Samding Dorje Phagmo The Mahāvyutpatti (Devanagari: महाव्युत्पत्ति, compound of महत् (in compounds often महा) - great, big,[1] and व्युत्पत्ति f. - science, formation of words, etymology;[2] Wylie: Bye-brag-tu rtogs-par byed-pa chen-po), The Great Volume of Precise Understanding or Essential Etymology, was compiled in Tibet during the late eighth to early ninth centuries CE, providing a dictionary composed of thousands of Sanskrit and Tibetan terms designed as means to provide standardised Buddhist texts in Tibetan, and is included as part of the Tibetan Tengyur (Toh.
The Mahāvyutpatti is traditionally attributed to the reign of Ralpacan (c. 838), "but as Professor Tucci has pointed out (Tombs of the Tibetan Kings, pp.
14–15), it undoubtedly goes back to his predecessor Sad-na-legs, and one might well assume, in its actual conception, even back to the time of Khri Srong-lde-brtsan, when these problems were first seriously confronted...."[4] So, whatever the case, it must be dated prior to 838 CE, and probably to the time of Sadnalegs (reigned c. 800–815 CE).
The original dictionary contained 9,565 lexical entries divided into 277 chapters,[6] and was in three volumes – one on the Hinayana, one on the Mahayana, and one of indexes.
[7] Another book, the sGra-sbyor bam-po gnyis-pa, or 'Word-Combination', a two-part work, definitely produced during the reign of Sadnalegs, clearly describes in its opening words how the dictionary was produced: The sGra-sbyor bam-po gnyis-pa then goes on to give the royal orders on how the texts were to be translated from Sanskrit to Tibetan, and also explains that, because the tantras "are to be secret by regulation" ... "henceforth with regard to dhāraṇīs, mantras and tantras, unless permission for translation is given, tantras and mantra expressions are not permitted to be collected and translated.