According to "Murasaki Shikibu Diary," when the author was writing the original text there existed certain lines of manuscript such as Sokobon (draft) and Seishobon (clean copy), and each of these was brought into circulation, which includes an unexpected case of Michinaga's taking the Sokobon (which the author had) without permission; therefore, the text of "The Tale of Genji" was passed down through a complicated process from the beginning.
『紫式部日記』の記述によると、そもそも作者の自筆の原本の段階で草稿本、清書本など複数の系統の本が存在し、作者の手元にあった草稿本が道長の手によって勝手に持ち出されるといった意図しないケースを含めてそれぞれが外部に流出するなど、『源氏物語』の本文は当初から非常に複雑な伝幡経路をたどっていたことが分かる。