ABSTRACT
The term saf11pu!a, in its general sense, means a hemispherically shaped dish or a hollow space between two dishes placed together. In the Tibetan versions of this tantra and in the commentaries, the term saf11pu/a is translated either as yang dag par sbyor ba or as kha sbyor. Tentatively, these two Tibetan translations could be respectively rendered as "perfect union" and "mystic embrace". Fundamentally, there is a limited meaning that one can deduce from the Sanskrit term saf11pu/a or from its Tibetan translations. However, the initial section of the tantra and the commentaries provide a whole range of complex interpretations all of which basically assert that it symbolises the non-dual union of wisdom (prajfiii) and means (upiiya), and other similar tantric pairs. Perhaps it should be mentioned that in Tibetan sources this tantra is known by its transcribed Sanskrit term or as either Yang dad par sbyor lu or Kha sbyor. The structure afthe Samputa-tantra
some controversy about the nature and canonicity of Chapter Eleven as part of this tantra. In the sTog Palace edition, this colophon has been removed, which again would suggest hat the editor of this Kanjur accepted Chapter Eleven as part ofthis tantra. The colophon at the end of Chapter Eleven is basically the same in both the Peking and sTog editions.3 It is clear from it that after this tantra was translated by 'Brog mi, some Tibetan masters tried to impose their own translations, and that strange as it appears in the context of the previous colophon, Brog mi edited it once more. According to Abhayakaragupta's commentary, the Sampu/a-tantra is in ten chapters (kalpa) and he comments on ten chapters only as does Viryavajra. Indrabodhi states at the beginning of his commentary that this tantra is in eleven chapters4 but again, like Abhayakaragupta and Viryavajra, he provides an impressive and extensive interpretation often chapters only.
