j

..

he

t!

-------

LANKAJOU

,R

of

the

HU1\I\AN I TIE S

.
:

UNIVERSITY

IE

OF

PERADENIYA:,

}<IV

'

NUM8ERS

1988
(Published In 1990)

t
_

.... " ..f....

'}-Y.'"

"

The: Sri l:l.nka Journal of

tne Humanities is a bi-anhual j"sue of the Universit

y
of PeradeDlya. It IS devoted to the publication of anicles baco on original f('sear
ch

in the Humanities and Social Sciences. w h ich pertain mainly.

though not exclusively

'
d
deligne to reach a readership of specialists as well
as tlOO- 'pt"cialists in the several Fields of study coming within its purview
to Sri Lanka.

The Journal

is

EDITOR
Merlin Peris
MANAGING EDITOR
E. W. Marasinghe
EDITORIAL BOARD

R. A. L. H. Gunawardena

U. p. M eddegama

Ratna Handurukande

A. D. P. Kalansuriya

P. D. Premasiri

S. Thillainathan

Articles and other communiction$ s u bm itted

for

W. 1. Siriweera

publication in forthcoming issues

of

this Journal and all correspondence relating to e d itorial matters should be addressedtO';

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of the Humanitie s

University of Peradeniya
Peradeniya
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information supercedes anything to the

contrary in preceding issues of the Journal.

. .... "

OM.1'Y\ '\
""-, o&.-" Jo. ..

\J dl

" _

j n

rrl1e

te:x:t

()',f

t'' is

SIJPI=<.I)flSAlxil1-I]\\/!ji/\tJf11)\IV1.

tl. Lt.t-;(rt)

(::::3J)

rou.nd in

'.l"':

f):"1S(:<

i.
.)fi

in.::1J.1.1.J.sc;ripts

:;C:V'0r

They

c()lopr){Jns ()i thE; rnc=tD.tSC-:l-il!t3 r(;"t-3J. tI-)Jt E,J(:1 L()7-t

the

32nd

(8,dhyaya)
of
a
la.r.-. qor
SRIBfftmr{;'<l\JFiAVAIJr1\!l1. .u1al.lJf' tllE;rn;. C}{Ctl)t tr-l
1\I)
}\\(}:ll)j\i\t\}1.P r.}
it lS :ceferrecl to ciS Sl\ll1Bi'-1:S-':At(JJ.IIJ
fi\f(

and

fom:-

ca.l.l

BI-IADRl\K..lU:JPAVl\L)l\}l!>, .

sCl."ipt

Newal-i

"s(,.",,'; .... r
::> ,-.,
H>::
!lu;.,..u
lf- _J. ...I!-f:..I' t,...;:::'

Nepalese
of

the

them

of

Pi'tle of

"vll1:i.l.E

app-e;:rr

to go by

one were

Samvat

variant

one

era

;o-re

()t

D?...adf:"!I' i.:lia.t

-ctt

th':!

"heroic

of

tht: lat te:t"

\-vhich

of

cannon

c:orr,es tA)tl0S

t c)

:f().re-oi11g rErrk]:-1(s T1r3l

deed,

fo:c

"word

t.ikV (.ilL

d\l&d,3"na _
_

1. :;H) 5

the rn3J1Usc:r1.r)t

h'iEJ[treCrle t :i};J(!

tJ'l( l)J:esent vJc5rk t)e41()ll.gs t{)

liter'arr V'(-;)J"'ksrt i_ +-le"'

s
4

entitled

F where

by

",

glorIous-featH
"

r1t:rv8

21

11\;-adjl:13

T'

the:

l\ c:

;ljC?l;fr?

the

term

bodhisB.ttvaQ

Q,chiev{;rren t s
tales

.
.- ....

.-----,.,........-----

camE::

of

l. U

the

13y

3l](.:;i1 \lorks

g.lorious

further

to

are

des<is,

!13.\.(

tll,.::,t

a.inJ

()f

__

to trle

(P,:-_l.i

tJl}:.:n\.;r}t:

lTj

cF'Tl3.nd
\.
(, t, .,!. "
l

-'" t r.,

tl1ei.r

rreans

sen;:3e beiri""-'2Xlei1.ded

cxt:::;r:,:gi,)n

Btl(jcl11.is t
;::t

I>,. tudy

:3l1}fE;ri. tE?-Cl

IT::an.l.n9

OJ:

to

tIle, Burld11.a

c1(.s(:.cibi.flg

the

S1J-(;11

t:;'::U1;3.kr-i t Ij.tera.tllr.e

4;:';tJr(s.

