RH-063 the Legend of Viśvantara - An Unpublished Version. Pages 211 - 230 in Philologos Godage International Publishers (Pvt.) Ltd. 2008

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There was one attempt though, in mid 20th century by some scholars, to adopt a literary idiom closer to the spoken standard. Significantly, among the leading figures in this campaign were some of the most erudite scholars in contemporary times, one was Rcv Yakkaduwe Praj narama, a senior teacher 111 Vidyalankara Piri vena and another was Professor Senarath Paranavitana, the doyen of Sri Lankan archaeology. But, in spite of the prestige of these scholars the movement did not gather momentum and by about the 1970's it was virtually dead. The classical literary form in Sinhala reigns supreme and the Sinhala diglossia continues. In the contemporary context of inter-ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Sinhala national identity will hold on more and more persistently to a heritage of the pat such as the classical literary idiom.

Conclusion: The comparison between Greek and Sinhala diglossic situations would reveal how powerful a classical literary heritage can be in making decisions on some of the most vital aspects of social activity such as education and administrative functions. The persisting strength of puristic attitudes towards language proves that language is not a mere medium of communication, and that it stands strongly as a treasured patrimony and an indispensable badge of identity. The particular form of the language one believes as the true representation of ones national identity is considered to be something worth fighting for and even dying for. Such sentiments can become sharpened and intensified by the socio-historical circumstances in which the language conununity is placed.

(1978) 'The I deological Pinnacle of Sinhalese Language Nationalism: The Career of Cumaratunga and the Hela Identity" Ceylon lournal of Historical alld Social Studies, VII, 2: 1-16.

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Ratna Handurukande

The legend of Visvantara, said to be that of the last birth on earth of the Bodhisattva in which the Perfection of Generosity (danaparamitii) reached its culmination, is the best-known of all the former birth-stories of the historical Buddha Gautama. Its popularity among both the Theravada Buddhists of the Southern countries and the Mahayanists of the North is attested by many versions of the story extant in different languages and its

1 numerous representatIOns 111 alt.

The oldest known version of the legend, also said to be the longest and fullest literary version, is in Pali, the sacred language of the Theravada Buddhists in which their scriptures were written. Viggo Fausboll's edition of the Pali text of the story, the Vessantara Jataka, was published in London in 1896, and reprinted by the Pali Text Society, also in London, in 1964,2

I Cf. ego S. Lienhard (1980) Die legend vom Prinzen Vis vall tara. Eine Nepalesische bilderrolle mrs der Sammiung des museums/iir fndische kunst, (Berlin): The introduction (: 9-13) & the bibliography (given on: 253-254) = (1980) VerofJentlichungen des Museums fiir Indische kunst, 5, (Berlin); and the references given by Dieter Schlingloff (1987) Studies in the Ajanta Paintings (New Delhi): Chapter 15, note 29. 2 Fausb611, V. , (1877-1896) ed. The latakatthavaT}1')ana: the lataka together with its commentary, being tales of the anterior births of Gotama Buddha for thefirst time edited in original pali. vols. I-VI,

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wh ile W. H. D. Rouse 's English translation was published i n Cambridge in 1907.1 The story i s the last being no. 547 i n Fausboll's edition o f t h e lataka and its commentary2 R. Spence Hardy gave a summary of the story under the title ' the Vessantara Jataka ' in his book, A manual of Buddhism in its modern development: translaled Fom the Sinhalese mss published i n London i n 18603 M alalasekara' s synopsis of the stOlY appears under the title ' Vessantara Jataka' in h i s Dictionary oj' Pali Proper names, first published in London in 1938.4

A sccond Engl ish translation of the Pali Vessanlara lataka made by M argaret Cone incorporating a few suggestions from her coauthor, Richard Gombrich, was printed in their book, The Pelfecl Generosity of Prince Vessantara, a Buddhist epic published i n Oxford.s I n a prefatory note i n thi s publication, the authors state that Rouse ' s translation of 1907 is neither accurate nor attractive. A l l the points at which they have deviated from Fausbol l ' s printed text are given i n Appendix II o f thi s work. Cone ' s translation of the Vessantara lataka i s i llustrated by unpubl ished paintings from S inhala temp les, being the photographs taken by Gombrich on a vis it to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1969-70. A documentation of the S inhala version s of the legend and references to it in S inhala l iterary source s i s desirable.

