Inspiring Quotes of Buddha: R. P. Suri April 2016

---

If the above details are true, it is quite believable that there could be such a big sesamum tree No. Of course they were too proud to fold their hands to her. She smiled and began to narrate her experience: After the monthly bath, while sleeping in the veranda, I was enjoyed by the passionate Wind. Immediately I delivered a son; and after taking my leave, he went away somewhere. Tell me whether it is a lie ; if it is true that the Wind can procreate a son, no barren woman would be found in this world. Muladeva confirmed her experience thus: Through the favour of that saint, Yojanagandha became a virgin again, was married to Santanu and had a son Vicitravirya who died without issues.

In the light of these events, it is quite natural that the Wind generated a child in you; and it walked away immediately after delivery. He vomitted his wife; and she vomitted Agni who ran into the forest being pursued by him. Sada told her that it was quite possible: Khandapana complained that her identity was confused, and narrated a bit of her biography thus: My profession has been low, though our family is quite prosperous.

Thousands of washermen wmrked under me ; and with them, one day, I went to the river with a cart-load of clothes which were all washed clean and spread in the sunshine. Suddenly they were blown off by a whirl-wind. I asked the servants to run away and took the responsibility on me. Lest the king might punish me, 1 assumed the form of a lizard and reached the city park at night. Early morning I feared, I might be killed for a dish.

After a good deal of thought, I changed myself into a mango plant. After day-break I heard the royal drum declaring all washermen to be excused; and once again I became a woman. The leather straps, etc. ETTOY 11 because the tail of Hanumat was so long as to encircle the city of liahka which was burnt by it on its being covered wdth clothes, sprinkled with oil and ignited.

When Papdaras were banished into wilderness, the boa swallowed Bhima. Dharma gave necessary replies to the boa which consequently vomitted Bhima and which became the king at last. In case she were to defeat them actually, they would be as worthless as a broken cowrie. The rogues thundered in reply that no one, not even a divine rogue, can vanquish them. With a view to put them to shame, she continued her biography and addressed them further: I had lost, moreover, four of my servants since long; and in search of them I came here.

Either you accept this as true and be my slaves; or if you do not, well, give the feast.

Khandapana smiled to see that their manly vanity was smashed ; but when they all insisted on getting a feast from her, she agreed to that. She went to the burial ground which presented a hedious and horrible spectacle. She managed to get a dead baby which was physically intact and lately dropped there. The busy banker got irritated and asked his servants to drive her out. When force was used, she fell on the ground; and she started beating her breast etc. The banker was upset, and with all efforts tried to console her, requesting her not to raise a ci'y.

He gave her an ear-ring and asked her to remove the child quietly. After throwing the dead babe, she went to the jewel-market jubilantly ; she sold the ring and gave a rich feast to the rogues who were shivering with cold. They all heartily congratulated her on her skill and generosity, and openly coiifessed that woman is wiser by birth than man.

According to the scripture, 12 dhubtIkhtana: Parvati was the daughter of mountain: These and such other stories from the Bharata and Ramayapa are like artificial gold ; and they do not stand the test of rational scrutiny. The popular scriptures do not contain any attractive stuff.

Site To Download Free Ebooks.

Leaving them, therefore, one should follow the path preached by the Sarvajfla with a steady and pure faith. Purpose, Technique and Form Whatever may be their historical explanation and symbolical signi- fication, there are innumerable legends, scattered all over the epics and Puranas, which, on account of some detail or the other, are unnatural, inconsistent, exaggerated and unacceptable to reason.

Even from amongst the custodians and adherents of these texts the revisionists have tried their hands on them partly to make the legends conform to the changing ethico-moral notions and partly to rationalise and humanise them by removing glaring inconsistencies etc. This is amply borne out by the recensions and textual variations detected by critical editors. A History of Indian Literature, I, p. We cannot expect the zealous follower to ridicule in any way the PurSnic legends or to raise a moral protest against the sins in the world of gods, held by him in reverence.

