The Jatakamala or Bodhisattvavadanamala (Garland of Birth-Stories) of Aryasura

The Jatakamala of Aryasura, also known as Bodhisattvavadanamala is a 3rd-4th cent. AD collection of thirty-four Jataka tales of the Sanskrit tradition, narrated in the form of a campukavya. Due to its unique place in the Buddhist narrative literature and its literary qualities this text has gone through quite a few editions and translations.;Of all the editions of the Jatakamala so far the best. The text published in this edition has been reconstructed primarily on the basis of two earlier editions – one by Hendrik kern and the other by P.L. Vaidya. While editing the text variants noted by Kern and emendations suggested by Vaidya have been taken into consideration. In addition, the readings adopted by the anonymous commentary and the suggestions of the translator, J.S. Speyer, have also helped the finalization of the text. The text has been printed elegantly on a Devanagari font, specially developed for the series. J.S. Speyer’s faithfull and lucid translation of Sanskrit words has been standardized according to the latest system internationally accepted.;The learned editor, Pandit Satakari Mukhopadhyaya, has augmented the edition with an informative and exhaustive introduction of nineteen pages, which traces the entire history of the origin and development of the Jataka stories in Pali and Sanskrit and also furnishes latest information about the Jataka Literature. A new index of verses has been appended which will prove useful to the readers.;Aryasura’s Jatakamala narrates the pious and super-human deeds of Bodhisattvas former existences of the Buddha. The Jatakamala is an excellent campukavya (poetry in prose and verse). The thirty-four stories, as contained in the Jatakamala are intended to illustrate the six paramitas (perfections), viz. dana (munificence), sila (good conduct), ksanti (forbearance), virya (courage), dhyana (meditation) and prajna (wisdom).;The style of the author of the Jatakamala is classical and his language is chaste Paninian Sanskrit. Aryasura’s complete command over the art of poetry both in prose and verse has been amply displayed.;Till recently very little was known about the life and personality of Aryasura. It is now known on the basis of the introductory sentences of the newly discovered anonymous Sanskrit commentary (edited from a single manuscript preserved in the Tokyo University Library) that the author was the son of a king of the Deccan but he renounced the duly inherited kingdom and embraced monkhood. He composed the Jatakamala with a view to bringing people to the path of wisdom. In the Chinese translation he is mentioned as Bodhisattva.