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(London), vol. Vi (1896): 479-596. Reprinted by the Pali Text Society in 1964. I Cowell, E. B., & Rouse, W. H. D., translated (1907) The Jataka vol. VI (Cambridge): 246-305. Cowell, E. B., ed. (1990). The first Indian edition of The Jataka or storics of the Buddha 's formcr births (6 vats ill 3 parts) (Delhi) vol VI: 246-305 contain the translation of the Visvantara story, reprinted in Delhi, 2004. 1 The Jataka collection is conventionally said to contains 550 stories but has in fact only 547. 3 (London: Williams and Norgate): 116-124. 4 Volumes I, II London 1937, 1938, reprinted in London 1960: 944-947. 5 (1977): 3-96.

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The story of Vessantara in barest outline given in the introduction (: xv-xvi) of the Cone and Gombrich publication is as follows:

Prince Vessantara, the son and the heir of Safijaya, king of the S ivis and of queen PhusatT, lives in the capi tal with his wife MaddI and their small son and daughter. His munificence is unique. He has a magic white elephant which ensures adequate rainfall, but he gives it away to Brahmin emissaries from another kingdom. The c itizens are enraged and force Safijaya to banish him. MaddI chooses to share his exi le with the children. Before leaving he gives away all his possessions, making the 'gift of the seven hundreds.' After a long journey the family reaches a mountain glen, where they settle down. A vile old Brahmin called Jujaka, harried at home by a young wife who demands servants, arrives to ask him for his chi ldren and Vessantara gives them while Madill is away gathering food. Next morning Sakka, the king of the gods, fears that Vessantara may yet give away his wife and be left all alone; he, therefore, disguises himself as a Brahmin and asks her from Vessantara. On receiving her, he gives her back immediately (As he now has her as a gift, Vessantara is no longer entitled by convention to dispose of her). Jiljaka and the children come to Sanjaya' s court where Sanjaya ransoms his grandchildren and Jujaka dies of overeating. Full of remorse, Sanjaya takes his retinue to the mountain and invites Vcssantara and Madill to return. The family is reunited, Vessantara becomes king and all live happily ever after.

The vrsions of the Vessantara lafaka found in Pali, B urmese, Chinese, Khotanese, Sanskrit, Sinhalese, Sogdian, Tibetan and Toeharian are listed by Cone and Gombrich i n the bibliography of their publication. The Sanskrit versions listed are those in

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Aryasura's J iitakamCil ii, K$emendra 's Avadiinakalpalatii, and Somadeva' s Kathiisaritsiigara, while a note appearing on page xxxvi i i of the introduction indicates that the authors were aware of a Sanskrit version found at Gilgit edited in Berlin. This probably is a reference to Kabita Das Gupta's edition of the Visvantariivadiina, information about which is given below:

A number of manuscripts found beneath a stUpa situated ncar Gilgit (Kashmir) in India in 1931 are referred to as G i lgit manuscripts. Kabita Das Gupta presented the Sanskrit text of the Visvantariivadiina, from a facsimile edition of a manuscript found in the Gilgit collection in New Delhi, accompanied by an English translation of it and the Tibetan text from the Sa1J1ghabhedavastu of the Mllasarviistiviidavinaya, preceded by an Introduction, as the dissertation for a doctoral degree at the Freie University in Berlin in January 1977.1 She also added three appendices to her study, viz. I. Avadiinakafpafatii of K$emendra (A.D. 1052) Chapter 23: (a) Sanskrit text and (b) an English trans lation of it . II . A catalogue of Stereotype Phrases and I I I. Sanskrit text of the Sa1]1ghabhedavastu (extracts from Gnoli's edition, which she says was avai lable to her only after the completion of the press-copy). Here, Das Gupta states that the Visvantariivadiina appears on pages 119-133 of part I I of Gnoli 's edition.2 An entry in her bibliography indi cates that a German

I Gupta, K. D. , (1977) Visvantariivadiina, Eine Buddhistische Legende Edition eines Textes auf Sanskrit Lind aujTibetisch Eingeleitet lind iibersetzt. Inauguraldissertation zur erlangung des Doktorgrades dem Fachbereich Altertumswissenschaften der Freien Universitat Berlin. 2 Gnoli, R., ed. With the assistance of T. Venkatacharya (1977) The Gilgit manuscript o{rhe Sa11ghabhedavastu Serie Orientale Roma vol. xlix (Rome) part l, (1977) Part II (1978).