That Kannada poet Sarvajna is an exception. He has spared none from his severe satirical stings. According to him our MahabhSrata is a tale of brothers killing brothers and of looseness of marriage institution Aa iaro5 ; and those who respectfully attend to it degrade themselves. His conclusion is threefold: Indirectly, but inevitably, these works being religious scriptures, the entire PurSnic religion and its followers are being exposed to criticism; the former for having contained such legends and the latter for their acceptance of the same.

Logical polemics and witty criticism are the two recognised modes of attack ; their ultimate purpose is to knock down the opponent ; but their ways and intermediate tactics are different, and the weapons in their armouries and their movements on the field are dissimilar. The former necessarily requires an elaborate and systematic seige and a trained audience to pronounce the judgement; while the latter needs alert wit and adroit movements.

If one is a trenched battle, the other is a guerilla warfare. The success of the former leaves behind acrimony that might involve endless attacks and counterattacks; but that of the latter wounds the opponent without leaving a scar and pricks him without bleeding. Logicians can be trained for the purpose, but a witty critic is an artist by birth. Haribhadra is an eminent logician, no doubt ; but, in this work, on the whole, we see him more as a witty critic assailing the citadel of Puranic legends.

The plot of the work is simple. It is a story of five rogues each of whom recounts an impossible, fantastical experience which is confirmed -to be true by one or the other colleague after quoting parallels from the Mahabharata-,- Ramayana, etc. In the last chapter this mode of presentation is slightly modified. It is their female accomplice that narrates her experiences; and the remaining take their respective chances to confirm the same by Puraiiic parallels.

She narrates her biography, and suddenly puts them on the horns of a dilemma: They find that they are outwitted ; her superiority is accepted; she trickily extracts wealth from a merchant by charging him with the murder of her child ; and all the rogues get a grand feast from her. The improbable and fantastic tales narrated by the rogues as a part of their experience, are consistent and compact units.

Even the elements of exaggeration are quite in keeping with medieval tales. But when the author holds them up side by side with the Puranio legends, their sarcastic potency becomes at once apparent. The tales by themselves speak highly for the skilful inventiveness of Haribhadra. As they stand, I think, they are composed by Haribhadra himself, keeping in view the Puranic legends to be denounced. The stories thus are his creation ; but quite well known in Indian literature are some of their motifs: It is the use of these motifs that at once lends a popular air and a sort of reality to the tales of rogues.

Haribhadra has a special fascination for popular stories of humoi-ous and satirical style. Some of them in Prakrit he quotes in his commentary on the Dasavaikalikasutra. It is said to be put in the mouth of a Dhurta and addressed to a Buddhist monk who had a net-like garment on his person. Well, it is for netting fish.

Do you eat fish? I take them when excited by wine. Do you drink wine? When I mate with a hetaera. Do you visit a prostitute? After kicking on the necks of my enemies. Whence have you enemies? Those whose houses I have broken into. Are you a burglar? Just for the purpose of gambling. Are you a Rogue? Haribhadra is an adept story-teller. If we casually glance through his Samaraiccakaha, we find that he is well-informed about the workings of human mind and about the human behaviour in general.

His experience is wide ; naturally he creates characters and situations of engrossing interest. He possesses a special liking for symbolical epilogues, apparently meaningless, but full of significance and instruction when they are explained. Enlightenment by absurd stories and situations is a fine weapon which Haribhadra brandishes quite successfully. Arbaddatta Sixth Bhava , for instance, was enlightened when he was incurably attached to the pleasures of body by telling him that he was as foolish as a person extinguishing fire with grass.

Absurd situations are presented illustrating such motifs. Similar tendencies are seen in the Dhu. The fantastic tales expose the absurdity of Puranic legends, and thus enlighten and correct those that put faith in the Puranie religion. It is the agreement of rogues that supplies a graceful bracket for the projection of the plot. Lest he would he required to give the stipulated feast, every rogue is anxious to confirm the fantastic stories by quoting similar Puranic legends. It is in the fitness of things that every rogue should be given the chance of confirming the experience of their female companion j otherwise, if only one were to be given this chance, there would arise some jealousy and others would not have the opportunity of being chivalrous.

