Ricerc@Sapienza

Verse 2.139 of the long studied fifth-century Old Khotanese Buddhist poem known as the Book of Zambasta contains three hapax legomena. Two of them have been misinterpreted so far. Identification of the verse as a saying of wisdom with close parallels in other Buddhist works in Pāli and Sanskrit, as well as in Hindu and Jaina literature, allows its better interpretation and recognition of jūṣḍānā‑ as the Khotanese word for ‘(grain) musk’.