Notes On Text Of Asoka Legend

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

Page 5

THE ASOKA LEGEND
107
Cowell and Neil edition (Strong, p. 169). Hereby he creates the impression that the Sanskrit text as edited by Mukhopadhyāya and translated by him corresponds in the succession of the different episodes to the two Chinese translations. However, the relations between the Sanskrit text and the two Chinese translations are in fact much more complicated.
The Chinese text of Ch. 2 is divided into seven bundles (chüan) and seven chapters (p'in). In order to facilitate the comparison of the three versions we have to divide the chapters into sub-chapters and put between parentheses the titles of the sub-chapters which are not found in the different versions ?..
The eighth chapter of Ch. 1 is entitled "Avadāna des disciples d'Upagupta" (p. 370-398) and contains many stories of conversions by Upagupta. In Ch. I the stories do not bear any title but in Ch. 2 a brief title is given. In the following lists the stories are numbered in the order in which they are to be found in Ch. 1 but with the titles as given in Ch. 2: 1. The man from North India (p. 370-371) - 162c10-163a5; 2. Devaraksita (p. 371-375) - 163a6-164a2; 3. The brahman who believed in the self (p. 375-376) - 164a3-164a15; 4. Sleep (p. 376-377)
- 164a 16-164b2; 5. The karmadāna (p. 377-378) — 164b3-164c4; 6. Craftsmanship (p. 378-380) — 164c5-165a5; 7. Food and drink (p. 380) — 165a6-165a21; 8. Being content with little (p. 380-381) - 165a21-165b10; 9. The rākşasa (p. 381-382) — 165b11-165c2. The tenth chapter of Ch. 2 is entitled "Avadāna of the disciples of Upagupta. Part two" (165c10-170a8). This chapter corresponds to the second part of chapter VIII of Ch. 1. The following stories are found in both texts: 1. The tree (p. 382-383) --- 165c10-166al; 2. Avarice (p. 383-384) — 166a2-166a11; 3. The demon (p. 384) --- 166a 12-166a25; 4. The food of worms (p. 385-386) — 166a26-166b29; 5. The meditation of bones (p. 386-387) — 166c1-166c28; 6. Covetousness (p. 387-388) — 166c29167a12; 7. Bamboo brush (p. 388-389) — 167a13-167b15; 8. Affectionate feelings 4 (p. 389-390) - 167b16-167c6; 9. The river (p. 390-391) — 167c7-168a5; 10. Awakening (p. 391-392) — 168a6168a28; 11. Drovers (p. 392) — 168a29-168b6; 12. The apparition (p. 392-393) — 16867-168b27; 13. Dislike of home (p. 393-395) 168b29-168c22; 14. The staff (p. 395-396) - 168c23-169a6;
2 The titles of the sub-chapters in Ch. 2 which correspond to the same sub-chapters in Ch. 1 are indicated by (- ).
3 The final paragraph (p. 269.15-19) corresponds to the beginning of the Avadāna of Vītaśoka in Ch. 2 and the Divyāvadāna (p. 419.14-16).
4 More appropriate is the title "The young son" which is found in the "Three editions" (cf. p. 167, n. 3).