It is not the story as a whole, but just some of the convenient points of it that are selected for confirmation with one or more similar legends and episodes from the epics and Puranas. The legends get automatically ridiculed, because they are closely parallel to the incidents or points in the fantastic story. Thus, to a certain extent, the author is using the mode of reductio ad ahsurdum in denouncing the legends.

All of them are confirmed rogues, quite expert in their business ; and it is not without some significenee that they should be made to dabble in Puranic legends, as if this was quite on par with their usual routine! It looks like a bit of irony that the legends should be put in the mouth of rogues and that they should come forth to prove the impossible by quoting them!

Akhyana is usually a serious tale, especially an epical or Puranic episode. If it refers to the series of Puranic legends and episodes, it is equally ironical that they should be put in the mouth of rogues and that both of them should prominently figure in the title of the book! Thus the plot, the mode and accessories of attack and even the title: Even minor touches add to the ironical flavour of the atmosphere ; Muladeva declares that he is putting up with such as hunger and thirst I. There are some drawbacks: As to the first one wished that the author avoided this repetition ; but as to the second, it was inevitable, if the author wanted to expose the obscenity of some of the Puranic legends.

By assimilating different traditions Western literature has come to possess an astonishing variety of literary expression. The fact becomes obvious even to a superficial student of English literature, if he simply notes its chief landmarks and growth. Scholars comparing the ancient Indian literature wdth that of the English are struck with the manifold variety, range and artistic appeal in the latter. The disparity can be explained away on the basis of the peculiar lines on which each civilization advanced. Apart from its intrinsic merits and abiding values, in a way, by taking into account the range of time covered by the civilization, the extent of the land and the magnitude of the population, one has to admit that the ancient Indian literature, available to us today, is comparatively small in quantity and limited in variety.

The reasons are apparent. On the whole, the Indian mind has enjoyed the comfort of dignified isolation from ' constant foreign influence. Eeligious spirit has permeated not only Indian life, but also Indian literature: Both men of letters and literary life in India are confined, as a rule, to an insignificant minority of hereditory intellectual aristocrats.

Antiquity is an asset, but not necessarily a virtue. Old turns of expression and moulds of A tmiTioiisTiror m.: Even the training of an Indian poet or author is of a standardised east: Ordinary intellect got crippled, though suflSciently trained ; it is only the extraordinary genius that attempted to open new literary paths somewhat deviating from the accepted standards. The fact that ancient India, which could boast of the greatest master-pieces in epic poetry and certain kinds of fiction and drama, has neither a tragedy after the manner of the Greeks nor satire in lloman fashion is to be attributed to the peculiar way in which the Indian mind evolved and the Indian author was trained for his job.

India, however, has not been lacking in literary geniuses that were trained according to standard discipline. Every age has its follies and faults; and these geniuses, on account of their righteous indignation and as a wholesome correction, must have brandished their satirical whip against social disorders and diseases. Such satirical compositions could not have the same sanctity as that enjoyed by religious works ; and it is not unlikely that jnany specimens have not comedown tons, even if the art of satire was duly cultivated.

Search results

Satire, moreover, is an indispensable stylistic quality in some forms of literature; and the elements of this quality are found scattered, here and there, in early Indian literature: It presents a lively and realistic picture of the society, some glimpses of which we get' in the Mrcchakatikam. Dandin is unconventional by temperament. The term hharafaha means a kind of Saiva monks ; and this colleetion of thirty-two tales is designed for purposes of exposing the mwhhct-jomci-qanta so that one might understand saddearana.

The Saiva monks are satirized by means of stories illustrating their moral depravity and stupidity. The bharapka is made to quote the parallels of gods and saints to justify his behaviour, thus ridiculing the gods and saints as well with himself. Some of the stories exhibit a good fund of worldly wisdom, wit and humour. Somehow the element of satire seen in poems and plays is not of a very high order: The Kuttinimata of Damodaragupta 0.

