The Jataka Tales Stories of the Buddha's Former Births Jataka (Buddhist Birth Stories - Jataka Tales), the story of the previous birth of Buddha is the oldest, most complete, and most important collection of folklore which contains a record of the everyday life, and ever ev ery yda day y th thou ough ghts ts of th the e pe peop ople le.. (Th The e Commentarial Introduction entitled Nidana Katha - The Story of the linage, Translated from Pali text by Prof. V. Fausboll). The Jatakas so constituted were carried to Ceylon in the Pali language, when Budd Bu ddhi hism sm wa was s fi firs rstt in intr trod oduc uced ed in into to th that at island (a date that is not quite certain, but may be taken provisionally as about 250 B.C.); and the whole tales were translated into in to th the e Si Sing ngha hale lese se la lang ngua uage ge.. Ma Mahi hind nda, a, the son of Asoka (in some text he is called on as the brother of Asoka), is believed to have ha ve co coll llec ecte ted d 55 550 0 Ja Jata taka ka st stor orie ies s in Pa Pali li (th the e twenty-t -tw wo Nipitaks) which were comp co mpos osed ed by th the e ti time me of th the e co cou unc ncil il of Patn tna a (held in about 250 BC BC)). A Ja Jata tak ka Book is also found in the Anguttara Nikdya and in the Saddharma Pundarika. The memoirs of Fah-hian (Faxian 399-414 AD, th the e famous Chinese traveler er)) who 1
visite visi ted d Ab Abha haya yagi giri ri in Sr Srii La Lank nka a (4 (412 12 AD AD)) and recorded 500 representations of Bodhisattva in successive births. The Jataka Atthavannand (547 tales) belong to the third or fourth century BC is retold into its present form in Ceylon in the fifth century AD in the Pali text is edited by Prof. Fausboll of Copenhagen in 1877-96. This Pali Text is the oldest collection of the Jataka Tales, it has been translated into English language by Edward Cowell (Cambridge 1895-1907). The 547 Jatakas do not include the Mahago Mah agovin vinda da Jat Jataka aka,, wh which ich is men mention tioned ed in several early texts such as Nidanakatha and the Jatakakatha. Similarly some stories are repeated with the same name or with another, thus, the number of Jataka stories could also be more or a little less. In all Jatakas from India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Chiina, Ja Ch Jap pan, Vietn tna am, In Ind don one esia, th the e story of the rescue of five hundred merchants from the captive of Rakshasi by White Flying Hor ors se, as the divine Lord Avalok okiite tes swara, is mentioned and th the e story ends with the only member, the leader able to get back home safely
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leavin leav ing g be behi hind nd al alll ot othe herr me memb mber ers s un unde derr the captive of the Raksh Rakshasi, asi, but nothing is mentioned about the Leader of the Legandary Caravan. The story of the flying white horse is illustrated illustr ated on the bas-reliefs bas-reliefs of the temple of Boro-Boedoer in Java (Leemans, BorroBoudour, page 389, Leide, 1874) and on one side of a pillar in a Buddhist railing at Matthura, is a flying hor Ma ors se with pe peo ople clinging to it (Anderson, Catalogue of the Indian Museum, page 189) from The Goblin City (Valahassa Jataka by Francis & Thomas page 189). The story of the horse Balaha was immortalized in stone at the Ang ngk kor mo monu nume men nt of Ne Neak ak Pe Pean an du durrin ing g the 12th century CE. (See Khmer Mythology by Vittorio Roveda, p. 65) One painting from Ajanta cave shows the pastimes of Prince Simhala’s journey to Sri Lank La nka. a. He is sh ship ipwr wrec ecke ked d al alon ong g wi with th hi his s men on an island on which ogresses appear as beautiful women, but who eat their victims. The prince escapes on a flying horse, th the en later returns to th the e isla is lan nd an and d co con nqu quer ers s it and es esta tabl blis ish hed Bud Bu ddh dhiism. (Be Beh hl, Be Ben noy K: The Ajanta Caves). Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang
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visited India in the seventh century A. D. and stayed here for fifteen years (629-645 AD), did not mention about Ajanta cave. In 1819 British officers of the Madras Army made a discovery of this magnificent site. They named it Ajanta after the name of the nearest village. After a gap of twentyfive years, James Fergusson presented a paper at the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Brit Br itai ain n an and d Ir Irel elan and d in 18 1843 43,, hi high ghli ligh ghtin ting g its importance in term of Buddhism. This is the first scholarly study of the site which drew dr ew th the e gl glob obal al at atten tenti tion on.. (J (Jam amkh khed edka kar, r, Ajanta: Monumental Legacy) The Valahassa Jataka Tales (Jataka Story: the Flying White Horse) The Pal The Palii Ja Jatak takas as,, Di Divy vyav avad adan ana a (h (hea eave venl nly y stories) an d the sixteenth-century Sanskr San skrit it tex textt Gun Gunakd akdran randav davyih yiha a nar narrat rates es the story of Avalokitesvara as The Flying White Horse to help rescue the five hundred merchants from the captivity of the th e Ra Raks ksas asii - th the e Va Vala laha hass ssa a Ja Jata taka ka.. Th The e horse is represented as an incarnation of the Avalokiteswora in th the e Ka Kara rand ndav avyu yuha ha Sutra. The flying white hor ors se is called Balaha in Jataka, the stories of Buddha’s previous life. Simhsarthabahu is 4
mentioned as one of the previous lives of Buddha in the 16th chapter of Gunakarandavyaha. In one the Jataka Stories the name of the leader of the group of merchant is mentioned as Simhala, who was the only member to get back to the other shore. (The Jataka: Stories of the Buddha's Former Births -The Goblin City page 164/165, edited by E. B. Cowell, vol. 1 - 3. published in 1895-1907). The Aśvarāja sto story rel relates the the adv adventures of a caravan of merchants shipwrecked on an island of demo nesses and rescued by a flying horse, the aśvarāja, the ‘king of horses’. The Simhala story continues this narr na rrat ativ ive e to in incl clud ude e th the e ch chie ieff me merc rcha hant nt,, Simhala, being followed home by demons, who tries to get him back before seducing and eating the king. Simhala is crowned king and invades the island. “The Valahassa Jataka” Some of the different sources related to the legendary story of the Avalokiteswora help rescue the gr grou oup p of five hundred merchants from the Cannibalistic demons (man eating Rakshasis - the she-goblins). 1) Valahassa Literature
Jataka
in
the
Japanese
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The Valahassa Jataka, as it is known in Pali Pa li,, was tr tra ans nsm mit itte ted d acr cros oss s Asi sia a fr from om India to Japan. A Japanese scroll painting belonging to the 13th century illustrating the Valahassa Jataka is in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the tale is known as Kann Kannon-ky on-kyo o (Kan (Kannon non Sutra) in Japanese literature. In the tale the name of the island and the city of Cannibalistic demons is mentioned as Ceylon. The name of the country of the five hundred merchant and the name of the leader are not mentioned. In this tale the five hun undr dred ed me merrch cha ant ar are e ca call lled ed on as th the e disciples of Sakyamuni and the white flyi fl ying ng ho hors rse e as Bo Bodh dhis isat attv tva. a. (T (The he Fl Flyi ying ng White Horse: Transmission of the Valāhassa Jātaka Imagery from India to Japan by Julia Meech-Pekarik, Published by: Artibus Asiae Publishers Volume 43 n. 1-2 1981, page 111- 128) 2) The Valahassa Jataka – Indonesian version Once upon a time, there was on the island of Lanka a goblin town called Sirisavatthu, the home of she-goblins. We find the story of a group of five hundred shipwrecked traders being rescued by five