(if

They maYCIf-:; C(Xl1f:'d...r""(. wi. th the Ia taJa5::

they
additioD,
lcind
therefore usuaJ.. :y stated, by v'lay or: t:ntroductioI!.;
( arllats }

io th'-2
T.he

t)c3j:-t.1.c!..jLf3J: (:1.a"5$ ()i:

.:1

(.,:arnt.\)i"i

flaLC,}ti\le.s

l.I1

m'.irne

Co

glorious deeds
p.:u;;ty 8.nd
pa.:r.:-tiC....l 1ar ref,,rence to tl1( r1fxo.ic: acr."Li{3V(?lrK;rrL:::; 01:
or

the

t,-=

:neadin9s

copies of

are

(:i...JrlEitittstes

dlapter

tt.\e

S(:l.i"fltS

fl!l(l li'ke tl1e

It

fJIld

on

t'he Buddluj related the story Ex:'exn tll,e pas t, arrl

at the end of the rt0_rr'fiti. .:r(. t!le .1.eSS()I1 :ts (=tt-c3.:lr t:l' tll(:} BU.d.c!l)a ..

what

OCC<"..lSJ.on,

It

For

translat,.)i:- I
i
,
_! l149
;I
J '"
_

ilvadana

an

u.

is, "

in

the

v..nrds

of

t .Jones 11K: i'ia:J:5vdsi G tran:slatc..:d \':)1

'1- . , -;;-r.
p
,:l:-', .... ,, " ,' "'.(",
, 1 .. !... l.
. " .. --;:-:', -, .,..,.,. .,..... ro ...' "

,l. C .t _t.:
1 .

..II

\.

,_

.t.

'-I':._ r_

' , <

'."'.4._

liVll1f", charactel it: ':'.){U

La1Jv.,d tYI the Btlcklha
.
p

good dee<i l):'l:f(')l.l-::lCJ _1.-'0';

j
av d-sr' \ r" 'n t..:: , .....
;'"
,.,1.'.lv .1.:::' L ") l
a
<> tC
.H':;;l,
'-' .

the-pdst
.

and

su-tr""s ,
the

and

diverse
for
.

ODe

rr-.v<lc:;Tt writer and

'0.'"

, .-

moral.,

hand,

the

..... - . ." ,,.;, ......', Y

"'l'hev

achievernents

.,. s
nV::>rnr)1
' --"'
'-''' ', _ LC

,)1..e,,-j..v:. :;

.}-h""
c., ,"--

r}.ce

<f.r.
" ,J.,

<'1F

:-{,L ter}(f"
+-1, ......

,_" ,..;;.

,-

!1

t;!(

SB3. XVI. 1
, h.'I ",,!
()f ,',4..
c .,;

....
J. '.

rE'SU

if

i\

.... y ..
\r.-n l+
"
,
,:,' . ',. y

::::l
.,

concerned with the

l t of.

regulal

ct-I'""'\
. ' . " ),y
j t,<'f-

multiple

the Buddha I
narrated i.n
....
'
.,
-j:;;
"':;\'-'
' ;...."
UI
,
'-. \J"'- ,;;;,( UJ .O ,
rl,c;uld
;; '-\- . .
"1-'
f'::l"'v'
L1
e
. lC ... ! k
... ac

of
Y

_,'\V;:;"dnd:3

arc

tt'ibutaries

of

.
'-""

t'1e

the

nu
...
v

old

canoniccJ. tradi,tion, and they cite :,ntire PdssdgS of lhe

(Mal) -: ' Parinirvfu1a SUtra (llid ether San..c;krit Sutras; on the
other, they are rid
ot the stylis 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-conical Pali, but
which the r-1ahayana Sutras sanetilnes take up. If ( Lairot te, E. '
Histoire du Baudisrre 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.
belived :i.n

They represent

the works

of

pious devotees who"

the efficacy of any act of devotion to the. Buddha,

his follow--ers as having the pov'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)
or

The term

availiina has ScmetiJllCS been e..xteroe.j to designate

"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
.. 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

Buddhavacana

preSe

or

:.-'

.: . .::....

