The Tibetan manuscript C kept in the Manuscripts department, the IOS, RAS (Tib. Fund, B 1478), is entitled: “The chapter of the subjugation of the heretic people of the Djan country by the world highest khan of the earth, Geser, the conqueror of the enemies, the joy of the souls of the courageous and clever”. It contains 349 sheets.
In the end of the manuscript in front of the good eishes it was written: “The chapter of the battle between the countries of Djan and Lin from the story of the enemies of Geser – the khan- sovereign of the world”.
This large volume is merely one chapter devoted to the war of Geser with that very Satam tsar of whom it is said in the manuscript B that has been just characterized. But in manuscript B it is said not only of the struggle itself but of how Geser got ready for it. Given here in detail is Geser departure’s from his country. Each hero at the beginning of his speech pronounces the words of the Buddhist prayer: “Om-mani-padme-hum”. At every step Geser and his bogatyrs say that their chief task is to propagate the Buddhist faith in the world.
This chapter of Satam is found in the Kham’s “Lin Geser” too but is largely curtailed there. By the way, David-Neel disposed of the manuscript of this chapter which as she informs consisted of 700 sheets.
Even taking advantage of all the chapters of the four manuscripts mentioned above, the ladakhi version published by Francke and retold by David-Neel.it is next to impossible to restore the Tibetan version. One might suppose that the Tibetan Geseriade presents quite a huge work comprising 13 or even 16 volumes. In tibetan manuscript A it is said that it comprises “the first out of the 13 songs” (sheet 2). And in the manuscript there is also an information of the existence of “the tnirteen poems of the divine festival” (sheet 21).
As each of the chapters that we know of occupies a big volume it is possible to suppose that the 13 songs of “Geser” are the 13 volumes. The volumes we know of are evidently the most popular stories in Tibet from out of those 16 of which G. Roerich who travelled in East Tibet informs us.
