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LANKAJOU of the

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'}�-�Y. �'"

UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA: ' ,

1988 (Published In 1990)

NUM8ERS . I " 2

. �:

The: Sri l:l§.nka Journal of tne Humanities is a bi-anhual j"sue of the University of PeradeDlya. It IS devoted to the publication of anicles ba�co on original f('search in the Humanities and Social Sciences. which pertain mainly. though not exclusively to Sri Lanka. The Journal is deligned to reach a readership of specialists as well

'

as tlOO- 'pt"cialists in the several Fields of study coming within its purview \

EDITOR

Merlin Peris

MANAGING EDITOR

E. W. Marasinghe

EDITORIAL BOARD

R. A. L. H. Gunawardena

Ratna Handurukande A. D. P. Kalansuriya

S. Thillainathan

U. p. M eddegama P. D. Premasiri W. 1. Siriweera

Articles and other communic�tion$ submitted for publication in forthcoming issues of I this Journal and all correspondence relating to editorial matters should be addressedtO';

The Editor Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities

University of Peradeniya Peradeniya Sri Lanka

Annual Subscription is Rs 50/- in Sri Lanka. The overseas rate is U. S. $ 8-50 or the

equivalent in conve rtible currency. and includes postage. Booksellers ar� entitled to

a trade discount of 20%, All cheques, bank drafts and other forms of remittanc� should be drawn in favour of The Registrar, Univers ity of Peradeniya, and forwarde to the Managing Editor. All inquiries by institutes and libaries for obtaining the

Journal on exchange must be addressed to The Assistant Librarian (Periodicals), The

:: Libra.ry�':':Uni-vcrsity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya. (Sri Lanka) Please note that tbis

information supercedes anything to the contrary in preceding issues of the Journal.

. .... "

of

�OM.1'Y\� '\ � � ""-, o&.€-" �Jo. .. " _ \J dl

j �n

rrl1e te:x:t ()',f t'�'� is tl. Lt.t-;(�rt�) '.l"':� i. SIJPI=<.I·)fl�SAlxil1-I]\\/�!�j·i/\tJf�11)\IV1. (::::3J) �L�� f):"1S(:<�� ·.)fi �:;C:V'0r� in.::1J.1.1.J.sc;ripts rou.nd in They c()lopr){Jns ()i� thE; rnc=tD.t�SC-:l-il!t�3 r(;"t����-3J. tI-)�Jt E�,J(:�1 L()7�-t (:i ... JrlEitittstes the 32nd dlapter (8,dhyaya) of a la.r..-qor SRIBfftmr{;'�<l\J�FiAVAIJr�1\!l1. .u1al.l·��Jf' tllE;rn;. C�}{C�t�l)t tr-l��

entitled F where

it lS :ceferrecl to ciS Sl\ll1Bi'-11\I) :S-':At(J�J�.IIJ }\\(}:ll)j\i\�t\}�1.P� r.}� �

fom:- and fi\f(� ca.l.l BI-IADRl\K .. lU:JPAVl\L)l\}l!>, . Pi'tle of Newal-i sCl."�ipt "vll1:i.l.E t,��-=� H>::::>,-., "s(,.",,·'; .... ·r·� !lu;.,..u lf-� _J.� ...I!-f:..I' t,...;:::'

one were to app-e;:rr go by one of tht�: lat te:t"

by the m'.irne io th'-2

T.he

Nepalese Samvat era \-vhich of the variant :neadin9s of them are copies of a cannon