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translation of the Pali Vessanlara Jataka was published It1 Le ipzig in 1916.1

In a discussion on the Uddiilla (summary) under the keyword 'Jujjuka', J. Panglung states that ' there arc obviously four verSlOns of the Visvantara Jataka of the MSV (Mulasarviistiviidavinaya) which can be traced back to versions I and I I I. ' The version refelTed to as Visvantara IV, he says 'has come down to us in Sanskrit and is included in Lokesh Chandra' s facsimile edition of the Gilgit manuscripts.' He adds that this was the version publ ished by Kabita Das Gupta in Berlin under the title Visvantariivadiina. He fUliher states that ' Visvantara IV is identical with Visvantara I I I: the verbatim (as far as this can be . said of a translation) addition of the Jujjuka episode of Visvantara-Jataka II . ,2

H i sashi Matsumura's edition of the Visvantariivadiina was submitted as one of four avadiinas preserved among the Gilgit Buddhist manuscripts, supposed to be of the fifth to sixth century A. D., for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ro the Australian National University in October 1980.3 The other stories included in the thesis are the Miindhiitiivadiina, Mahiisudarsaniivadiilla and the Candraprabhiivadiina. Matsumura gives the text of two Tibetan translations of the Visvantariivadiina found in the SaFighabhedavastu and the Bhaiajyavastu of the

I Dutoit, .I., (1916) latakas translated in Gennan Bd. 6. (Leipzig). 2 Panglung, 1., (1979) 'Uddana' in Tibetan STudies in honollr of H. Richardson, (Oxford): 229-230. 1 am indebted to Professor Deieter Schlingloff of the University of Munich for sending me the relevant pages of Panglung' s paper. J Matsumura, H. , (l980) Four Avadiinasfi'ol1l the Gilgif manuscripts. A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Australian National University: 119-158.

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M/lasarvastivadavinaya.' The i ntroducti on to the thesis contains information about the texts of the G ilgit avadana and the l anguage used in the Gilgit manuscripts. Here Matsumura says that the stories of Visvantara found in the Saiighabhedavastu and the Bhaisajyavastu are almost the same and agree w ith the versi ons he edited almost verbatim. He also draws attention to Raniero Gnoli's edition of the Saiighabhedavastu which was published shortly after he had finished his tentative edition and mentions that he noted all the differences between Gnoli's text and his own edition and discussed the i mportant problems. M atsumura makes no reference to Kabita Das Gupta's edition of the VisvantaravadanG. On collating the Das Gupta and Matsumura editions, I found that the text presented by both is the same with only a few variants.

Cone and Gombrich refer to two manuscripts of a S anskrit Vi.vantaravadana found in the library of the Tokyo University.2 Matsumura also draws attention to unpublished manuscripts of Visvantara-Jataka (lavadana) l isted by Matsunami in his Catalogue of the Sanskrit manuscripts kept in the To/..yo University library. These manuscripts were brought from Nepal to Japan by Professor Junjir6 Takakusu (1866-1948) and Reverend Ekai Kawaguchi (J 866-1945).3 ,

, Ibid: 272-333. 2 Cone, M. , & Gombrich, R. F., (1977) The Perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara. A Buddhist Epic, Translated from the Pali and illustrated by unpublished paintings fi'om Sinhalese temples (Oxford): introd. : XXXVl1!.

3 Matsunami, S., (1965) A Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library, Suzuki Research Foundation, (Tokyo). The Manuscripts noted by Matsumura (introduction p. 1xxxviii) are Matsunami nos. 29 (3) III, 375, 376. Of these 29lII and 376 have the same text.

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I had direct access to two manuscripts of the Visvantaravadana refelTed to earlier and kept in the Tokyo University l ibrary during a period of study leave spent at that University in 1972-1973.' Later during a visit to Berlin in 1990, I was able to compare my transcript of the text based on the Tokyo manuscripts with microfilm copies of four manuscripts from Nepal filmed under the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Proj ect and kept in the State l ibrary in Berlin.2 The text is in prose interspersed with a few verses. There are 33 verses in my transcript. I have tentatively divided the prose transcript into 67 paragraphs of unequal length based on the content of the story.

I give below a condensed version of the story of Visvantara as narrated in the unpublished manuscripts refelTed to earlier based on my tentative edition, also unpublished as yet, to honour Emeritus Professor Merlin Peris for whom motifs in Jataka stories have provided a fascinating field of study.

