Two Prakrit Versions of Manipati Charitra

Author(s): R Williams
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

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TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MANIPATI-CARITA
who is tied up and beaten by the brigand but will only murmur : 'Cruel ingrates.' When questioned he tells his story and the robber falls into thought. Then he kills the woman and both he and the Bodhisattva become ascetics.
In Jātaka 374 (Culladhanuggaha-jātaka) there is a somewhat similar incident when a woman, attacked together with her husband, helps the robber to kill the husband.
The Katha-sarit-sagara (LXI) tells the story of a jealous husband who left his wife in the care of an old brahmin when compelled to travel abroad. She elopes with a young Bhilla and follows him to his village. On his return the husband tracks her down and begs her to live with him again. She hides him in a cave during the day and then betrays him to the Bhilla who ties him to a tree planning to sacrifice him to Bhavani on the morrow. But the husband prays to the goddess and is released by her. He cuts off the head of the Bhilla and takes his wife away. She secretly brings with her the head of the Bhilla, and when they reach home lays a charge of murder against her husband. But his story is found to be true and she is repudiated and her nose and ears cut off.
Certain details are common to the three versions: the woman goes off gladly with the brigands, she lures her husband to their lair and makes him hide, then at night hands him over to her lover who ties him up and beats him. It is at this point that the Buddhist version diverges, intentionally altered it is clear, because the Bodhisattva who is cast in the husband's role cannot be represented as a killer.
D. The narrative of the muni Yaunaka
The latter part of this story has a close parallel in an episode from the SK.1 One of the characters Purandara has a wife Narmada who is in love with the servant Arjuna. His suspicions awakened by his mother he pretends to go away on business, and returning unexpectedly finds his wife asleep with her lover. He transfixes the man with his sword and later Narmada is aroused by the blood flowing. She buries Arjuna and places over his grave an image which she worships. Later, Purandara returns to live with his wife as before. Twelve years later some
1 Jacobi's edition, pp. 754 ff.