c:orr,es tA)tl0S t c) 1. :;H) 5 l\ � c: �

the rn·3J1Usc:r1.r)t�·� �;ljC?l;fr? tll,.::,t h�'i�EJ[treCrle t :i};J(! Co

I>,. ��tudy a.inJ __ ()f

�;o-re ()�t -ctt€ :f().re£�-oi11g rErrk�]:-1(s �T1r3�l !1�3.\.�(� :3l1�}�fE;�ri. tE?-Cl to trle D?...adf:"!I' i.:l�ia.t tJ'l(� l)J:esent vJc5rk t)e41()ll.gs t{) .:1 t)c3j:-t.1.c!..j�Lf3J:· (:1.a"5$ ()i: liter'ar�r V'(-;�)J"'ksr- fo:c t.i·k�V (.il�L r1t:rv8 21 (.,:arnt.\)i"i tJl}:.:n\.;�r}t: lTj tl1ei.r t i +-le"'s th�':! "word d\l&d,3"na _ 11\;-adjl:13 (P,:-_·�l.i cF'Tl3.nd \. rreans _ 4 _ ", T' _ ·� ·-'" t�r., (, t, .,!. " l

"heroic deed, glorIous-featH f the: sen;:3e beiri��""-'2Xlei1.ded to "

glorious deeds p.:u;;ty 8.nd pa.:r.:-tiC .... l1ar ref,,�rence or the bodhisB.ttvaQ term

.-----,.,.�.......-----

camE:: .�- ..... � l.U

to tl1(� r1f�x·o.ic: acr."Li{3V(?lrK;rrL�:::; 01: tIle, Burld11.a 13y a further cxt:::;r:,:gi,)n OJ: IT¥::�an.l.n9 the

to flaLC,}ti\le.s c1(.�s(:.cibi.flg S1J-(;11 Q,chiev{;rren t s • �3l](.:;i1 \�lor�ks are l.I1 Btl(jcl11.is t t:;'::U1;3.kr-i t Ij.tera.tllr.�e tales of the g.lor�·ious des<is, ( arllats } • They maYCIf-:; C(Xl1f:'d...r""(�. wi. th the

they additioD, ;::t •• A lcind

��4;:·';tJr�(s. (if tt.\e S(�:l.i"fltS �Ia taJ�a�5:: fl!l(l li'ke tl1e

It therefore usuaJ .. :�y stated, by v'lay or: t:ntroductioI!.; fJIld on what OCC<"..lSJ.on, at the end of

t'he Buddluj related the story Ex:'exn tll,e pas t, arrl the rt0_rr'fiti.� • .:r(�. t!le .1.eSS()I1 :ts· (=tt-c3.��:lr� t:£�l' tll(:} BU.d.c!l)a ..

For It • • � an ilvadana is, " in the v .. nrds of d rr-.v<lc:;Tt writer and translat,.)i:- I t .Jones 11K: i'ia:J:5vdsi G tran:slatc..:�d \':)1 SB3. XVI. 1

! l149 Ji • , � , 1 . '1- ., -;;-p ,:l:-'---;:-:'���, -, .,..,.,. , ro· ... ' " , .... ,, " ,' "'.(," ,- • ! 1 .... , h.'I",,! ()f ,' .• _ ;I _ '" u. l. C .t _t.: ..II � \. r., 1 .. !...l.. " .. ,_ �,� .t. '-I':._ r_ ...... ' , < '."'.4._ _ J . '. c .,; ,4.

liVll1f", charactel it: ':'.){U La1Jv.,d tYI the Btlcklha <'1F t;!(·� rE'SU l t of. .� p� �.� '-""

good dee<i l)·�:'l:f(')l.l-::lC�J _1.-'0'; j �,)1..·e··,,-j .. v:. �:; :-��{,L�� ter}(�f" � if i\ r·egulal� av�d-sr' \� r" 'n t..:: , · ..... t· '0.'" , .-� ;'" - ..... �- � •. . " ,,- <f.r. +-1, ...... v .... y · .. \r.-n � l+ ::::l ct-I'""'\ ),y <'f-a <> tC� ,.,1.' .lv.1.:::' L •• ") l .H':;;l, '-' . u .;, ..... .', Y " ,J., ,_" ,..;;. ,:,' . ',. y " , ., . ' . " j t, the-pdst and a moral., "'l'hev r}.ce concerned with the multiple and diverse achievernents of the Buddha I narrated i.n the su-tr""s for nV::>rnr)1 .,. .}-h"" U'I�; Y" "':;\'-' -j:;;.,' .... "1-' f'�::l"'�v 'acrl;; '-\- n ... . a , . ' --"''-''' ', _LC s c., ,"-- .... '-. \J"�'- , ,;;;,( UJ .O , L1 e . lC ... ! k... • ,c;uld . . . vu the ODe hand, the _,'\V;:;"�dnd:3 arc tt'ibutaries of t'1e old canoniccJ. tradi,tion, and they cite �:,ntire Pdssdg�S of lhe (Mal�) -: ' Parinirvfu1a SUtra (llid ether San .. c;krit Sutras; on the other, they are rid ot the sty lis t ic habi ts imposed by the Prakrit prototypes and :inaugurate new forms atX1 new cliches which find no parallel at all in the post-c�onical Pali, but which the r-1ahayana Sutras sanetilnes take up. If

