The importance of the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa — traditionally regarded as belonging to the kriyā class of tantras — within the history of Buddhist esotericism has long been known (through the studies of Przyluski, Lalou, Macdonald and others). However the Sanskrit text that has been available so far is of poor quality, and is based on a late manuscript.
The importance of an ancient Nepalese palm-leaf manuscript has been pointed out by Mitsutoshi Moriguchi, but the manuscript itself has yet to be published. It is planned to produce a volume in which the text of the Nepalese manuscript will be made available in a diplomatic transcription, together with an introductory study of the significance of this recension as compared with the published version of the Sanskrit, and also with the Tibetan and Chinese translations. The volume will additionally offer a comparison of the system of this tantra with early Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava tantric traditions.
• This is a sub-project of the Early Tantra project.