Bodhisattva Vadana Kalpalata And The Saddantavadana

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

Page 9

J. W. de Jong
35
The scribe of the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā took from the Kalpadrumāvadānamālā recension the following verses: 5, 59123, 144-161, 166-184, 190, and 193-198. In order to fill the lacunae he added five verses (A-E) between Verse 5 and Verse 59, one verse (F) between Verses 123 and 144, one verse (G) between Verses 161 and 166, and one verse (H) between Verses 190 and 193. A-B: The Buddha preaches the law at the Garga Pond near Campā. C-E: The jealous kşapaņakas say, “You must destroy the lustre (dīpti) of the Buddha by saying that you have been made pregnant by him.” The young woman simulates a pregnancy by means of a wooden bowl. F: A second hunter declares himself willing to kill Șaddanta. G: The hunter says that Queen Bhadrā wants to have a seat made from Şaddanta's tusks. H: The hunter loses his hands, and Brahmadatta's kingdom is destroyed by excessive rains.
It is obvious that the scribe of the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā was more interested in the story of the past concerning Şaddanta than in the story of the present relating to Cañcāmānavikā. Through the omission of Verses 6-58, nothing is said of the role played by Devadatta, although identification of Devadatta with the hunter (Verse 194) has been maintained. Moreover, verses C-E do not explain why the ksapaņakas are jealous nor the identity of the young woman whom they ask to simulate pregnancy. It is equally obvious that the scribe of the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā has made use of the Kalpadrumāvadānamālā. In a long note added to the English translation of his article on the Șaddanta-jātaka, “Essai de classement chronologique des diverses versions du Şaddanta-jâtaka” (Mélanges d’Indianisme, Paris, 1911, pp. 231-248) Foucher writes that “The author of the latter collection (Kalpadrumāvadānamālā] restricted himself to reproducing, without however (in any way) informing the reader of the fact, the work of Kshemendra, except that on two points he has lengthened the narrative of his predecessor, which in his opinion was too much abbreviated.”20
I hope to be able to publish shortly the text of the Kalpadrumāvadānamālā recension of the Saddantāvadāna including the eight verses added by the scribe of the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā. It will then become absolutely clear that Foucher was wrong in assuming that the Kalpadrumāvadānamālā recension is based upon the