Once a peacock, once an actress twenty-four lives of the Bodhisattva from Haribhaṭṭa's Jātakamālā PDF
Preview Once a peacock, once an actress twenty-four lives of the Bodhisattva from Haribhaṭṭa's Jātakamālā
Once a Peacock, Once an Actress Once a Peacock, Once an Actress Twenty- Four Lives of the Bodhisattva from Haribhaṭṭa’s jātakamālā Haribhaṭṭa Translated by Peter Khoroche The University of Chicago Press • Chicago & London The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2017 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews. For more information, contact the University of Chicago Press, 1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Published 2017 Printed in the United States of America 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 48582- 9 (cloth) ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 48596- 6 (paper) ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 48601- 7 (e- book) DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226486017.001.0001 Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Haribhaṭṭa, author. | Khoroche, Peter, translator. Title: Once a peacock, once an actress : twenty- four lives of the Bodhisattva from Haribhaṭṭa’s Jātakamālā / Haribhaṭṭa ; translated from the Sanskrit by Peter Khoroche. Description: Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2017005395 | ISBN 9780226485829 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780226485966 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780226486017 (e- book) Subjects: LCSH: Gautama Buddha—Pre- existence. | Jataka stories. | Buddhist literature, Sanskrit—Translations into English. Classification: LCC BQ1463.E5 K46 2017 | DDC 294.3 / 82325—dc23 LC record available at https: // lccn .loc .gov / 2017005395 ♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992 (Permanence of Paper). Contents Preface ix Introduction 1 PROLOGUE 9 1 KING PRABHĀSA. King Prabhāsa vows to become a Buddha 11 2 JUJUBE ISLAND. As the merchant Supriya, the Bodhisattva gains the jewel that grants all wishes 19 3 DHARMAKĀMA. As Dharmakāma, the Bodhisattva barters his life for a wise saying 26 4 THE HARE. As a hare, the Bodhisattva offers his life to feed another 33 5 KING CANDRAPRABHA. As King Candraprabha, the Bodhisattva gives his head to one who begs for it 40 6 RŪPYĀVATĪ. As Rūpyāvatī, the Bodhisattva cuts off her breasts to feed a starving servant- girl 46 7 THE MERCHANT’S SON. As a merchant’s son, the Bodhisattva feeds his body to animals 53 8 KING PADMAKA. As King Padmaka, the Bodhisattva turns into a carp to cure his subjects of disease 60 9 KING BRAHMADATTA. As King Brahmadatta, the Bodhisattva gives away his food ration in time of famine 67 11 THE DEER. As a deer, the Bodhisattva offers himself to the king’s butchers in place of a pregnant doe 73 12 THE PEACOCK. As a peacock, the Bodhisattva saves a queen from adultery 80 14 ŚYĀMA. As Śyāma, the Bodhisattva devotes himself to his blind parents 95 19 THE ELEPHANT. As an elephant, the Bodhisattva helps the hunter who is sent to kill him 104 20 PRINCE CANDRA. As Prince Candra, the Bodhisattva shows forbearance to the minister who wants him killed 111 22 THE ANTELOPE. As an antelope, the Bodhisattva sacrifices his life to save his herd from extinction 120 23 PRINCE KANAKAVARMAN. As Prince Kanakavarman, the Bodhisattva rescues his sister and her lover from the king’s wrath and conquers the goblins who have laid waste a foreign land 129 24 MŪLIKA. As Mūlika, a gatherer of medicinal herbs, the Bodhisattva nurses an ailing Pratyekabuddha 143 25 SUDHANA AND THE FAIRY PRINCESS. As Prince Sudhana, the Bodhisattva undergoes many trials to be reunited with his fairy wife 147 26 JĀJVALIN. As the ascetic Jājvalin, the Bodhisattva finds that a dove has nested on his head while he has been meditating. He waits until her chicks are fully fledged before moving 176 27 KEŚAVA. As Keśava, a doctor, the Bodhisattva cures a madwoman 180 29 NIRUPAMĀ. As Nirupamā, an actress, the Bodhisattva cures an actor of lust 192 32 THE LION. As a lion, the Bodhisattva saves the lives of two little monkeys entrusted to him 198 33 ŚAKRA. As Śakra, lord of the gods, the Bodhisattva resuscitates a dead elephant calf 210 34 ŚYENAKA. As Śyenaka, a king’s minister, the Bodhisattva renounces the world and reforms the king 217 Notes 227 References 243 Preface In this translation of a substantial portion of Haribhaṭṭa’s Jātakamālā, my aim has been to share a remarkable work of Sanskrit literature with non- Sanskritists and with those interested in the Buddhist world of ancient India. I have tried to make it as readable as the differences in language, literary convention, and mindset will allow and am very grateful, once again, to Margaret Cone for helping me in this and in- cidentally saving me from a number of errors. I must also thank Shri- kant Bahulkar for elucidating several passages that had baffled me. I have translated all the jātakas for which at least half of the orig- inal Sanskrit text is now accessible (see p. 2), basing it on the forth- coming revised and expanded edition of Hahn 2011, which will in- clude all of Haribhaṭṭa’s original work at present available (about 78 percent of the whole). I owe a great debt of thanks to Martin Straube for allowing me to participate in the editing process as well as for many helpful suggestions, most of which I have gladly adopted, and trust he will forgive me for occasionally preferring alternative read- ings and interpretations. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the help I received from Mi- chael Hahn himself. Over a period of twenty- five years he generously shared with me his progress in editing the work that he rediscovered.
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