Fragment 4, Part 1-2 (Frames 10, 18)

1. General condition: This fragment is heavily damaged with a big number of single pieces of a broken scroll. Due to its bad state of preservation its original measurements cannot be established. Similarly it is in the present stage of research not possible to make out the correct arrangement of the preserved fragments. The scribe seems to be identical with that of fr. 11. It is possible to rearrange the pieces of fr. 4 to a size according to that of fr. 11. Probably, both fragments belong to one scroll. Both sides contain a single text.
2. Measurements: The fragments are now arranged in two frames. Their surviving portions measure 25 x19 and 26 x 17 cm.
3. Hands: Both sides are written by the same hand (scribe 5).
4. Contents: The literary style of the surviving portions as well as the mentioning of the word prañaparamida could indicate a (part of a) Mahāyāna sūtra of the Prajñāpāramitā type.

Content

Non-canonical scholastic texts, Group A

The text belongs to a group of not identified scholastic texts which share a certain number of common features (= group A). This group is formed by the fragments 4, 6 and 11, whereby fragments 4 and 11 are likely to be parts of the same scroll and text. Both are written by the same scribe and contain partially identical or closely related passages. With regard to its contents fragment 6 which is, however, very poorly preserved belongs to the same (class of) text(s). According to its script and format it is, however, part of a different scroll.

A major part of the text is devoted to the definition of different kinds of sukha / suha “happiness, bliss” and their relationship to each other and to dukha “suffering”. Repeatedly sukha is characterized as dukhavidimiśa (Skt. duḥkhavyatimiśra) “mixed with suffering”. Among others, terms like viveǵasuha (Skt. vivekasukha), veragasuha (Skt. vairāgyasukha), kamasuha (Skt. kāmasukha) are used to characterize these types of bliss.

Cf. Strauch 2007: 34-35, ch. 4.2.2.