] Sad ne legs is added to the square platform [constructed inside the tomb of this emperor].
    *{Cf. above no. 2.XIV; perhaps this burial relates to the sons Lha rje and Lhun grub, who died an early age.} *
  • [7.7] The border of the plane grave site[s] of I sho legs have been erected in heaven.
    *{The grave(s) relate to the Zhang lnga gcen po lineage; Lde’u-1 104.} *
  • *[7.8] Gtsang ma[’s] [body] was left in Lho brag. [Aris 1988: 83-114] (p. 380.7). *