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hundre hund red d sh she-g e-gob obli lins ns di disg sgui uise sed d as pr pret etty ty nice looking young ladies. The chief of the traders got noticed the ladies as man eater goblins so he did request all member to flee from the city (Ceylon). Two hundred fifty members followed the chief and they were being helped by the white fly lyin ing g hor orse se to cr cros oss s th the e oce cean an.. Th This is is how the Jataka story ends with the rescue help made to the group of merchants by the flying white horse Balaha as one of the Buddha’s previous life. The same story is repeated by E J Thomas in his book Jataka Tales (No. 196, The Goblin City page 164166 16 6 pu publ blis ishe hed d by Ca Camb mbri ridg dge e Un Univ iver ersi sity ty Press in 1916 and in The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha, Valahassa Jataka-196 by C.B. Varma) 3) The Valahassa Jataka - Tibetan version In th the e hi hist stor ory y of Ti Tibe bett ca call lled ed Rg Rgya yallrabs-gsal-vai-me-lon (The mirror illustrating the lineage of the kings) Valahassa Jataka is mentioned in the sixth chapter. This was composed in the early 17th century with the narrative desc de scrrip ipti tion on of th the e an anim imis isti tic c li life fe in Ti Tibe bett from an ape and a rakshasi and the
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description of the linage of the ruling king ending Sronbtsan-sgam-po and the further history of the country to the time of the writer. (A Jataka -Tale from the Tibetan by H. Wenzel - pp. 503 -511; published in 1888). Singhala is mentioned as the name of the island and the groups of five hundred merchants from India were being rescued from the Rakshasis by Lord Avalokiteswora in the form of flying horse Balaha. 4) Valahassa Jatakaya (The birth story of the Flying Horse) from Pali (Ceylon) Ceylon is believed to have been popular since long for the Iro Ir on and coppe perr depos osiits, so th the e name Tamb Ta mbap apan anni ni is gi give ven n to th this is is isla land nd.. Th This is island is also known by the name Ratn Ra tnad adwe weep epa a as it wa was s al also so po popu pula larr fo forr the precious gems found here. The Sans Sa nskr krit it wo word rd Si Sinh nhal ala a has a me mean anin ing g of “BARK”, Cassia bark (‘cinnamomum cassia’), which is also used as a substitute forr ci fo cinn nnam amon on (c (cin inna namo momu mum m ve veru rum m al also so call ca lled ed ‘c ‘cin inna namo momu mum m ze zeyl ylan anic ica’ a’)) wh whic ich h is nati tiv ve to Sri Lanka. It is believed th tha at merchants from West Indian coast sail in 8
small and bi sma big g boa oats ts to th this is is isla lan nd sin inc ce time ti me im immo morrta tall in se sear arch ch of th the e pr prec ecio ious us stone (Gems), Copper, Iron and Cinnamon. It is also believed that the first king Vijaya arrived here on a boat after Buddha’s parinirvana on 543 BC. In 1952 a large and well-made dugout boat was found in Kela Ke lani nimu mull lla, a, Ke Kela lani niya ya be belo long ngin ing g to 38 3800480 BC and is kept in the Colombo Museum. (That has been radio carbon dated to 2300BP ± 100, which is 380 – 480 BC Sunday Times, Sri Lanka 2010 -----------). The story of rescue of five hundred merchant by the divine lord Avalokiteswara is mentioned in Pali Literature in Ceylon. 5) A Ja Jata taka ka-T -Tal ale e (D (Duk ukan anip ipat ata: a: No No.. 19 196) 6) Translated from the Pali Literature In the Valáhassa Játaka (No.196) the isla is land nd Ta Tamb mban anni nidí dípa pa an and d Si Sirí rísa sava vatth tthu u is men me nti tion oned ed as a Ya Yak kkh kha a ci city ty pe peop ople led d by Yakkhinís who used to eat human flesh. Avalokitesw Aval okiteswara, ara, the divin divine e lord is believ believed ed to get rescue the group of five hundred merchant in th the e form of a white flying horse. (The Jataka, Vol. II: Book II, 9