Once, the B lessed one was residing at SravastT, in the monastery of Anathapil).Q.ada in the Jetavana Grove, together with a large number of monks, gods, men and others, whert' a god, Upo$adha by name, rose from his seat, knelt on the ground, folded his hands respectfully and said, 'I used to enjoy listening to your discourses at the time you resided in the penance-grove of Varlka. Today, r wish to hear yet another story of the past.' 'Very good', said the B lessed One, 'Listen to this story, which is as follows.

, ibid nos. 29 (3) III & 376. 2 Orientabteilung, Staatsbibliothek Preussische Kulturbesitz. Reel Nos. D 641 1 1; D 28/14; A 1 24/10; A 228112 (A-5).

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In the past, an i l lustrious king called Sivi ruled over the city of Vidarbha together with his viltuous wife, SaIl1jayanT. They had a son, whose power, heroism and feats of strength I shall now proclaim.

After the birth of prince Visvantara, Sivi, the father-king, had a ceremony performed on a large scale, at the conclusion of which the citizens of Vidarbh a rej oiced saying, 'Ah! This prince is fortunate, virtuous and blessed with auspicious characteristics . We are lucky indeed.' The prince grew up like the waxing moon in the bright half of the month. On his coming of age, King S ivi sent his son to accomplished teachers and preceptors, and the prince mastered philosophy and the sciences with ease.

Aware of the righteousness and the pious inclinations of prince Visvantara, the father-king was apprehensive of his becoming king after him. However, he summoned his ministers and citizens, sought their advice and sent messengers far and wide, to woo a maiden for the son. In one kingdom, there was a princess, Madl' by name, blessed with an abundance of all desirabJe features. The messengers addressed MadrT's father and s aid, ' Give your daughter, 0 great king, as a bride for prince Visvantara.' 'V cry good, messengers, very good,' the father said and gave away the maiden happily. Madll was brought and presented to king Sivi at a royal assembly. The king was c.clighted, wedding celebrations were held and the maiden was given to prince Visvantara at an auspicious time on an auspicious day. There was j oy and j ubilance all around, and king Sivi's mind was at ease, thinking that the future of the kingdom was secure.

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In course of time, a son was born to prince Visvantara and princess Madl'. The boy was handsome, lovely to look at and pleasing. King Sivi rejoiced with the hope that his grandson would assuredly bring great rewards. The newly-born prince was called JalinT at the suggestion of the counsellor-ministers. Two or three years passed and Madl' gave birth to a daughter who was named K!;>I).ajinT. At this time, there was peace in the kingdom of Vidarbha where there was an abundance of food at al l times and an exuberance of spirit among all its citizens.

One day, prince Visvantara said to himself, 'I live in a kingdom enj oying worldly p leasures. B ut this kind of life is not what r cherish.' He went to the father and said, his hands folded in reverence. '0 king, I live in great comfort, through your kindness. However, listen to what I have to say today. Be so gracious as to help me in my effort to promote the welfare of the world. ' Moved to tears, the father spoke. ' Son, royalty and sovereignty,wealth, treasures and citizens, they are yours, are they not?' 'But all these things are impermanent,' said the son, ' everything in this wretched world is impermanent. At the time of death, it is only the glory of one ' s actions that follow a person, not kith and kin, wealth and possessions . Therefore, I wish to give away the wealth in your kingdom to mendicants, receive their b lessings and move towards the goal of emancipation.'

Amazed on becoming aware of the son's inclination to practise generosity, king Sivi thought that this was what ha.d been destined by fate and said, 'Son, satisfy your desire for giving, in whatever manner you wish.' Bowing low in reverence to the father, Visvantara went to his own palace and requested the ministers and the citizens to prepare an alms-hall . They put up a spacious hall in

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which they p laced a variety of offerings such as bowls ful l of gold, silver and jewels, fine eloth and garments, sixty-four kinds of rice, elephants, horses and chariots and plants like sugar-cane. Then the mendicants came; first the regents of the eight directions followed by hosts of poor men, brahmins, heretics and wandering ascetics . They received whatever they wanted. Some accepted the gifts and went away. Others continued to stay. There was a festive air in the city of Vidarbha. Showers of b lessings were conferred on Visvantara, who remained content, givi'ng gifts each day.

Then, decreed by fate, as it were, suppliants seeking alms stopped coming. The prince thought, 'The wealth in my father's treasuries increases each day. How am I to spend it without making offerings? I shall go to the stable, bring the excellent elephant so dear to my father, load it with wealth and go in search of needy persons.' He went to villages and cities in other regions but came back disappointed, for none were in want.