� ( Lairot te, · E. '

Histoire du Baud�isrre Indien; Des Origines a L' Ere �aka" 1958 r 160 654 ) • There are also avadiinas where the Buddha instead of relating a story of the past, gives a prophecy of the future. They represent the works of pious devotees who" beli�ved :i.n the efficacy of any act of devotion to the. Buddha, or his follow--ers as having the po�v'o>er to influence indefinitely fai good the life 'of man . Equally the Buddhists held that an insult to the Buddha \Vas certain to bear appalling fruit. (Keith, A.B. - A History of sanskrit Literature, Oxford, 1928, 64.�67; . see also wmtanlt£.M:-A Tlistory of Indian Literature tr. V;'Srinivasa Sanna , 1983 Vol. TIl 152, 266)�

The term availiina has ScmetiJllCS been e..xteroe.j to designate Buddhavacana or "Word of the Buddha ," and the literature of this category constitutes one of the Th'elve Dharmapravacanas of Sanskrit Buddhism, in much the same manner as the Jatakas constitute one of the nine rranbers of the Teacher's dispensation (navan�-satthu-sasana). 'T'hera must have been an extensive li1;�ratl1re of this class of which only a fraction is preSe�� .. in', (at ieco:ye!ed frrnl)m:muscripts:,. DIVYAV�., AVAii1\NA-SATAKA, JATAKAMAL.l\ dI1d AVAD��-KALPALATA are exarrples. It is generally believed that the literature of Avadana, a sanskrit literature of Buddhist inspiration, originated and· grew in the first centuries of the present era. The period of tnne during which this literature grew in amplitude could be gauged when one l.-emembers that there exists a gap of nearly a

.: . .::.. .. :.-' . " ""j'" .

