Prologue in four and a half variations: Towards a reconstruction of the initial lines of «Maitreyasamiti-Nāṭaka».

The article presents an attempt to reconstruct the initial part of the Prologue of the Buddhist drama “Maitreyasamiti-Nāṭaka” in Tocharian A. By comparing several manuscripts of the drama — both published and still unpublished — it becomes possible to restore the composite text of the first strophes of the Prologue, which are dedicated to the praise of Maitreya (Buddha of the future kalpa). We discuss the paleographic, textual, and versificational aspects of the reconstruction in question and provide its Rus sian and English translations.