At this time, an enemy-king who had repeatedly tried to conquer the kingdom of Vidarbha and failed to do so because of the power of king Sivi's excellent elephant, heard about prince Visvantara's boundless generosity. He promptly dispatched five brahmins to ask for the elephant as a gift. They approached the donor prince and said, ' O f wealth and possesio!1s w e have a n abundance. W e need only one gift and that is the noble elephant, your conveyance.' The prince gave the elephant without any hesitation and the brahmins went away jubilant.

The ministers and citizens of Vidarbhii were disturbed and angry, seeing the precious e lephant, the source of their fottune, being given away to the enemy king. They

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complained to Sivi, '0 great king, Your Majesty is recognized as the ruler of this kingdom. But, how is it that there is no investigation of what is going on here? Our jewel of an elephant is being gifted. The stability of the kingdom is at risk now. Today he gave away the elephant. Tomorrow he might give us all, the citizens, as gifts. It is not for us to say, "Do this, do that". The responsibility lies with you. We suggest that you send away your son to the penance-grove called Vanka . ' The king remained silent, full of grief at the thought of banishing his son. He offered to give an answer to the suggestion, later, on the fourth day. Feeling uneasy, the king and the queen lamented profusely. Later, they sent the chief minister to summon the prince. The minister went to the prince's palace, but did not have the heart to give him the news. He stood silent seeing the joyful Visvantara repeating to his wife and children the words of praise and blessings of those who received gifts.

Prince Visvantara knew the reason for the minister' s visit. Firm in mind, he thought: 'the time has come for me to leave the city today.' He went to his parents who were exceedingly distressed, restrained his own thoughts, smiled a while, admonished them and said, '0 father, why do you grieve like this? I did not give away wealth and possessions to destroy the city or its citizens. It is with the intention of saving the whole world hom SOlTOW that I practised generosity. The armies of Mara, the Evil One, cannot hinder my good deeds of liberality. r wish to go to a penance-grove on the mountain Varika, as is the wish of the ministers and there lead a life of religious austerity.' Fut1her, Visvantara requested the father to rule his kingdom righteously, practising generosity, imparting moral instructions to the citizens and refraining from punishing, beating or imprisoning them. Then he stood

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up without delay and worshipped the lotus-feet of the parents, after receiving their consent for his departure to the hermitage. Next, he went to his own palace, called his wife and children, and spoke to M adrI in a soft sweet tone: ' Madri, I shall go to the mountain Vanka to lead a l ife of contemplation and austerity to release the world from all SOI1OW. Practising the perfection of generosity is not poss ible without renouncing possessions and getting rid of desire, anger, greed, i gnorance and i l lusion. I shall return soon after fulfill ing the perfection o f generosity. There is much wealth in the treasuries and store-houses of my family. Spend it wisely, look after our son and daughter and live in comfort.'

On hearing the deci sion of prince Vis vantara to go to a penance-grove, his w i fe MadrI was most disturbed. She wept profusely, fel l at his feet and said, 'How right is it for you to go away under the pretext of releasing the world from sorrow, discarding all feelings of love for me? Does it not occur to you that 1 w i l l give up my l i fe i f you abandon me? There is no doubt about i t . What then will be the plight of our children? Your departure may help the attai nment of the perfecti o n of generosity, but it wil l also cause the death o f two children and that of a woman as wel l . Bear this i n mind and act accordingly. Moreover, 0 lord, how can you go to the forest leaving the two chi ldren whom you fondled placing them in your lap? Do not go alone, I beseech you. We wil l come with you. ' W ishing to dissuade MadrI, prince Visvantara spoke about the sorrows and perils of l i fe in the forest: 'Madri, how can women live in the forest? There wil l be many inconveniences there. Only some kind of fruit will be available as food and leaves as gannents. Moreover, there wil l be danger to l i fe from beasts like lions, tigers and bears. Listen to me, stay back and l ive in comfOlt

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and take good care of our children.' MadrT said, 'r shall talk about the pleasant aspects of l ife in the forest disregarding the disadvantages you detai led. 0 lord, the serene joy found in the wi lderness far excels that found in palaces. It is true that a variety of dishes are served in the royal apartmcnts, but, will not living on fruits and roots bring greater contentment? Will not the songs of the birds and the dance of the peacocks give us immense happiness? Sleeping on cool slabs of stone will be as good as lying on couches covered with silken cloth. And it will be so lovely to see our children adorn themselves with garlands of beautiful fragrant flowers. I foresee the forest to be a place of pleasing prospects.'

