Supriya Sarthavaha Jataka of Bhadrakalpavadana

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Supriya Särthavaha Jātaka is the 32 chapter of the Bhadrakalpavadāna, a Sanskrit Buddhist avadana text, presumed as belonging to in-between the 3rd and 6th cent. A.D.

This volume endeavours to present in a critically edited form the text which has the essence of religio- moral teaching of Buddhism in all its significance.

A close study of the text brings to light the various significant and interesting social customs and practices, religious beliefs of the people, family tradition, life style of the common people like artisans, cultivators, traders, thieves, and others; performance of rituals for appeasing evil situations, worship of gods and goddesses who came in rescue to those who seek divine help and, last but not least, the most important one, the disposal of the dead by burning. i.e. agnisamskära.

In this way it contains unique situations close to the central theme and bears a resemblance with the Suparaga Jātaka (story no. 14) of Aryaśura's Jātakamālā and Badaradvipayātrāvadāna of Kṣemendra's Bodhisattvävadānakalpalată.

The expressions are unique in the sense that they make the theme more interesting and add a new dimension in respect of social perspective replete with common problems for which Supriya, the Bodhisattva, the Compassionate One, tried to explore a path.

Soma Basu, M. A., Ph. D. has worked for various research projects in Kolkata and Mumbai, and as a Lecturer in the major UGC research project titled 'Studies in Scientific Thoughts and Components in Vedic Literature' in the School of Vedic Studies of Rabindra Bharati University where, at present, she is a Reader She has contributed in various monographs and journals published from various institutions which include Buddhism in Global Perspective (vol. 1) and Contribution of Buddhism to World Culture, Mumbai, The Vedas Need for a New Appraisal (An Anthology), Kolkata, A Cultural Index to Vedic Literature, Encyclopaedia of Indian Religion, New Delhi, the Indian

International Journal of Buddhistic Studies, Sarnath, Rabindra Bharati Patrika (Journal of the Rabindra Bharati University), Journal of the Department of Sanskrit (Rabindra Bharati University), Vedic Studies (Journal of the School of Vedic Studies, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata), Bhratavidy, etc.

She has participated in national and international seminars, conferences and workshops and presented papers relating to Buddhistic studies, Vedic studies, rites and rituals, Smrti and Dharmasastra, ancient Indian history, etc.

Supriya Särthavaha Jātaka', a part of Bhadrakalpāvadāna, which was composed after Kṣemendra's Avadanasataka, has been edited by Ms. Soma Basu (Sikdar), is an important work which contains the principles preached by the Buddha. When Bhadrakalpavadāna was composed and circulated, Buddhism, for many reasons, had become considerably contaminated by various types of magical, idealistic, and even immoral doctrines. Bhadrakalpavadāna sought to establish the original ideals of the Buddha on a firm basis. 'Supriya Särthavaha Jātaka' is a part of this work, the text of which has been edited by Ms. Soma Basu (Sikdar) with commendable patience and labour. She has used two manuscripts, one of which belongs to the Asiatic Society, Kolkata and the other to the National Archives of Kathmandu (Nepal). A third manuscript, preserved in the Cambridge University could not be accessed for some reasons. The language of 'Supriya Särthavaha Jātaka' is partly hybrid Sanskrit. The reasons for this may be the fact that it was translated into Sanskrit from a Pāli version, which is no longer extant. At any rate the work is valuable, and the editor should be congratulated for her work.

About Bhadrakalpavadāna (whose 32 chapter forms Supriya Sarthavaha Jātaka) we may say exactly the words in tune with Leo Tolstoy's observation on Buddhism, it ""contains the very essence of the religio- moral teaching of Buddhism in all its significance and is at the same time intelligible to the least initiate reader"". Such popular texts as Bhadrakalpavadāna, which deal with the essence of Buddhism, are very important, because of the knowledge they contain of the fundamental principles of the religions mankind has held and holds even today. Every man should possess this kind of knowledge, as it is most important and necessary to realize it in the truest sense of the term. To quote Tolstoy again, ""ignorance in this matter is one of the chief causes of the weakening of the religious consciousness in the people of our time, both among the common people and the so-called 'intellectuals"". The quintessence of the teaching of the Buddha may be best brought out by the symbol of the flower, which opens itself to the light of heavens while yet being rooted in the earth, belongs to the deepest symbol of the East.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages