Once a peacock, once an actress twenty-four lives of the Bodhisattva from Haribhaṭṭa's Jātakamālā

256 Pages·2017·1.041 MB·English

by  Englisch;Gautama Buddha;Haribhaṭṭa;Khoroche, Peter

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
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Published 2017
Printed in the United States of America
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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.