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On the Prakrit Sources of Tale-types and Tale-motifs
311
Western folklorists2 (=Aarne and Thompson's Tale Type No. 567) is preserved in several closely allied versions in the oral tradition as well as the Medieval literary tradition of Gujarat. Looking to its continuous popularity for some fifteen hundred years, it is bound to be one of the tales of common Indian inheritance,
In its basic outline the tale is about two brothers, whom circumstances force to leave their native place. They travel abroad. Due to some lucky accident or divine favour they happen to eat respectively the head (or heart) and some other part of a magic bird, in consequence of which the elder gets a kingdom and the younger a daily supply of gold coins. The two brothers become separated. The younger passes through several ups and downs, and during his encounter with a cheating bawd he is deprived of his magic possession. He, however, takes revenge on her by turning her into a she-ass by virtue of his newly acquired magic power. Ultimately the two brothers are happily united. 3
The earliest known version comes from the Pāli Jātakas. But we have also quite an early version of this tale in the story of the merchant Kāştha given in the Avaśyaka commentaries. It is also known from numerous works on the lifestory of Manipati and from several other independent narratives in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Old Gujarati. The tale is widespread also in the West. The Prakrit version found in Ratnaprabha's Doghatți commentary (composed in 1182 A.D.) on the Upadeśamāla is nearest to the core of modern versions as also of those current abroad, and as such its importance for tracing the ultimate source of the latter is quite obvious.
2. The Danced-out Shoes (Type 306)
Thompson has the following note on this tale-type :
“It is discovered that a princess absents herself at night and always returns with her shoes danced to pieces. She is offered in marriage to the man who can solve the mystery of her conduct. She has succeeded in giving a narcotic to all those who have tried
| SR No. | 022756 |
| Book Title | Indological Studies |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | H C Bhayani |
| Publisher | Parshva Prakashan |
| Publication Year | 1993 |
| Total Pages | 376 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 25 MB |