Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 70

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It is also interesting to note that some orthodox monks in the earlier period of Buddhism do not seem to have been greatly in favour of this story-telling for many passages of the canon, do not approve of the loud conversation of the monks, who tell stories of kings, robbers, ministers, arms, wars, women, spirits, sea-faring adventure. Actually all this storytelling business is called 'frivolous talk' (sambhinna-pralāpa)?.
It is difficult to say that Jatakas give us a full picture of earlier narrative literature and the conditions of civilization at the time of Buddha. It may be true in only limited sense for some of the sayings and legends may indeed belong to Buddhist and pre-Buddhist period. For greater mass of verses and legends, no greater antiquity than the 3rd century B, C. can conscienciously be urged, and as Winternitz puts it-“much of the prose assuredly belongs to the Christian era.3"
Jātakas contain fables, many of which like other Indian fables in general aim at teaching niti or worldly wisdom. Only a few of them have the moral tendency as evinced in the ascetic poetry and only few of them are genuinely Buddhist. Attempt at Buddhistisation is found in few of them. There are moral narratives, pious legends, all of which are partly Buddhist in origin and many of them belong to common property of Indian asce. tic poetry. Winternitz is of the opinion that far more than one half of all the Jätakas, if we omit the Commentary, is not of the Buddhist origin, 4
It may be noted that Buddhist monks were recruited from all classes, hence there were many among them who were quite familiar with the popular tales and anecdotes of the workers, artisans and especially merchants, others who knew well the old ballads and heroic songs of the warriors and yet others, who had often heard the sacred legends and myths of the Brahmins and forest hermits,5 When they became monks they endeavoured as far as possible to connect the memories with the monkish and purely religious tradition. And this element has made these Jalakas more important.
Directly and indirectly the Jātakas have also enriched the literature of many other people, and have therefore been of immense importance in universal literature. Some scholars are of the opinion that the entire fairy tale literature of the world is of Buddhist origin. This may not be true but largely, the Brahmins, Jains and other sects might have contributed to Indian narrative literature, Buddhism, however, pushed forward far beyond the borders of India and became a world religion, thus spreading and diffusing Indian civilization and literature far and wide in the coun. tries of the East and West.
It has rightly been suggested that Jatakas are of inestimable value, not only as regards literature and art, but also from the point of view of the history of civilization. Though they cannot serve as documents for