transl tran slat ate ed fr from om Pa Pali li.. by W. W.H. H.D. D. Ro Rou use se,, 1895, No. 196 Valahassa Jataka Page- 9092). 92 ). Sa Same me st stor ory y is me ment ntio ione ned d in Ja Jata taka ka:: The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha by C.B. Varma and A JatakaTale from the Tibetan by H. Wenzel (The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland pp. 503--511) 6) Goblin City (The Flying White Horse) In the Jataka: Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, Ceylon is mentioned as the Goblin City and the leader of the group of merrcha me han nt is men enti tion oned ed as Si Simh mhal ala a who was the only member able to get back to the other shore (The Jataka: Stories of the Budd Bu ddh ha' a's s Fo Forrme merr Bi Birrth ths s ed edit ited ed by E. B. Cowell, volumes 1 - 3. First published in 1895-1907 under the title - THE Goblin City page 164/166) 7) Jataka Story from Ajanta Cave Cave 17 has the largest number of paintings and murals than any of the other caves. The mural paintings in Cave no. 17 of Ajanta Cave mention the story of Bhalaha horse as a form of Avalokiteswara helping the group of merchants from the Rakshisis. Among the finest are a vast panel pan el dep depict icting ing Sim Simhal hala’s a’s shi shipwr pwreck eck and 10
encounter with a man-eating ogress (“Simhala Avadana”). (The Cave Temples of In Indi dia a by Ja Jame mes s Fe Ferrgu gus sso son n an and d Ja Jame mes s Burgess 1895, and Ajanta and Ellora: Cave Temples of Ancient India Pushpesh Pant). The Ajanta caves are dated from the beginning of the Christian era, or earlier to the seventh century. 8) Hiouen Tsang’s version of Simhala Avadana It relates a story of the colonization of this country which is called “Ratnadweepa”, as it is in Hiouen Tsang’s version - by “Sinhala”, the son of Simha, a Merchant Prince who comes with 500 merc me rcha hant nts s in se sear arch ch of ge gems ms.. He co come mes s here, and meets a group of beautiful women who live in an iron city called Sirisavatthu. They are, in fact, cann ca nnib ibal alis isti tic c Ya Yakk kkhi hini nis s wh who o ca can n ch chan ange ge their form, and they prey on shipwrecked sail sa ilor ors s an and d me merrch chan ants ts.. Si Sinh nhal ala’ a’s s sh ship ip is wrecked and he is saved by the Yakkhinis who present themselves as the widows of other merchants who have sailed on trading missions many years ago and are “pre “p resu sume med d de dead ad”. ”. Si Simh mhal ala a be beli liev eves es th the e story and ‘marries’ the chief Yakkhini, but
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finds out who they are and manages to escape with two hundred and fifty of his men who believe him, with the help of a magical flying horse. His ‘wife’ follows him to hi his s ki king ngdo dom m an and d pr pres esen ents ts he hers rsel elf, f, as the woman wronged by his son, to Simha’s father. He believes her and gives her shel sh elte terr. Fo Forr hi his s pai ain ns, sh she e de dev vou ourrs him and an d hi his s wh whol ole e hou ouse seho hold ld th that at ni nigh ghtt an and d retu re turn rns s to Ra Ratn tnad adwe weep epa, a, wh wher ere e sh she e ki kills lls and eats the 250 men who had not heeded Simha’s call. Simhala succeeds his father as king and invades Ratnadweepa by sea, bringing an army complete with war elephants, by ship. 9) Simhalasarthabahu Avadana Professor Todd Lewis of the college of Holy Ho ly Cr Cros oss s in Ma Mass ssa ach chu use sett tts s, US USA A als lso o publ pu blis ishe hed d a pa pape perr on th the e lo loca cali liza zati tion on of Simhalasartha bahu Avadana did mention Simhasarthabahu as the leader of the five hundred merchants in Newar-Tibetan Trade and the Domestication of Simhalasārthabāhu Avadāna. (Chicago Journal- History of Religion volume 33 no.2, November 1993 page 135-160) In Simhala Avadana it is mentioned about the birth of a son named Simhala to a