On hearing MadrT's praise of the positive side of l i fe in the forest and seeing her determination to accompany him, Prince Visvantara had a chariot loaded with whatever wealth was left in the palace and invited her to join him. Delighted, MadrI sat in the chariot with the son and daughter on either sidc. And then, the time of their departure was marked by a mighty earthquake. The earth trembled, shook violently, quivered in agitation and roared aloud. Aware of the reason for this miracle,

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mendicants came from all over, lamenting over the departure of their beloved prince. Full of compassion, Prince Visvantara consoled them and gave them gifts and explained the reasons for his decision, bade them farewell and went forth to the forest.

On the way to the mountain region of Vali.ka, Prince Visvantara related many religious episodes to MadrT and to the residents of the cities and villages they happencd to go past. One day they met four brahmins who looked weary, apparently after a long journey. Being asked who they were, they said in a faltering tone: '0 great king,

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you have won fame as a gi ver of all things. We heard that you had left for a penance-grove and came looking for you. Ah! How lucky we are to have met you. 0 king, we do not need any wealth right now, but we are too tired to walk back to our homes . Be pleased, therefore, to give us the four white horses hamessed to your chariot, so swift in speed.' ' Take them, take them brahmins,' the prince said delighted at the opportunity of offering a gift. The brahmins took away the horses and the king and queen were about to go on foot, when suddenly there appeared four red deer who started drawing the chariot to the amazement of MadrT. Visvantara said, ' We gifted the horses with a good heart and the deer have come to help us . That is the effect of generosity.'

As the Visvantara family reached another region in their onward j ourney, another five brahmins appeared on the scene. 'May it be well with you great king,' they said, 'it is known the world over that Visvantara is righteous and generous . W e are in need of your chariot.' ' Good, good, take it at will.' The brahmins pronounced words of blessing and went away with the chariot. The royal pair started walking, Visvantara carrying the son lalinT and M adrT daughter $l)ajinT. The red deer seeing that they served no purpose anymore went back to their abode.

o sooner the royal group arrived at Vanka, Visvakarma, the all-creative divine architect, made a leaf-hut for them, while gods swept the road and sprinkled scented water. Flowering trees and trees full of fruit bent low and forestdwellers stood on either side, bowing to him, desirous of listening to religious discourses.

At the penance-grove, Visvantara said to his wife, '0 Madri, I came here to lead a life of austerity, practising

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the perfection of generosity. I will do so while you look after the children.' Madl'! was most pleased with this arrangement. The moment Prince Visvantara began his holy life on the mountain Vailka, the heavens echoed the joyful cries of hundreds and thousands of gods who had assembled to witness the momentous event. Heavy showers of divine flowers fell and the sound of celestial music resounded in the air.

Life began at the hermitage. MadrT used to go to the forest each day to collect fruits and flowers while Visval1tara stayed 011 in the leaf-hut, rapt in contemplation. However, before long, an incident took place to disturb the peace of the hermitage. S akra, the lord of gods, wishing to test the veracity of Vi svantara's religiosity, disguised himself as an old brahmin, covered himself with a tom cloth, and came to him slowly, leaning on a staff. Moved with compassion on seeing the brahmin, whose blood-soaked and foul-smelling body was full of wounds, the sage asked him the reason for his arrival. '0 king, your magnanimous generosity is known the world over. I went to Vidarbha from far, looking for you. People there directed me here. I have alfthe wealth I need. Old age is my only problem.' 0 royal sage, I wish to have your two children and nothing else as a gift. I shall give them to my wife, a brahmin woinan, who has no children of her own. She will look after them.' Visvantara said, 'Rest assured that I will give them to you, 0 brahmin, for I have resolved to give them away when the occasion arises. But right now, their mother is away, gone to fetch flowers and fruits. Bear with me, therefore, for a while.' The brahmin retorted angrily, ' It seems to me that you are a man of mere words. How can you practise the perfection of generosity like this? If you wish to become a Buddha, give me your children at once,