thoUSalid :it-:.Ci.:.:":� : \.:: L.':,· • . · __ ��:A!. , .• 1. , ','; � • .t.;;:':;:_1�:::��s.C:2 �):f.' ti1(� .:.:ccond WId fourth of th� cfOI>'H(:;'� t .i()£�[=/,: \;,·;'n:k3" l"�.:'C),I', references in the Vl\TI)1I.r\RU' < l\ ' J:; '''';;�' '' ' ," " '.' i,. ": t' I-- " I . ]. t .(V"LW " t-1iJ " !lVlj.;.\!\.i}.:�t' � �·��Vl, � .. i .j!.' ._ ... _ -� �,�:.���·-::;51:S ''' ;'hJ. 't.� C�1e1:'"C ·\.ver"c.? sp3C1a, .. 1.5 ,S. in this t:rC?0c1' or. �i ... ·i_tC']:-2tl.l';.:\�' \'Jho w��re known as Avad&urthcj:',)"!i(�c: 0:<:." �\'JE"::;�"'i�j:::C' can;:;:a:.::-able to the specialist rronk:s of th,,, 'i'; ..... :;,:c;:'f.::jj;;1 t:cCid.i t. ion � 1.mov"Q as Suttantika, VinayadhcJ.'c ';"i: .<�t .... · l ' :·=« -::" (J l'3 . This lih�rature bears &"1 affil'1ity to '�l:'::, .J[:ti.'!::':'::Y�; \';L';:h u-_� .:hfh",rence that the latter relate the ;;:;d�-;� 1.:::.\12':', ;)t -c]"'lE; Suc::"ha dS bo::lhisattva. wi1ile in the Avada..rw.s UK" ::> -\)ha. 'yurc;elf pJ..(�YyS trp leading role. The affinity 7.,'; �j' '�r:,::..:l�.n2. j;, [-:;.1::. a.r-:-'=3J��3 to b� even closer than with the Jdt::.;(��" ;'-Z,,:�.�;�"T:(" (dlich is ,3.180 the title of a book of the K;-,�.;.::':·.IJ\2> U�,�>\"J) r :;,::113 "l(>;i�r,dE life stor.y·! in the r--1ahd};:-.adW3 r::L L.2, � ::,,7'� ;; .:;]}-J,ij3. 14) f of the last seven Budch'1as �s exemplif' 'j:2: E ',35',:'. V.ipa'331, ' .. .;hereas in the Kh.uddaka Nikaya "(he S",-CLi.,,�j C::,:<:: >:>:e 02 ara.i:l�nts. (P.L. Vaidya eel. - ' Avc!dar1a- Sat2Ln .. L':.,-::'·�;: ,,- ',,;' , : '=;53) • 'The hero v;orthy of peing celebrate:c1:-·�. l)' )::.!� �.:,:,'-:' L_,c:,.:rli·J;�s ','1::;$ none oth.er than the Buddha or tile b(:dl.��_�:�.;�� �'�'\/.��. ; --. .:.� t},,-� �:::L'f)j(�(�t �'?orthy of narratioll Was his glo:;::Ic::::E.,-'-;�e,;�·i'; ,> motives were attached

Tneir favourite fom

'TIl!'?: SSJ X'�' '.< ; .... " 2.�"Ly B1.:.. ths }-:-equirements of an Avadana outlir:s(( at j/(;:: " cc,':� �·':0.t i.".: :"S 3. I1aJ.:rativc i.11 verse.. The text I in 3.:·":;'� c� _ :::1' l' - �� b cc)"}sult:3d, runs to 732 stanzas can1-}osf.::.d ill tJL �;g}":.� l; � ',,,(}. (�'·ll·L.:.;h iE', cornparable in length to a metric.01 Vf�:C:]' j,C'" G.-: ttl; ;::1.:.�lt1 ,1;ltaka. :in Sinrmlese, Kav-silu-miQa I 77 \) "'·./·3r:��::.:-:;;""�! -�.

732 I E.m.r] ,;� �-:� � \ .. "!� . ,. "

stanzas. �'n' , _ .� \'�,

[-,- . -" �l . • �. :;? c·:)rrt i-I1UeS th2. story beyond ,! .. ': : ! I ?,�tl·;-:_":')'5 ?-:d ... 1X':; th'3 colophon and 7

(:'::� ·::l-;.(� :3.L� rnss. referred to

verse extra above

describ�� , .. -,".- ,.;:: '.�h:�c:� tLe 'YCE!S0 nt narrative . . �

forws as"1d

the 32nd cr,�.'>::'�.:c ; . . " " . .,' �,'.:' S?IBI,t\DW\IQ\LPAvADl\;"'i.l\ �

�. - the ... , � ... -

narrativ'3 i b--;e1:': ·.�:1 7'�r'N';j\7::1-lAVi)dJATI'J<A r rns.. G. however, differs lP .7 r: �.r.�� .. ::· �j,:- .. _ ij� '�:�a�'� G�;:; otl1er five in that the preSen":: \.'';XC!: ,�_:c """rs c: '.1:�.:. a j-:: ... :-:'t13 end not a jataka wnich of course rr::::n. t > " ' , '. , " 1� :J' f{-;:-'3 cC1J.ophor1 in filS .. F differs in certain r�,:;- '.i __ L --."' : ' '-.hc;� DC: ti.::: n�::;t. The fnention in it of a 40th cl-;".:p>�': : "-:>'.��:::�:��_·'�:� �. _':!.�!E�:��;j'; ) suggestE that_ i t belon�;/::.(, to ' . , " ;', )- ' -, ,�:';_'-:,i e;":';:i<:led SA'1BHADRA.VADANAM.A.rA� It is to L��J L::' :'. ',_. · ... :1·,...: ',::c� _ p�0�e!2.t narrative 1..5 there called C;t:l:-�Y.T'.·_ -- �':!:·.,·,:'<",.-�·.v.!"·r\J):;:,,�'(;'V.Ll.Dj\N,i\o Here too the

