Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 01
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 73
________________ FEB. 2, 1872.] REVIEWS. 57 budbya is either directly a corruption from budunya or it comes from a form budha-no longer extant, but corresponding in meaning to the word budhna. Aç vabu dhy a means • grounded (established) on horses depending on horses." I. 92, 7. prajávato nșiváto áçvabudhyan úsho góagrân úpa mási v&'ján "Aurora, bertow upon us, together with posterity and sons, possessions which shall have their foundation in horses, and their summit in cows." Agra and budh na are also opposed to each other in III. 55, 7. X. 111, 8. 135, 6 and Agni in I. 96,6, is called the foundation of all property and the procurer of treasures. In I. 92.8 we have ushng tám 8gyÂm yaçasam suviram dasápravargam rayim áçvabudhyam "O Dawn, may I attain to the glorious prosperity which is accompanied by excellent sons and numerous slaves, and is supported on horses." I. 121, 14.prá no vájän rathyd áçvabudhyân ishe yan dhi çrávase sunțitayai “Give us possessions accompanied with chariots, supported on horses, for power and renown and delight." REVIEWS. THE DASARATHA JATAKA, being the Buddhist position assigned to him in the Rámáyaņa, but Story of King RAMA. The original Páli text, &c. breaks the news gently to Lakk hana and Sita by V. FAUSBÖLL. Copenhagen : 1871. 48 pp. 8vo. who give way to grief. Bharata asks Rám a the Prof. Weber's essay Uber das Rá máyana, cause of his indifference, and is answered by some Gáthás, which are evidently intended to be sung published about a year and a half ago, proved almost to a simple accompaniment, and thus to relieve the beyond doubt that the well known Indian epic, monotony of the prose recital for a popular audithe Rámáyana, is based on a Buddhist legend, ence. One cannot help comparing the Játakas to and drawn up in its present form, not more than the Arabic romances of 'Antar, &c., which may be 1600 years ago, chiefly under Greek influences. still heard in Cairo and Algiers, and which, like This result of his researches must have startled many, and though the argument is supported by the Jatakas, are essentially populer as opposed to the exclusive spirit of the general literature. The vast learning and copious quotations, it must be a great satisfaction to all interested in Indian liter most striking, perhaps, are 3." Whai cannot be preserved ature to see the authentic text critically edited and by man, even if much bewailed. translated by so well known a scholar as Dr. Fausböll. for such a thing's sake why should the inThe original Rám a-saga forms one of the nu- telligent (and) wise (man) merous Játaka stories which Buddha is said to distress himself." have related in illustration of his doctrine, and which get their name from the events related 8." As ripe fruits having occurred during for mer existences of Bud- always are in danger of falling, dha. In this case Buddha had existed as Ráma. Bo born mortals Among the Játakas are to be found most of the always (are) tending to death." legends we meet with in Sanskrit literature, and 6." In the evening some are not seen (any more), even tales which exist in the Sanskrit Pancha (although) in the morning many were scen; tantra, the value of the collection is thus very (and) in the morning some are not seen, great, and especially because these tales here occur (although) in the evening many were seen." in a much older and less corrupt form than can be 7." If by lamenting The fool, who (only) injures himself, found elsewhere. gains anything, This Buddhist Rám a-saga forms a striking con let the wire (man) do the same too." trast to the complicated and perverted version of the 8." (But) he (only) becomes lean (and) sallow, Rámáyana with its supernatural trumpery. Dasa (while) injuring his own self, ratha is here said to have had three children, (and) the dead are not saved, . Ráma, Lakkhana, and Sit á by his first, and a Jamentation (therefore) is of no avail," &c.* Bon Bhárata by & second wife. By intrigues in Lakkhana tries to persuade Rama to return in favour of Bharata, the second wife gets Rama as king; he, however, refuses to do so before the end banished for twelve years. His brother and sister of the twelve years, and sends his straw shoes which attend him and serve him dutifully. In the ninthare placed on the throne, and by their striking toyear Dasara tha dies, and Bharata, refusing together the minisiers knew.wlen injustice was done. profit by his mother's wickedness, goes in search of At the end of the twelfth year, he returns, is thronRáme, and tells him the news of his father's death, ed as king, and makes his sister his queen. The The philosophic Ráme displays the apathetic dis- statense at that 8ítá was at once Ráma's sister • Compare Yamalkaampla, u. 8-11, where similar odide coour.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430