DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29591#0049
Introduction
45
497), with the gatha’s of which the oldest and most important
verses of our text show a very close coincidence; it is quite
apparent that they are copied, independent of each other, from
some piece of old poetry, which formed a most striking example
■of that ascetic literature in which the Brahminical claims to spir-
itual superiority were most violently attacked; 3) the chapters
concerning Citra and Sambhiita (XIII) and Isukara (XIV) belong,
as shown by Leumann's excellent researches, to the great cycle
of tales of king Brahmadatta; they form really remarkable parallels
to the Jataka’s 498 and 509 (the Citta-Sambliuta0 and Hatthipala-
jataka), the main verses of which are found with very slight altera-
tions in our texts. It is certainly a very remarkable fact that
we find the same order of tales prevailing both in the Jain and
in the Buddhist records, viz. Uttaradhyayana 12—13—14 and fa-
taka 497-—499—509 1; 4) in the chapter called Rathanemi (XXII)
and in the tale accompanying it, preserved in the commentary of
Devendra2, we can easily recognise persons and even legendary
matter elsewhere known from the history of Krsna, preserved in
the Brahminical scriptures.
Moreover, chapter XVIII, vv. 34—51, contains a series of
-examples from the legend, relating how kings in old times re-
nounced their power and worldly pleasures and turned monks. Most
of these are specially Jain saints, not known from other litera-
ture, but we also find such famous names as Bharata and Sa-
gara, and even the four joratyekabuddhd’s mentioned above. More-
over, two kings are mentioned who are said to have been con-
temporaries of Mahavira, viz. Dasarnabhadra and Ud(d)ayana
of Sauvira; the latter has probably been confused with his namesake,
the famous Udayana of Vatsa, husband of Vasavadatta and the
hero of many famous Sanskrit plays.
The remaining chapters of legendary content are purely Jain in
■character, as the holy men spoken of there are not known from
■any other branch of Indian literature. But although these chapters,
viz. (XVIII), XIX, XX, XXI, XXIII and XXV, do not from
a literary point of view present the same great interest as the
lectures to which we have outside parallels, there are also in
1 Cp. ZDMG. 63, 182.
2 Edited and translated in ZDMG. 64, 397 ff.
45
497), with the gatha’s of which the oldest and most important
verses of our text show a very close coincidence; it is quite
apparent that they are copied, independent of each other, from
some piece of old poetry, which formed a most striking example
■of that ascetic literature in which the Brahminical claims to spir-
itual superiority were most violently attacked; 3) the chapters
concerning Citra and Sambhiita (XIII) and Isukara (XIV) belong,
as shown by Leumann's excellent researches, to the great cycle
of tales of king Brahmadatta; they form really remarkable parallels
to the Jataka’s 498 and 509 (the Citta-Sambliuta0 and Hatthipala-
jataka), the main verses of which are found with very slight altera-
tions in our texts. It is certainly a very remarkable fact that
we find the same order of tales prevailing both in the Jain and
in the Buddhist records, viz. Uttaradhyayana 12—13—14 and fa-
taka 497-—499—509 1; 4) in the chapter called Rathanemi (XXII)
and in the tale accompanying it, preserved in the commentary of
Devendra2, we can easily recognise persons and even legendary
matter elsewhere known from the history of Krsna, preserved in
the Brahminical scriptures.
Moreover, chapter XVIII, vv. 34—51, contains a series of
-examples from the legend, relating how kings in old times re-
nounced their power and worldly pleasures and turned monks. Most
of these are specially Jain saints, not known from other litera-
ture, but we also find such famous names as Bharata and Sa-
gara, and even the four joratyekabuddhd’s mentioned above. More-
over, two kings are mentioned who are said to have been con-
temporaries of Mahavira, viz. Dasarnabhadra and Ud(d)ayana
of Sauvira; the latter has probably been confused with his namesake,
the famous Udayana of Vatsa, husband of Vasavadatta and the
hero of many famous Sanskrit plays.
The remaining chapters of legendary content are purely Jain in
■character, as the holy men spoken of there are not known from
■any other branch of Indian literature. But although these chapters,
viz. (XVIII), XIX, XX, XXI, XXIII and XXV, do not from
a literary point of view present the same great interest as the
lectures to which we have outside parallels, there are also in
1 Cp. ZDMG. 63, 182.
2 Edited and translated in ZDMG. 64, 397 ff.