The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan ...

some lines and words differ and the first two songs alternate in their order. More
importantly, the narrative settings are richer in Götsang Repa’s version.
The earlier compilation of six songs has its own colophon, which indicates a similar
approach to that of Tsangnyön Heruka in making previously secret songs and narrative
widely available:
Though there is a strict seal upon the six vajra songs
The divinely venerable Rinchen Namgyal has,
Purely from an intention to benefit others,
In this later time, published them.
I pray for the patience of the gurus and
The songs in that section, though sometimes addressed to Rechungpa are devoid of
narrative. The opening salutation and introduction of the text dates to the later
compilation, for Rinchen Namgyal introduces it with the hyperbolic appellation of ‘the
eight hundred songs of Milarepa’ 159 and towards the end of the text, shortly before
describing Milarepa’s death, declares ‘the eight hundred songs’ concluded. 160
The description of Milarepa’s death and funeral is derived verbatim from Tsangnyön
Heruka’s The Life of Milarepa beginning with Milarepa’s advice on practice, following
his instruction to his pupils to dig under the hearth after his death, for he had buried
something there for them. To meld this section into his text, Rinchen Namgyal
awkwardly transforms part of the first sentence from dialogue into a piece of narrative.
Tsangnyön Heruka:
Concerning how you should practise, in these times, men proud of being
good Dharma practitioners 161
Khyed rnams kyi nyams len byed lugs la/da lta chos pa bzang por rlom
pa’i mi
Rinchen Namgyal:
The biographies of Rechungpa 38
Concerning the practice of the pupils [he said], ‘In these times, men proud
of being good Dharma practitioners’ 162
Bu slob rnams kyi nyams len la/da lta chos pa bzang por rlom pa’i mi
Rechungpa appears only incidentally within this compilation, and so it is of little
significance in terms of the development of the narrative of his life.