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wea ealt lthy hy me merrcha han nt Si Simh mhak aka, a, du durrin ing g th the e period of king Simhakesari from Simhakalpa. Simhala was selected as the leader of the group of five hundred merchants who were on a sea-voyage. The abode of rakshas is mentioned as Tamradvipa and Simhala was able to escape from the island on a magic white hor ors se living behind all other members under the captive of the Rakshasis. In Popu pullar Bu Bud ddhist Texts from Ne Nep pal: Narratives and Rituals in a Newar Merchant Community (Columbia University: Ph.D. Dissertation, 1984), Todd Lewis mentioned the name of the leader of the group of the merchant leading to Lhasa as Simhala Sartha Bahu, son of the Merrch Me chan antt Si Simh mhal alas asar arth tha a Ba Baha ha fr from om th the e town of Simhakalpa in Jambudvipa. Professor Todd Lewis in his article published in the Journal of Religion mention about a stupa in Lhasa known as Sims Si msha hart rtha haba bahu hu Ch Chor orten ten an and d a sh shri rine ne in Jokhang dedicated to his wife' that newar traders honour as the form of Jatika Ajima (Newar-Tibetan Trade and the Domestication of Simhalasarthabahu Avadan - source History of Religions,
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Vol.33 No. 2, page 150, published by the University of Chicago Press 1993). The adventure of the Merchant Simhala is also mentioned by Professor Siegfried Lienhard with a description of a long scroll Painting 11.44 meter long and 0.55 meter wide with 80 frames each with the legend / story of Simshartha Bahu (Text in Nepali Script & the language Newari) from the th e col olle lec cti tion on of Mu Muse seu um of In Indi dian an Ar Art, t, Berli Ber lin. n. Pr Prof ofes esso sorr Si Sieg egfr frie ied d Li Lien enha hard rd al also so did mention about this Scroll painting in his paper “A Nepalese painted Scroll Illustrating the Simhalavadan” (Nepalica 4 Sankt 49-53 Editors Prof. N. Gulschow & A. Micheals - Sankt. Augustine Wissenschaflaverlage VGH, p 51-53). Published in the Heritage of Kathmandu Valley, proceedings of an International. Conference in Lubec June 1985). Simhal Simh ala a (S (Sim imha hala la Sa Sart rtha ha Ba Baha ha)) wa was s th the e name of the legendary founder and first king of the island. (Buddhism in Tibet by Schlagintweit Emil Leipzig, London 1863). The Sanskrit version of the Simhala story is mentioned in the Gunakdrandavyuh as found in Y.Iwamoto, Bukkyo Setsuwa
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Kenkyu Josetsu (Kyoto: Hozokan, 1967 pp. 247-94, A.K. Ramanujan, "Who Needs Folklore? The Relevance of Oral Traditions to South Asian Studies, “South Asia Occa Oc casi sion onal al Pa Pape perrs (U (Uni nive vers rsit ity y of Ha Hawa waii ii Vol.1, 1990).
The Legendary Story of the Lhasa Caravan A copy of wall hanging (Poubha, Wilampau, Thangka painting, Scroll painting) narrating the story of the legendary caravan to Lhasa is being displayed in the main courtyard of Bhagwan Bahal during the festival of the holy month Gunlaa, the ninth months acco ac corrdi din ng to th the e Ne Nepa pali li Lu Luna narr Ca Cale len nda darr narrates the legendary story of the Lhasa Voya Vo yage ge,, be bein ing g le lead aded ed by Si Simh mhal ala a Sa Sart rtha ha Baha Ba ha.. Si Simh mha a Sa Sart rtha ha Ba Baha ha is be beli liev eved ed to have established Bhagwan Bahal and the enti en tire re da dail ily y ri ritu tual als s an and d ac acti tivi viti ties es du duri ring ng the th e fes esti tiv val ar are e be bein ing g con ontr trol olle led d by th the e Pradhan family from Thamel, who believe themselves as the descendents of Simhala Sartha Baha. According to the legend (a non-historical or unverified story), a group of five