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or else I wi l l go back to my abode. ' Visvantara thougbt, 'My w i fe MadrT is most generous and devoted. I wanted her to be present and participate in the noble act of giving away our precious chi ldren. But how can r make this brahmin understand such a frame of mind.' Thereafter, he heaved a long sigh, fel l at the mendicant's feet and said, 'Oh 110, brahmin, once my mind is made up there i s n o going back. Accept the chi ldren at once. B u t let the mother see them for the last time before you take them away.' 'Very wel l' said the brahmin, and remained s ilent. The children were gifted ceremoniously when there took place the usual miracles l ike earthquakes. The brahmin blessed the sage and was about to depart when Visvantara reminded him politely about his request to let the mother see them. 'That i s a childish desire. Do you not real ize that the mother w i l l make a big commotion here, true to the unsteady nature of a woman's mind? Then you wil l not be able to abide by your decision. The ch i ldren are under my control now and I shall take them home.'

As they were led away, prince JaiinT and princess Ktl).ajinT tumed back, looked at their father and wept pitifully. Enraged, the brahmin bound them with a forestvine, thrashed them and led them on. The "brother and si ster talked to each other as they went. '0 Krl).iijini, what can we do about our present p li ght? We are reaping the fruits of bad deeds of the past. This wicked brahmin w i l l cause us pain. B ut do not shed tears or do anything rash.' '0 brother, there is no doubt about it. We are in the hands of a demon who wil l k i l l and eat us the moment we move out of s ight of our father.' As the brahmin tightened his grip of their hands, JalinT endorsed what the sister said.' 'You are right. This certainly is a demon. He basn't even a wee bit of kindness. I wonder whether the

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The Legend of Visvanlara -An Unpublished Version

power o f our parents' merit can help us save our l ives. Wishing to make the father aware of the situation, KlI;ajinT spoke as loud as she could. 'Father, you mistook a demon for a brahmin. Our l ives are in great danger. When our mother comes back iaden with baskets of flowers and fruits for us, do not mislead her, tell her the whole truth. Give her a wooden elephant and a wooden horse as son and daughter and so console her.' The brahmin took them to a distant region beating them mercilessly all the way.

Meanwhi le MadrT, who wandered around in the forest as usual collecting what she needed for the day's meals, felt uneasy all of a sudden, for she saw many bad omens. The birds had ceased to sing. The sky appeared desolate. At one moment, hosts of serpents crossed her path, Next, foresters and beasts hindered her. 'What could be the reason for these inauspicious incidents? Has some calamity taken place in the penance-grove? Are my children safe?' Engrossed in such thought, she hun-ied overcoming many obstacles and reached the leaf-hut in the hermitage. The silence there was ominous. Missing the usual chatter of the children, she called them. 'Where could they be? Normal ly they would be here by now hugging me, perched on my lap.' She went to her husband Vi svantara, fel l at his feet and said, 'I do hope that no misfortune has befal len my chi ldten. I saw many bad omens as I gathered fruits in the forest and I. rushed back afraid of disasters they may have portended.' The king maintained a stony silence. Madrl wept and lamented, broken-hearted, crushed by grief, beating her chest, her hair in disarray. Then she fainted through intense pain. Moved with compassion, Visvantara then raised her, held her hands and said, 'Do not be frightened Madri. Get lip and pull yoursel f together and act with

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courage. ' On her becoming calm and composed, he acquainted her with the day' s event and spoke of many similar deeds of the past related to the practice of the perfection of generosity.

The brahmin who took away the children went to the kingdom of S ivi and placed them before him saying, ' Here are your grandchildren, your maj esty. Do accept them.' Amazed, king S ivi did so with great delight, fed them and made them comfortable. Then he offered food, drink and money to the brahmin who blessed the king and went away in a good frame o f mind.

Sakra decided to test V isvantara once again. He came to his leaf-hut in the guise of a brahmin as before, and said, 'I have heard marvellous stories of your boundless generosity. 0 sage Vi svantara, I am an old brahmin, living alone, cooking my own meals . Therefore, be pleased to give youi' devoted wife as a companion for me.' The prince looked at Madri's face. She read his thoughts immediately and said to herself, ' Today, I shall help my husband complete the perfection of generosity, which cannot be achieved without giving away w i fe apd children. The right moment has come. A mendicant has arrived. Why delay now?' She smiled serenely and said, her hands folded in reverence, 'Why have you not said a word to the brahmin? You have never fai led to meet the desires of suppliants? 0 lord, hand me over to this brahmin with the sale intention of fulfilling the perfection of generosity.' Prince V isvantara responded, delighted at heart, and with eyes full of tears, ' Wonderful, 0 Madri, wonderful. You are righteous i ndeed, for, you are most generous yourself, a willing partner in my practice of generosity. B irth after birth I have done extremely difficult tasks and so have I done on