"

""j'"
.

thoUSalid :it-:.Ci.:.:": : \.:: L.':, :A!. , , ','; .t.;;:':;:_1:::s.C:2 ):f.' ti1( .:.:ccond WId fourth
of
th
cfOI>'H(:;' t .i()[=/,: \;,;'n:k3"
l".:'C),I',
references
in
the
''
.
]
i,. ": ,:.-::;51:S
.
.(V"LW
" t-1iJ " !lVlj.;.\!\.i}.
: t' Vl,
Vl\TI)1I.r\RU'
< l\ ' J:; '''';;'
'' ' ,".."i .j!.'.._ ...
t'
"I
''' ;'hJ. I-'t. C1e1:'"C
\.ver"c.? sp3C1a, .. 1.5 t,S.
t:rC?0c1'
this
i...i_tC']:-2tl.l';.:\'
\'Jho
or.
in
wre
known
as
0:<:." \'JE"::;"'ij:::C' can;:;:a:.::-able to the specialist
Avad&urthcj:',)"!i(c:
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
lihrature 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-:-'=3J3 to b even closer than
with the Jdt::.;("
;'-Z,,:.;"T:(" (dlich is ,3.180 the title of a book
. __

. 1.

_ -

of

the

K;-,.;.::':.IJ\2> U,>\"J)

r--1ahd};:-.adW3

"l(>;ir,dE

r :;,::113

life

stor.y!

in

the

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:lnts.
(P.L. Vaidya eel.
'

Avc!dar1a- Sat2Ln .. L':.,-::' ; : ,,- ',,;' , : '=;53)

'The hero v;orthy of peing
celebrate:c1:-. l)' )::.! .:,:,'-:' L_,c:,.:rliJ;s ','1::;$ none oth.er than the Buddha
--. .:.
t},,- :::L'f)j((t '?orthy of narratioll Was
or tile b(:dl._:.; ''/\ .. ;
his glo:;::Ic::::E.,-'-;e,;i';
motives were attached
Tneir favourite fom
r::L L.2,

::,,7'

.:;]}-J,ij3.

;;

,>

'TIl!'?:

SSJ

"

outlir:s(( at j/(;::
text I

in

3.:":;'

miQa I

732 I

77 \) "'./3r:::.:-:;;""!
E.m.r] ,; -: \.

stanzas.

narrativ'3

differs
preSen"::
course

lP

.7

\.'';XC!:
rr::::n.

,_:c

t>

'.i__L

to

."

[-,-

,.;::

." " . .

r: .r. ..::

cl-;".:p>':

belon;/::.(,

"""rs

i.".:

:"S

cc)"}sult:3d,

runs

to

732

stanzas

('llL.:.;h iE', cornparable in length to

',,,(}.

?,tl-; :_":')'5
(:'::

'.h:c:

.,'

?-:d...1X':;

::l-;.(

tLe

,'.:'

:3.L

th'3 colophon and 7 extra

referred

rnss.

'YCE!S0 nt
.

narrative

S?IBI,t\DW\IQ\LPAvADl\;"'i.l\

:1 7' r N';j \7::1-lAVi)dJATI'J<A r

j,:-

c:

ij

'

'.1:.:.

... ,

...

':a'

G;:;

otl1er

rns..

five

to

above

forws

G.

in

as"1d

the

the

however,

that

the

j-::...:-:'t13 end not a jataka wnich

f{-;:-'3 cC1J.ophor1 in filS .. F differs

of

in
' , '. ,
:J'
'
'-.
h
c;
DC:
ti.:::
n::;t.
The
fnention
in
it
of
a
.
: "-:>'.::::_' : . _':!. !E:;j'; )
suggestE that_ i t
"

"

-- "' :

' ., "

}-:-equirements of an Avadana
3. I1aJ.:rativc i.11 verse..
The

ttl; ;::1.:.lt1 ,1;ltaka. :in Sinrmlese, Kav-silu- l

:;? c:)rrt i-I1UeS th2. story beyond verse

,! .. :
'
: ! I

i b--;e1:':

certain r,:;-

40th

cr,.'>::'.:c

l' -

l;

G.-:

"

"! . ,.

':0.t

:::1'

-.

, .. -,".-

describ
32nd

cc,':

Vf:C:]' j,C'"

'n' , _
. \',

...." 2."Ly B1.:.. ths

;g}":.

can1-}osf.::.d ill tJL

a metric.01

X'' '.<

It is to LJ L::'
called C;t:l:-Y.T'._ --

:'.

;', )- '-, ,:';_'-:,i

',_.