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hundred you oun ng businessmen left for a carrava ca van n to Lh Lhas asa. a. The gr grou oup p di did d se sele lect ct Simhala, a merchant with rich knowledge, as their leader. Being selected as the leader of the group of merchant he got the new name Simhala Sarthabaha. (Sa Sarrth thab abah aha a me mean anin ing g th the e le lead ader er of th the e grou gr oup p of mer erch chan ant) t) Wh Whil ile e cros oss sin ing g th the e Rive Ri verr Bh Bhra ramp mput utrra, th they ey en enco coun unte tere red d an accident and were being rescued by five hundred young and exceptionally beautiful ladies. All members of the caravan were busy doing business and enjoying with the young ladies as their wife, so they did not thought of returning back home. Simhsarthabahu used to worship the family God Avalokiteshvara (Karunamaya) daily. One day Simha Sartha Ba Bah ha was given the divine sight of Lord Ava vallok okit ites eshv hvar ara( a(Ka Karrunam amay aya) a) whil ile e in meditation and worship. In the dream Lord Ava vallok okit ites eshv hvar ara a to told ld him th that at th they ey ar are e being under the captive of the she-devils (the man eater) and told him to leave the city as soon as possible as it is a bewitched island. He was instructed to go to the northern side of the city to check a big compound surrounded by tall walls like a well, where they used to throw the
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human huma n sk skel elet eton ons s af afte terr ea eati ting ng th the e fl fles esh. h. Avalokiteshvara also did promise to help them cross the river as a flying white horse. He went there and was able to climb a tree, and saw lots of human skeletons behind the tall wall, where they were forbidden to visit. He got convinced himself about the dream after visiting the nor ortthern side of th the e city. He made th the e plan to get an escape from the evil eyes of the damsels whom they mistakenly thou th ough ghtt of th thei eirr be belo lov ved wiv ive es. He was able to get convinced his friends about the instruction of the divine Lord and made a plan to live the bewitched land. They left their home in the middle of the nigh ni ghtt wh when en th thei eirr wi wive ves s we were re fa fast st as asle leep ep and came close to the River. Simhal Sart Sa rtha haba bahu hu di did d wo wors rshi hip p th the e di divi vine ne Lo Lord rd and an d a fly lyin ing g wh whit ite e hor orse se app ppe ear ared ed.. The horse instructed all them to get a ride and warned them not to look behind while cros cr ossi sing ng th the e ri rive verr an and d en ench chan antt th the e ho holy ly Triratna Mantra. While they were crossing the river, all ladies woke up and could not find the youn young g merch merchants ants sleeping next to them th em.. Th They ey st star arte ted d fl flyi ying ng ov over er th the e ri rive verr and an d la lami mina nati tin ng an and d req eque ues sti tin ng th them em to return back home. Hearing the kind
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hearted voice of their wife (the she-devil) alll me al memb mber ers s ex exce cept pt Si Simh mhal ala a Sa Sart rtha haba baha ha looked behind and were taken back to the other side of the river. Simhala Sartha Baha was the only person who did not look behind, and did not forget to enchant the Mantra of Triratna, so was able to get back home leaving behind all his friends under the captive of the wretched women. The chief devil disg di sgui uise sed d as a yo youn ung g an and d ex exce cept ptio iona nall lly y beau be autif tiful ul la lady dy fo foll llow owed ed Si Simh mhsa sart rtha haba bahu hu and came to the court with a baby on her lap claiming herself to be the wife of Simhsa Sim hsarth rthaba abahu. hu. Sim Simhsa hsarth rthaba abahu hu did try to convince the king about the she-devil and denied to accept them as his wife and son. The king then kept her in the palace as he was attracted with the exceptional beauty of the lady. In the middle of the nigh ni ghtt sh she e ca call lled ed al alll he herr co comp mpan anio ions ns an and d started killing the members of the Royal family and the staff. Next day the palace door did not open so Simhsarthabahu ente terred th the e palace climbing th thrrough a ladder. He was no more able to find anybody but the human skeleton scattered all over the palace court yard. As all Royal family members along with the staff were