Some of his works deserve special attention in this context. His Samayamatrka deals with the traditional erotic topics. It presents varied pictures of the society, and the situations are sketched in a pointed style. His salutation to viveka in the opening MaUgala is quite significant. In seven sections it demonstrates the folly of pride based on hula, dhana, vidyd, rupa, iaurya, dana and tapas. Besides the gnomic verses on each, they are illustrated with tales invented for the purpose. The form is interesting. More than once the author drags the Purauic duties and personalities on a lower plain by citing how they have not been immune from these flaws 1.

The Metaphysical Magazine Vol. 1

The moral tone is quite predominant ; and the attack on holiness, though casual, is sufficiently pungent. His Kalavilasa is a satirical discourse in ten sections, put in a legendary setting. The first chapter lashes the roguish hyproerisy, damhlia, seen in different walks of life, found not only among men and women of different classes but also among birds and vegetables. He is harsh on Gaudasi and now and then even sacred deities and sages are not spared. The remaining chapters deal with greed, erotic impulse, harlot, Kayastha, pride, etc. Series, Bombay ; Keith: A History of Sanskrit Literature, Oxford , pp.

A History of Sk. There is nothing of melancholy wisdom in Kisemendra. They are all steeped in the time-honoured mould of religious didacticism and hackneyed eroticism. Bharia is a monologue play ; the only character is a Vita or Dhurta who narrates, with imaginary questions and answers and with various gestures, either his experience or that of others.

Most of the existing specimens of hhdnas are comparatively modern and belong to the South ; they lack variety and are of the same pattern, almost made to order ; and they are predominantly permeated with erotic sentiment, very often coarse in taste. Such satirical touches are almost thrown into back-ground by their mechanichal characters, the roguish parasites and the haterea and by excessive eroticism.

The four Bhanas, which are edited as Caturfahafl.! The racy speeches of the Vita, in the Padataditaka, are remarkably satirical ; 1 I hare dkived uiucli help frdln two Important papers by Dr. Bor a student of literature, as Dr. Turning to the Prahasana, the popular farce, there is ample scope for social satire in it by the very nature of its subject-matter; but the specimens that have survived are far from being satisfactory.

Their wit and humour, which Would make one laugh, lie in deliberately vulgar exhibitions and expressions: The Mattavilasa of Mahendravikrama 7th Century a. Stray satirical verses in Sanskrit and Prakrit may be collected from anthologies and from illustrations on the rhetorical device called vyaja-stuti; hvA they cannot, being isolated verses, exhibit any sustained style as such. Thus this survey leaves us cold that early Indian literature has not achieved much in the field of satire.

Haribhadra is a genius by birth and a satirist by temperament. He has bequeathed to posterity a valuable contribution to Indian literature through his Dhurtakhyana which is unique in various respects. We might try to assess its value, as a work of art, from the point of view of a modern critic of letters. STtDT 21 soEaething like what is already noted in the invented tale ; and lastly, there is no deliberate attempt on the part of the author to confound issues by distortion or exaggeration of facts. Haribhadra possesses a righteous indignation which is passionate, noble and fearless.

Monks are morally and religiously degraded, and the public is on the verge of rational bankruptcy; and here Haribhadra comes like an expert surgeon- to ply his satirical instrument, before he can put the bandage of religious and didactic teaching. Like Voltaire, Haribhadra was out to cure, and he had a panacea, Reason.

Site To Download Free Ebooks. | Page 5

The good satirist, we know, holds a place half-way between preacher and the wit. He has the purpose of the first and uses the weapons of the second.

He must both hate and love. For what impels him to write is not less the hatred of error and folly than the love of right and wise vision. His is a perfectly rational attitude strengthened by the nicest sense of proportion. He is not a logician infuriated with religious fanaticism, but he is a genuine rationalist of a balanced mind; and to a certain extent we see this even in the Dhurtakhyana. As' a genius Haribhadra has at his back a fund of good logic.

With untiring assiduity he scrutinizes, sorts and shifts the Puranic legends according to their points of weakness, and pours them forth to substantiate the most ridiculous extremes and distortions with the result that not only the purpose of proving the unprovable fails but the Puranic legends themselves get ridiculed as improbable and absurd.

The result is startling, though inevitable. He satirizes the legends rather by exposing them by selection and comparing them with ridiculously fantastic tales than by vehemently denouncing them. As we see below, Haribhadra exhibits a remarkable intellectual honesty ; so far as the main motifs are concerned, he does not tamper with the Purap. Haribhadra has undoubtedly a religio-moral purpose, hinted rather than elaborated V, , , in writing this Akhyana. Nowhere does he show the temptation of preaching morfil lessons like a professional religious teacher.

Any other mediocre author would have introduced a Eevalin at the end to give a Mharnnorhohd whereby all the rogues would be turned into pious believers who would ultimately reach liberation after observing samleha'm. Haribhadra has fully and rightly restrained himself from adding to his composition any such conclusion so usual and normal in Jaina tales. In fact, coming so early as in the' 8th century a. Not even the works of Eifemendra, who does possess a satirical skill and whose performance we have reviewed above, can match the Bhurtakhyana, which is nearly three hundred years older than him, with regard to construction and subtle satirical effect.

Even a treatise on theft or erotics is attributed to him by tradition. Certainly he is an old figure. Haribhadra himself quotes a Prakrit story in his commen- tary on the Daiavaikaiika-sutra p. The Kathasaritsagara also gives his story, and he is associated with the court of Vikramaditya, We get a Jaina edition of the tale of Muladeva and Devadatta. Thus Muladeva appears to have reached the status of a popular hero typifying all that is tricky and roguish.

Though most of the characters are already known, there is very little of characterization in the Dhurtakhyana. She is a good combination of a woman and a rogue. She is intelligent, hypocritical, scheming and witty; her success in getting the wealth from the merchant is quite worthy of her nature and trade; without any difference of opinion she becomes the President of Rogues ; and she smashes the vanity and satisfies the appetite of her colleagues by a well-earned and sumptuous feast.

One wishes that Haribhadra spent more labour and greater insight in making the characters and stories more individualistic as has been done by Chaucer in his immortal Canterbury Tales. We know some of his successors like Amitagati etc. Most of the Eoman or the English satire is cast in the mould of a dream or an allegory; This makes it stilted and artificial. The device of emboxing stories within a story is a common trait in most of the Indian sagas. Apart from this consideration, the frame-work of the Dhurtakhyana is certainly one of its notable features.

The rogue-chiefs, each telling a fantastic story of his own and asking others to prove its truth or to accept defeat and give feast to rest of them, as they were all hungry during the rainy week and had run thither into the garden in order to manage to get food, afford the satire an amusing yet natural setting. The last chief who is a female recounts a number of autobiographical incidents which are likewise regarded as credible.

But then, all this still keeps the main -problem unsolved! How are they to get food for themselves and for their retinue? Their female accomplice proposes that she would give them a feast only if they acknowledged her supremacy. This they would never accept. She then, continuing her narration, leads it to such a point that they have to recognize her. Thus the woman is triumphant, and her wit and wisdom enable them all to. The impossible yarns concocted by the Rogues, the replies thereto, and above all the witty and surprising end of the story. According to accepted critical standards, it is modern and not medieval, and it is more Horacian than Juvenalian.

It is throughout rational and convineing. It shall be as well called good-humoured, as there is no deliberate attempt to distort or exaggerate facts or indulge in repeated rancour. The main point is that we should not be foolishly credulous and accept the mythological stories as literally true. As seen below, almost all the references to Purapas, etc. The use of such dilemmatie situations has given a logical tone quite inevitable and essential in the work of an outstanding logician like Haribhadra and balance to the narration.

Except for a few repetitions elephant-pursuit, mating with Sun, Wind etc. Some of the descriptions, short or long, for instance that of the cemetery, are quite epical in style and make-up. Sources of the Puranic Legends Throughout the Dhu. It is necessary to study them, wherever possible, in. The following are the chief sources where some poihts about his life, works and date are discussed. Introduction in Sanskrit to the ed. Introduction in English to the ed.

Haribhadra is not very particular in mentioning his sources, specifying jthe work and its author. Once Arthasastra is casually mentioned V. In the following paragraphs are presented the Legends found in the Dhu. Birth or KIoakas Bharata of Vyasa. This is air that we learn about their origin ; and in this context the legendary details noted by Haribhadra are not found. Kicaka does mean a hollow bamboo. According to the Vayupurapa, chap, 55, 14, Brahman is. A story, much similar to No.

Mahadeva developed four faces to look at her as she went round According to the Matsyapuraua, however, Brahman created Satarupa out of his body ; and to look at her, he developed four faces in four directions with a fifth on the head. According to the Padma. But I do not find any reference to his being born from the ear. Hastumat Crosses the Ocean Bamayaija. The Sanskrit quotation put in the mouth of Hanumat I have not been able to spot in the NiriDiayasagara ed.

Hara Eegeives Gakoa on His Head. According to our text, it is the Sage that calls the Boy ; but in the Mbh. Brahman once approached Narayana who was sleeping on the great serpent in the ocean and who had produced a dignified lotus out of his navel for his sport. They do not recognise each other, and each one claims that he is the Adikarta.

Brahman assumed a subtle form, came out through the lotus stalk, and took his seat on the lotus-. There is some jealousy between the two ; but it is quieted on Brahman being admitted as the futra of Visnu verses born from his navel-lotus. Then alone the bow can be possessed of Nagas etc. According to the Mbh. Sisupala is humdiBted, as noted by Haribhadra Sasipalo being perhaps a misreading ; but the parage concerned is found only is S- foot-note p.

They perform the last rites Sarga Jatayu is, however, qualified in the Eamayapa as pmvatOrirngabliah The name of the king in the Mbh. His name is explained thus: Sunda and Njsunda Destroyed by Tilottama. Haribhadra, however, says that she was created by taking bits from gods. Handmat Brings Wound-heawng Medicine.

Haribhadra are practically covered by the above contexts in the Eamay ana. She received the semen in hand; and with a desire that she should not be seen, she flew taking the form of a Garudi. The semen was dropped in a golden pot six times, and therein was born Mahasena with six heads etc. According to the Brahma- and the Matsya-purana, Agni assumes the form of a parrot and approaches Sambhu and Uma.

Agni drops semen in the Krttikas and Eartika was thus born. Something like the legend which Haribhadra has in view is found in the Vayupurapa. The text of Vayupurapa admits a sad confusion of various myths about Mahasena, but it clearly says that Indra did not want any issue to be born from Samkara and Uma; so he sent Agni to them.

Seeing that the semen had fallen out of her body, Uma forced Agni to hold it in his stomach ; he later sought the help of Gahga who delivered in a Himalayan valley ; and a mighty son was born. Vis,u immedfately cut L head s? BhTma and Hanumat Generated by Wind. According to the Dhu. The Brahmar purapa, however, tells us that Indra became a cat, but was cursed by Gautama to have thousand pores sahasra-hhagman on his body. When he prayed for mercy, he was blessed to be Sahasraksa. S2 Bboomes A Boa: I, passages , pp.

As distinguished from the above legends, the sources of which we have tried to trace, there are some casual references in the Dhu. Some of them are mere names; so soma additional information may be noted here from second-hand sources. Gautama had a wife Ahalya by name ; at times, whenever taken as identical with Dirghatamas, he is painted to be quite voluptuous. Then he formed a girl out of the most graceful parts of different animals and passed her secretly into the palace of the king of Vidarbha.

When the child grew up, he demanded her in marriage; somehow the king consented ; and she became his wife Bopamudra. To satisfy his wife, who had grown up in palace, he begged wealth from different kings. Dharma, one of the Prajapatis, had married thirteen or ten of the daughters of Dak.? He generated Yudhigthira from Kunti. Dowson London Vedic Mythology by A. Llopkins Strassburg ; Index to.. Sorensen London ; Bharatava- r? Some of them, viz. Some particulars about the rest may be added here: There is a legend that Pavana-?

Ganapati originated from the scurf of Parvatfs body. When Narada came there, the ladies olothed themselves ; hut these two remained naked. But in the seventh month, through the mediation of Maya, the embryo was transferred to the body of Rohipl who was staying at Gokula. Haribhadra is not actually quoting in the very words of the original, but he is rewriting the legends in his words and mostly from memory. Naturally we will have to make ample concession for omissions and minor variations in expression and presentation.