... :1,...:

e;":';:i<:led

',::c

p0e!2.t

SA'1BHADRA.VD
A
ANAM.A.rA
narrative
Here

':!:.,,:'<",.-.v.!"r\J):;:,,'(;'V.Ll.Dj\N,i\o

there
too the

1..5

200
work

described

is

jataka.

No

as

summary of

because

herself

be useful

It may

jvadana

or

the extant

calls
such

several

task.
sense

historical
technical
sow1d

Jataka collections

fran

situation

skills

and

critical

story

the

part

as

of

the canonical

of

one

of

or

sources

unde rtakes

who

s ources ,

the

he should possess a

in the handling of his material and a

especially in the dete.nnination of a particular

arrong

many

particularly t

In the las t mentioned

is often faced with the

variants.

the

difficulty of

perplexing

on

not

in its present 'fonn,

fran a knowledge
a critical ability,

Apart

proficiency

judgnent

reading

her

to mention that the

a classical te.'<t fran manuscript

edition of

for

in

one

provides

cammentarial literature in Pali.

The

and

of the story seens necessary

the text does not appear f

in

recounted

in any of

the contents

editress

the

introduction.

avadana

an

scholar

which

option he

to

is

choose

fran

F. weller ' s
view of Lefmanns
edition of LALITAVISTARA are relevant in
this connection.
In the introduction to his own edi ti o n of
the said work (1958), Dr. Vaidya states: "Weller's view in his
dissertation,
Zun
Lalitavistara,
leipzig,
1915, cited by

anong those available.

P.L. Vaidya's

WintemitZ,

this edition

that

is

correcting

neant

even

of Pop..inian grarrrrru:',
view

that

authenticity

of

In this regard,
nooern

ms .

is

needs correcting,

is open to objection.
of

Buddhis t

if by

Edgerton holds the

texts

have

the

spoiled

tradition by their so-called corrections.

a middle course s eems the

editor , if he is to avoid

obtrudes,

on

bringing the text in line with the tenets

editors

the

comme nts

therefoI."8

obliged

an

to

roost

reasonable"

obstacle that frequently

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 usa ge , on the one hand, and the practic:e' foll by
the scribe who is a mere copyist faithfully

appears on the written record, on the other.

to

decide,

after

critical

analysis

transcribing

of

what

He has therefore
the

material, what principles should guide rum in fixing

available

the text'.

Professor Ratna Handde has all the attributes of

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

observed

textual
has

publications.
the

principles

analysis :1'1 the

succeeded

scrupulous

in

In --all such
of

modern

neat

the rnanuscript

these

corrm:3nts

one

has

generally

scholarship

the final text.

balance

OeThBen

and
She

text and the demands .of

rrodell1 textual criticism and analyt iC31

Having made
questions.

she

c.ri_tical

establishnent of

achieving

fidelity to

'Y'.,)rk

scho:Larship.

would

like

to

ask

saoo

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.

:rn

's

in
:Jf

The

adoption of the form Nil<xl0 (== blue water, ocean) in

preference to tre Di'Vyavadana reading Nilo 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

is

by

by

ts

"'nile the latter was the

of

yaksa.

::he

ocean

ns.
A

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 otha (::= 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.

the

Itly
)Clth

!Y.)rc

t.ext
,

of

d by
what

!fore
_abl(
of

At

Srlsarrpradarp
_

accurring in mss. .BCDEG.

preferred to taI!1 of the

lS

preferred

And agai.'1

There

mss.

at

v.

see'11S

to
448

errended

fonn

same

gives

tendency

the

sufficient reason) is

stanza

the

mss.

slightly different

reject the IDS ..

to be observed at v.

to

t'

Sn:arrpadalJ1
Sa hils been

to be no valid

reason for such en1endations and deviation fran

The
a

419

v.

name

reading

539.

The

meaning.

(without

..
. .\

S UK{:;SO in
L
610 t 6 1 2 , the hC1:" sC' -ki.nq \lalal--.a. L:. .:::aLetj
T;' 11 :' - C 'F ' ;'nc c"" ;-el-' ;'':l -t. "
" , ,1, .e:,sC)
At 6 2 9 t OO t
.
. G-c,
'-
: .v.;.::-::
. . -a
:..::l' u lC .t. c.o. L.c <:J jJl F . wh ile
above
ltL su.keai:> .NL, l dl . .t.
bas
'Val
The I:f'dSOn for re 'i
the other rnss' ha-:ve suke5't
.... ectinn
, the fm.:m
1
:.:.
v
:1
1)'
:i
vyldr
.;
1
'-"
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