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killed and eaten by the she devils, He found the human skeletons scattered around the palace and saw the she devils slee sl eepi ping ng ar arou ound nd th the e co cour urty tyar ard. d. Wi With th th the e Devin sword he is believed to have killed all the Dankinis except his wife who did beg pardon for her life. Simh Si mhal ala a Sa Sart rtha ha Ba Baha ha wa was s no nomi mina nate ted d as the leader of the community as all members of the Royal family were killed by the she-devil. This is how he got a new name Garud literally meaning army chief and later on was able to become the king and an d ca call lled ed Ga Garu rudj djuj uju. u. (P (Pra radh dhan an,, Bh Bhub uban an Lal, 2047, Kathmandu Upatyeka ka Chirka Mirka Page 72). Simhal Sarth Bahu donated land and is believed to have esta es tabl blis ishe hed d Th Tham amba bahi hi in hi his s ho home me tow town; n; with the wealth he earned from Lhasa (the traders usually bring Gold from Tibet). He was able to win victory over the bewitched island and was also able to introduce Buddhism there. Later on with his spiritual power and intellectual knowledge, he gained popularity as a form of Divine God – Dipankara Garud Bhagwan. His wife also is honored as a divine god Ajima, the prot pr otec ecto torr God odde des ss (Ja Jati tik ka Aji jim ma) a).. Af Afte terr being pardoned from her life she is being
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ordered to make a solemn vow to protect the th e en enti tire re co comm mmun unit ity y an and d in re retu turn rn sh she e also made a proposal to protect the comm co mmun unit ity y le leas astt th ther ere e be no op open enin ing g in the roof top of the buildings. This is why even today the Pradhans from the locality do not have open rooftops in their houses. She was then asked which portion of the rice she wants to have- the first, middle or the last. She spoke to have the first one thinking herself as senior so this is how she got the sticky water (Jati). This is how even today the sticky water (Jati) is being poured to the image of Jatika Ajima, beffor be ore e rea each chin ing g th the e ric ice e bo bow wl to Gar aru ud Bha Bh agwan. The main image of Bh Bha agw gwa an Bahal which is known as Garujuju or Garud Bhagwan, is believed to be the image of Simhalsarthbahu. Pradhan from Thambahi do no nott vi visi sitt Lh Lhas asa a be beca caus use e th they ey be beli liev eve e them th emsel selve ves s as th the e de desc scen enda dant nt of Si Simh mhal al sart sa rthb hbah ahu u an and d th they ey ar are e sc scar ared ed of be bein ing g attacked by the she devils as revenge. Simhala Avadana The Story of the Horse-King and the Merrch Me chan antt Si Simh mhal ala a in Bu Budd ddhi hist st Te Text xts, s, by Naomi Appleton.
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Once upon a time a wealthy merchant named Simhaka used to live in the capital city ci ty of Si Simh mhak akal alpa pa rul uled ed by Ki Kin ng Si Simh mha a Kesari. When his wife gave birth to a beauti tifful son, he named him Simhala. After finishing his education, he asked his father for permission to go away on a seavoyage. Simhaka was afraid of losing his beloved son and was not willing to send him for the voyage. Simhala left Simhakalpa in the company of five hun undr dred ed me merrch chan ants ts.. Th They ey al alll to took ok wit ith h them abundant merchandise. After visiting many places th the ey were able to sale all thei th eirr go good ods s an and d ma made de hug uge e pr prof ofit its s. On their way back home they reached a place called Tamradvipa pa.. This place was th the e abode of rakshasis. On seeing the merchants, all the rakshasis took beautiful female forms and entertained the merchants. Each rakshasi took one of his friends home, fed them, made love to them and they lived as husband and wife. When all his friends were thus drugged to sleep, the rakshasis devoured them. The rakshasi entrusted with the task of devouring Simhala fled when he took out his sword. Simhala then escaped from the island on a magic white horse.
