Notes On Text Of Asoka Legend

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

Page 6

108
J. W. DE JONG
15. Sudarsana (p. 396-397) - 169a7-169a29; 16. Dhītika (p. 397-398) - 168628-170al. Between stories 15 and 16, Ch. 2 inserts the story of the granting of land to the monastery — 1691-169b27 (cf. Przyluski, p. 397, n. 1). Here Ch. 2 ends. Ch. 1 continues with chapter nine, “La Destruction de la Loi du Buddha” (p. 399-409), and chapter ten, “Avadāna de la récompense donnée par le Roi Asoka” (p. 410-427) S.
Przyluski has divided Ch. 1 into ten chapters, but the editors of the Taisho edition have divided the text into eleven chapters. Przyluski remarks that the division into chapters is often arbitrary (p. 245, n. 1). Probably he is referring to the division in bundles (chüan). Chinese versions are often divided into chüans of more or less equal length which do not correspond to the chapters of the text. The chapter headings in the Taisho edition are as follows: 1. Gift of the earth – 99a-10268 (Przyluski, Chapitre premier: Avadāna du don de la terre, p. 225-244); 2. King Aśoka – 102b9-106a19 (Przyluski, Chapitre deuxième: Avadāna du roi Asoka, p. 245-269); 3. The younger brother of King Asoka — 106a20-107c27 (Przyluski, Chapitre troisième: Avadāna du frère cadet du roi Asoka, p. 270-280): 4. Kunāla -- 108a4-11069 (Przyluski, Chapitre quatrième: Avadāna de Kunāla (p. 281-295); 5. The half of the āmalaka fruit — 110610-111626 (Przyluski, Chapitre cinquième: Avadāna de la moitié d’āmalaka", p. 296-304); 6. Upagupta - 111027-114a25 (Przyluski, Chapitre sixième: Avadāna d'Upagupta, p. 308-326); 7. Nirvāna of Mahākāśyapa
- 114a26-116b 10 (Przyluski, Chapitre septième: Avadāna du Nirvana de Mahākāsyapa (p. 327-340); 8. Madhyāntika 116611-116c17 (Przyluski, Chapitre septième, p. 340-342); 9. Sanavāsa - p. 116c24-12161 (Przyluski, Chapitre septième, p. 342-369); 10. Upagupta -- 121b212864 (Przyluski, Chapitre huitième: Avadāna des disciples d'Upagupta, p. 370-398; Chapitre neuvième: La Destruction de la Loi du Buddha, p. 399-409); 11. The recompense given by King Asoka - 128b5-131a23 (Przyluski, Chapitre dixième: Avadāna de la récompense donnée par le roi Asoka, p. 410-427).
It is obvious that Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 correspond very closely. The only major difference is the fact that Ch. 1 contains two extra chapters. Ch. 2 contains three short sections which are missing in Ch. 1: VII.1 The transmission of the Law (cf. Przyluski, p. 327, n. 1); IX.2 Avadāna of the products of the cow; The story of the granting of land to the monastery (cf. Przyluski, p. 397, n. 1). Przyluski points out that the conformity in
S Przyluski p. 418-420 corresponds to Divyāvadāna 382.4-383.6.
.