200

work is described as an avadana or j�vadana and not a jataka.

No summary of the contents of the story seens necessary because the editress herself provides one in her critical introduction. It may be useful to mention that the story as recounted in the text does not appear f in its present 'fonn, in any of the extant Jataka collections of the canonical or cammentarial literature in Pali.

The edition of a classical te.'<t fran manuscript sources calls for several skills on the part of one who undertakes such a task. Apart fran a knowledge of the sources , a historical sense and a critical ability, he should possess a technical proficiency in the handling of his material and a sow1d judgnent especially in the dete.nnination of a particular reading fran arrong many variants. In the las t mentioned situation particularly t the scholar is often faced with the perplexing difficulty of which option he is to choose fran anong those available. P.L. Vaidya's comments on F. weller ' s view of Lefmann�s edition of LALITAVISTARA are relevant in this connection. In the introduction to his own edition of the said work (1958), Dr. Vaidya states: "Weller's view in his dissertation, Zun Lalitavistara, leipzig, 1915, cited by WintemitZ, that even this edition needs correcting, if by correcting is neant bringing the text in line with the tenets of Pop..inian grarrrrru:', is open to objection. Edgerton holds the view · that the edi tors of Buddhis t texts have spoiled the authenticity of ms . tradition by their so-called corrections. In this regard, a middle course seems the roos t reasonable" • A nooern editor , if he is to avoid an obstacle that frequently obtrudes, is therefoI."8 obliged to steer clear of the path adopted by the "scholar" or pundit who unconsciously but nore often deliberately attempts to �rove upon the original text by seeking to bring the readings in llile with the nonns of classical usage, on the one hand, and the practic:e' foll� by the scribe who is a mere copyist faithfully transcribing what appears on the written record, on the other. He has therefore to decide, after a critical analysis of the available material, what principles should guide rum in fixing the text'.

Professor Ratna Hand��de has all the attributes of a

:rn 's in :Jf is by by �ts ::he the ns.

A Itly )Clth !Y.)rc t.ext , of d by what !fore _abl(�

of a

201.

mature scholar. The SSJ is not the first work of this nature that she has undertaken and published. The tJ'1f).NICUDAVADANA arlZi. LOl<ANANDA (SSE voL XXIV. Pali text society, London, 1967) and Five Buddhist Legends in the C8.rnpu Style .t'rcm d Collection Narrro Avadana-sara-Samuceaya (Bonn. --T984) are two of her earlier publications. In --all· such 'Y'.,)rk she has generally observed the principles of modern c.ri_tical scholarship and textual analysis :1'1 the establishnent of the final text. She has succeeded in achieving a neat balance OeThBen a scrupulous fidelity to the rnanuscript text and the demands .of rrodell1 textual criticism and analyt iC31 scho:Larship.

Having made these corrm:3nts one would like to ask saoo questions.

Why I for ir1s tance , is the readL'19 ratnan preferred· to ratnaJIl in verse (v.) 23 which 6 IT'tSS have? Of course, the plural ratnffi!i ("tatal) sa Uini ratnani". v � 45) occurs in several instances later on (e.g. �J� 75.107/293,294,300 etc.) But then ratna is neuter.

The adoption of the form Nil<xl0 (== blue water, ocean) in preference to tre Di'Vyavadana reading Nil�o dispi te the ms . readings corresponding to the latter rnay be justified or? the grounds that the hnmer was the usual for.m designating the ocean "'nile the latter was the name of a yaksa.