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From Tamradvipa, Simhala came to Jambudvipa. The rakshasi in the form of a very ve ry be beau auti tifu full yo youn ung g la lady dy fo foll llow owed ed hi him. m. She met a merchant from Madhya Desa. She promptly fell at his feet and said I am the th e da daug ught hter er of th the e ki king ng of Ta Tamr mrad advi vipa pa and was married to Simhala. While crossing the ocean the ship encountered an accident. He left me as he thought me to be inauspicious. The merchant was impressed by her story and promised to help her. He blamed Simhala for not accepting the innocent girl. Simhala then told to ld him th tha at sh she e was a rak aksh sha asi si.. Fr From om Jambudvipa Simhala returned to Simh Si mhak akal alpa pa,, th the e rak aksh shas asii fo foll llow owed ed him there also. She came to the house of Simhala with a very handsome child, greatly resembling Simhala. She told Simhala's father the same old story. When Simhala came back home, his parents requested him to forgive his wife. Simhala then revealed the true nature of the innocent young girl. After being denied by Simhala, the rakshasi went to the palace claming her as the wife of Simhala and the child as his son. The king of Simhakalpa, Simh Si mhak akes esar arii or orde dere red d Si Simh mhal ala a to ac acce cept pt her as his wife. Simhala told the king who
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she was and requested him to expel her. But the king was attracted by her beauty and kept her in the palace. During diner the rakshasi mixed sleeping doses ever ev eryo yone ne in incl clud udin ing g th the e ki king ng fe felt lt as asle leep ep.. She Sh e th then en in invi vite ted d he herr rak aksh shas asii fr frie iend nds s to come and join in the feast. She told them that they should stop claim over Simhala instead of giving them one; she was giving them so may. The rakshasis entered the palace and started killing the king and his family. In the morning people saw vulture’s rooming around the place. Simhala entered the palace climbing through a adder. Then he searched the entire palace but could not find none of the royal family members as all were killed by the rakshasi. The ministers and the people decided to offer the crown to Simhala. The crown was then offered to Simhala who accepted it on the condition that the people would obey him without question. On assuming the throne, he rai aise sed d a po pow wer erfu full ar army my an and d in inv vad aded ed Tamradvipa. When king Simhala with his army marched upon Tamradvipa, the rakshasis surrendered to him and agreed to leave the island. The island was then
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colonized by Simhala Simhaladvipa after him.
and
was
called
A garland of Gold to you the Listener A garland of flowers to you the story teller Now may these stories go to the heaven? And when it is time to retell them Comeback immediately again! The traditional way of the closing of the Story telling.
Books related to Jataka Stories 1)
Buddhi Budd hist st bi birrth th-s -sto tori ries es;; Ja Jata taka ka ta tale les s translated from Pali text Jatakatthavannana –The oldest collection
of Jat Jatak aka a Folklo Fol klore re by V. Fau Fausbö sböll's ll's edi edited ted and an d tr tran ansl slat ated ed in into to En Engl glis ish h by T. T.W. W. Rh Rhys ys Davids 1880, London 2) A Jataka Jataka Tale from the Chinese Translation by Samuel Bell 1880 3) Th The e Ja Jata taka ka to toge geth ther er wi with th it its s co com mme ment ntar ary y being tales of the Anteri Anterior or births of Gaut Gautam am
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Buddha by Viggo Fousball, T William Rhys Davidson; Turner London 1877-1897 4) Th The e Jatak Jataka a or the stor storie ies s of the Budd Buddha ha's 's former births in 6 Volumes by Professor Cowell, Edward Byles, (V (Va alahass ssa a Ja Jata tak ka) Pa Palli te tex xt Society London 1895 5) Jataka Tales By Ellen C Babbill; Ellsworth Young New York 1912 6) Ancient Tales of Wisdom - Jataka Tales H. T. Francis, M.A. and E. J. Thomas, M.A 1916 7) Bu Budd ddhi hist st Birt Birth h St Stor orie ies s (J (Jat atak aka a Ta Tale les) s) The The commentary introduction entitled Nidan Katha, the story of the lineage by T William Rhys Davidson, Caroline AFR Davids NY 1925 8) The Ocean of the Stream of Story C H Tawney Translation of Katha Sarit Sagar by Somdev 9) Jatakamala by J. S. Speyer 10) Jataka (six volumes) Translated by Bhadanta Ananda Kausalyayana. 12) The Jataka Story in Japan 1999 Anita Khanna 11) The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha by C.B. Varma 13) 365 Jataka Tales & other Stories
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