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The Legnd of Visvantara -An Unpublished Version

this occasion too. Through the power of this meritorious deed, may we meet again on the path of emancipation !' ' Do look after yourself in my absence. Be firm in your resolve and may your attempts result in success !' Madr] said so, circumambulated the sage three times, cast a last look at him and left with the brahmin, who was most pleased with the gift he received. The brahmin, who was in fact god Sakra in disguise, proceeded slowly out of kindness, engaging Madrl in righteous conversation. Eventually, they reached the city of Vidarbha. The brahmi n took Madr! to king Sivi and said, ' Here is MadrI who spent all this time in the hermitage on mount Vanka, living on fruits and roots, missing her children very much. Through compassion for her, I explained matters to king V isvantara and brought her here. Find out for yourself whether she is your daughter-in-law or not.' Then giving up the guise of a brahmin, Sakra went to his heavenly abode.'

King Sivi, his counsellors, ministers and the citizens of Vidarbha were amazed. They asked '0 Madri, how have you been? What happened all this time? We hope all is well with you.' ' I am all rigQt by the grace of my parentsin-law,' she said, ' but I am deeply worried about my children.' ' Have no fear, Madri, they are here with us.' So said king Sivi . The prince and princess were brought. Madr! welcomed them warmly, placed them on her lap, one on each side, gazed at their faces, heaved a sigh of relief and spoke anxiously. ' Father, who brought them to your palace? Oh! how I wept and wailed not finding them in the hermitage on my return from the forest. How I tried to get some news from your son Visvantara. But he did not utter a word until I fainted through grief. Only when I gained my senses he told me that he had sent them off in the custody of an old brahmin.' ' Words fail

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me Madr i , What am I to say? An old wretch brought them here, Who knows whether it was a brahmin or evil M ara, the god of death? Imagine our son Vi svantara being i nsensitive to al l thi s . How did he have the healt to give away his good wife and the innocent chi ldren beside giving up the responsibil ity of kingship? ' MadrI said, ' But through the grace of the gods, we have had a happy reunion and the family tradition w i l l also last. ' MadrT then gave a detailed account o f l ife in the mountainous region o f Vanka, after l i stening to which the ministers and c itizens spoke in prais e of Visvantara ' s acts o f charity. King Sivi too was appreciative of the son's great deeds performed with difficulty with the noble motive of saving the whole world from sorrow. The newly reunited famil y l ived happily, engaged in accumulating merit always remembering V i svantara.

One day, the sage V isvantara, who continued to l ive in the penance-grove at Val1ka, rose from his seat after a session of meditation, reci te d the names of the past Buddhas fixing his mind on the attainment of supreme enlightenment, radiated thoughts of friendliness on al l beings and set out for the c ity o f VidarbM. There, to h i s surprise and delight, he saw the whole fami ly assembled i n the palace. After this fortunate reunion, they l ived happily, doing virtuous deeds, recalling the names o f past B uddhas and ful fi l l ing the perfection o f generosity which finally l ed them to the path o f emancipation.

The unpublished version of the Vi svantara legend, a summary of the content of which has been given above, needs to be compared with the Pali and other versions in a future study.

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The Relationship between Plato' s Theory of Knowledge and his Theory of Education in the

RepUblic.

Leela A. Kobbekaduwa

Plato ' s Republic addresses the question of how learning can lead to the realization of a 'just' human society. The ultimate goal of learning for P lato is the acquisition of knowledge of the Form o f Good. Plato uses much of the Republic t o develop his theory of knowledge. The purpose o f this brief article is to analyze the relationship between Plato' s theory of knowledge and his theory of education, as expressed in the Republic. I write this article for thi s fel i citation volume to pay my humble tribute to Professor Merlin Peris for his enduring scho larship and sustained research in the field of Classical Languages.

Section one of this articl e wil l furnish some relevant introductory comments. Section two will deal with Plato ' s theory o f knowledge and h i s theory o f education. I n section three I wil l attempt a critical analysis of the relationship which exists between his theory of knowledge and his theory of education.

I

In the Republic Plato outlined his plan for the ideal state. He speculates on the character o f the state in which the best or the most "just" order i s established, where the highest social harmony is combined with the highest individual harmony. S ince,

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