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THE ASOKA LEGEND
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plan between the two Chinese translations proves that these two recensions reproduce faithfully the arrangement of the original chronicle of Asoka (Przyluski, p. 59). If one compares the two Chinese recensions with the fragments of the Sanskrit text, there is no doubt that both are based upon a Sanskrit text very similar to the one transmitted by the compilers of the Divyāvadāna. Both translations are without doubt rather free, but Ch. 2 is closer to the Sanskrit text than Ch. 16. In his edition of the Aśokāvadāná, Mukhopadhyāya has made abundant use of Przyluski's translation of Ch. 1. However, he seems to have consulted Ch. 2 only as far as it is quoted by Przyluski in the notes to his translation.
Many scholars have tried to correct the text of the Asoka legend in the Divyāvadāna. Also, several sections of the text have been translated since Burnouf's translation mentioned above. For bibliographical details we refer to our review of Mukhopādhyāya's edition of the Aśokāvadāna. There remain still many problems relating to the text and its interpretation. Strong's recent translation is not an improvement on Burnouf's work, and it is not useful to point out in detail the many errors committed by him. In the following notes the page references are to the editio princeps by Cowell and Neil?.
P. 349.17: nānanda etarhi yathātīte "py adhvani tena vinipatitaśarīrenāpy atraiva. In his edition, Mukhopādhyāya adds the words bahujanahitam krtam. Strong translates: "This is not the only time, Ānanda; in a previous life too, in a body that is now no more, Upagupta worked right here for the benefit of many people" (p. 175). Vinipatitaśarīra is a body which has fallen into a bad existence. Ch. 2 has: "In the past, long ago, he was born into a bad way of existence (gati) and worked for the benefit of many people" (149c11-12).
P. 355.4: avakrstāvakrstasya kunapasya hy amedhyatā / medhyāḥ (MSS. medhyā) kāmopasamhārāh kāminah subhasamjñinaḥ. Strong translates: "A corpse that is clearly vile is impure; what is pure is the suppression of desire by one who has desires but knows what is good” (p. 182). Probablŷ one should read medhyā kāmopasamhārā: “The impurity of the very vile corpse is pure and produces desire for the lover who thinks it to be beautiful". For the meaning of upasamhāra see Edgerton's Dictionary of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit s.v. Ch. 2 has: "Noble
6 See also Heinrich LÜDERS, Bruchstücke der Kalpanämandirikā des Kumāralāta, Leipzig 1926, p. 75 and 130.
7 I have been unable to consult Heinrich ZIMMER's translation of Divyāvadāna p. 348.19-365.5 (Karman, ein buddhistischer Legendenkranz, München 1925, p. 175-194).