Again why is the reading mahaul?d,dhI of ms � Co adopted :in preference to rMhosadhl of ABDEFG at v» 387? Could this not - I' be a trace of Pali or proto-canonical Prakritic influence? The term �o�tha (::= great-lipped) is found in Sanskrit with refeL-ence to Siva. Aga:i.'1 at v. 394 the reading mahaul?dhir!l which is not found in any ms. has been adopted.

I _ . t'

At v. 419 Srlsarrpradarp lS preferred to Sn:�arrpadalJ1 accurring in mss. �.BCDEG. And agai.'1 at v. 448 Sa hils been preferred to taI!1 of the mss. There see'11S to be no valid reason for such en1endations and deviation fran the mss. The errended fonn gives the stanza a slightly different meaning. The same tendency to reject the IDS .. reading (without sufficient reason) is to be observed at v. 539.

..

. . \ ..

At vv ., 610 t 6 1 2 , the hC1:" sC' -ki.nq \lalal--.a. �L:. �.:::aLLetj SUK{:;SO in 6 ms s \lill i 'i n T;' 11 ':--C 'F ' ;'nc c"" ;-el-' ;'�':l -t. " " , ,1,· .e:,sC) At 629 t OO t . . - '-�: . . ::-��:: " . ''J'-'� ��''�?�. "-J,,, ·. �.t. ,

. . � �G�-c- ��: ,;.2:"�;:::��· 1 ' 'Valabas v.;ltL suke�ai:> ·.NL, � l dl above :..::l' u lC .t. c.o. L.c <:J jJl F . while the other rnss�' ha-:ve suke5't � The I:f'dSOn for re'i ectinn the fm.:m .... , � sukeso or suke�I in tj--.Z';;::-·��;'ls:" ' � ?}'-" 1 .;drvyl- :i 1)':1 v·:.:. 1 �irv; .j Ii ("ach of them is not clear . 'Th;�' t�):�;�;�;,� s�;';�:� �tL; '�;'r;l "'��U�(�:�Y'--��";' fi ttf.�sted in the ep ics .

.. � e¥ ____ ._ •• __ < __ • ••

also a \jSefLl�L the this I t furnishes tale whid1 Di v.yavadan<."1 SSJ and it::.;

.:tE; (:J):1jln(�yj tel l)c� i-1 Ir���.t;-ic21�!. a(121I)tE� t �i..,)r) (),E the te.;{ t I cOHcDrd.:::li lce::'. s hnw::.ng cnrrespondenc{�s b.::�tw.?:en P0SS iJ_'"LLe a.\ra·c]aflB. S··tlll!:(�:e:::: tC}9'C� ti1t:=r wit. ; ). (:if) iJlcie.x ()j�

proper narnes . 'Jihe ,,\"o:::.-F;: W::U.l. L)E' 01: j n torc�, t no t only to I d ' . +- ;j n - ' " ' . ' - I,. 1 • 1 '1 n O..LOglS " S an: ... oUC1drlOl.O�}ls t f.5 tnt .:::U.SU (() J ess seno, ar:-.LY readers a.nd students ()1: Btlddh':_�; .: !larT.'ative literature . The language of this tale whicll is prcbably the cC,,(flpo!:; it ion of a Newar scholar of Nepal whos(.': ,�)Cl· �:nco(I and .U.turqictll language was This

Sanskrit , is publicat ion

direct one.! represen t3

qenerally ec·usy to unden3tand _ (', rn te\fJOrthy (ldd i t iun to the

research wJrk in the fieLd of l\Va:jand .l. it(�ra.ture In:"Oduced in Nepal , northe:rn India , Til)-2 t and Cen tr.al ASl a I t i�; hoped that other texts of this gi::,nre ,3J'1d other s tud .i es J J1 t!lis direction will follow in due cou:::�:; e , the publi.cat ion of thi.s stimulating \\1Qrk .

K.n:.J\SURIYA