Repetition In Jaina Nrative Literature

Author(s): Klaus Bruhn
Publisher: Klaus Bruhn

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Klaus Bruhn
kantha (Pañcatantra) are very short and belong to a different milieu. Hero-variation is isolated as a literary development but it can be connected with Jaina scholasticism (dialectics of the Vyakhyāprajñapti) and with the structure of the folktale (changing heroes, identical events). The comparison with an earlier contribution 12 shows that an accurate description of repetition phenomena is more difficult than would appear at first sight.
§ 4. Conversion Stories
The heading of this section is derived from the title of § 19 in Deleu, Viy. It seems practical, and this has been indicated by J. Deleu himself 13, as well as by K. K. Dixit 14, to employ the term so as to include all stories about conversion-and-mokṣa. Here « conversion » is understood in its narrowest sense or in the sense of « viraga-shock ». Abhinişkramana and upasarga motifs may or may not form part of the sequence of events. Many of these numerous stories show little imagination, but it seems necessary to study not only the great biographies demonstrating this pattern (Gautama Buddha, Vardhamana Mahāvīra) but the poorer specimens as well. Also it should be possible to classify the material by establishing a motifeme sequence or motifeme sequences 15. The Varga Literature consists mainly though not exclusively of conversion stories, and these form also the link between Varga Lit. on the one hand and the Vyakhyāprajñapti on the other 16. B. Bhatt stresses inter alia the relationship between Vyakhyāprajñapti phrases such as «< dukkhāņam antam karehiti » 17 and the title of the 8th anga (« Antakṛd-daśāḥ »).
§ 5. Antakṛddaśāḥ
We have selected the 8th anga Antakṛddaśāḥ in order to demonstrate the main types of repetition (§ 3) as found in Varga Literature. Ant. has been studied by A. Weber 18 and W. Schubring 19. The translation by
12. K. BRUHN, OLZ, 70, 1975, columns 499-500 (review of DELEU, Nir., DELEU, Viy., and of a third publication by J. DELEU).
13. DELEU, Viy., pp. 40 foll.: enumeration of various stories some of which are not (or not in the first place) « conversion-stories » in the strict acceptance of the term.
14. K. K. DIXIT, Sambodhi, 1, 1972, p. 71 (review article on DELEU, Viy.).
15. A. DUNDES, Analytic Essays in Folklore (The Hague, 1975), pp. 61-72. 16. DELEU, Viy., pp. 42-3.
17. See also infra, B. BHATT § 4.
18. WEBER, Ind. Stud., 16, pp. 319-23 (English translation in « Indian Antiquary >> 20, 1891, pp. 19-21). « 93 » (= ajjhayana total) is a misprint for «< 90 >>.
19. SCHUBRING, Worte, pp. 6-7 (especially p. 6, lines 25 foll.). SCHUBRING, Doctrine, § 46 (paragraph on Ant.).