Their significance depends upon their position in the story and on their relative bearing for the purpose of denunciation. Borne divergences are of minor significance; for instance, the names of the parents of Drona I.

See a Problem?

Such differences, do not affect the chief idea that is selected as the target for the satirical shaft. There are other differences of major significance; for instance, u. Their texts have been subjected to so many vicissitudes in different localities and for centuries together that the authenticity of every episode, nay of every passage, is to be judged on its own merits.

This is fully demonstrated by the critical edition. The condition of the text-tradition of the Puranas is much worse. They present such an indiscriminate fusion of text-tradition and such a bewildering medley of myths that the wits of a text-critic would be completely stunned. Very good results have been achieved by the study of Mbh. Sukthankar has brilliantly sketched the pros and eons of the text-variation in the Mbh. That would explain, without any strain or violence, the existence of the mass of variants, of differences in sequence and of additions and omissions. If the text has been preserved, for any considerable period of time, only in memory and handed down by word of mouth, those are just the changes that could not possibly be avoided.

It is evident that no great care would be lavished on the text by these custodians of the tradition to guard it against corruption and elaboration, or against arbitrary emendation and normalization: Whenever and wherever the text was then written down— and it was probably written down independently in different epochs and under different circumstances — these transmissions by word of mouth must have contaminated the written text and innumerable variations in it.

The assumption of some such complicated feangement, beyond the normal vicissitudes of transmission, is necessary to account for the abnormal discrepancies and strange vagaries of the Mahabharata manuscript tradition. Moreover we must never forget that probably from time immemorial there have existed local versions of the Mahabharata. The citations made even by very old writers were from these local versions. I, 35, 41; II. It is not unlikely, therefore, that some discrepancies in the details, whether minor or major, might go back to the traditional narration which was recited round about Citrakuta at the time of Haribhadra; and we can hardly hope to trace the same necessarily in the present-day texts.

One cannot be dogmatic on one or the other explanation, because the sources, so far tapped, are comparatively limited. Further, when legends are quoted from memory, contamination, confusion and variation in details are inevitable. The very fact that most of the legends or their nearest counter- parts we have been able to trace to their sources clearly indicates that Haribhadra did not want to put forth imaginary legends and then to condemn them.

Though it is quite plain, it may be noted that the sources recorded by ns do not indicate that all those works are necessarily older than Haribhadra, but it only means that those legends belong to a period earlier than that of Haribhadra. At times there is no agreement even among the Pura: For Instance, according to one version, Agni was sent by gods to Siva and IJma for a mighty son who can destroy Tarakasura ; while, according to another version, though less popular, he was sent by Indra to prevent Uma from conceiving a child.

Haribhadra narrates clearly the latter version, though the Sanskrit and Gujarati versions of the Dhu. The legend given by Haribhadra has its place in the present-day VayupurSflia, as noted above. It is interesting to note that, in some cases 1 Prolegomena p, 29,. Some of the legends quoted by Haribhadra appear to have been pieced together from different sources, even with mutual contamination I. Return to Book Page.

Kindle Edition , pages. Published first published December 7th To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book.

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Shanmuga rated it it was amazing Aug 15, Mahesh rated it really liked it Nov 19, Shyamolima Datta added it Jul 29, Ricky Ahujja added it Oct 31, Jaataveda marked it as to-read Oct 05, Erwinsyah marked it as to-read Apr 27, Jesse Avila added it May 27, Kayla marked it as to-read Nov 11, Colleen David marked it as to-read Nov 25, Shamira marked it as to-read Aug 19, Sam marked it as to-read Sep 05, Tan Li Qun marked it as to-read Sep 21, ShuBham PiPesh marked it as to-read Sep 21, Hamo marked it as to-read Aug 04, Ax Myl marked it as to-read May 19, Rai Guchait marked it as to-read Jun 12, Fathimath Najdha marked it as to-read Sep 23, Pamela marked it as to-read Nov 22, Susama Pal marked it as to-read Jan 10,

• Dark Touch: Fever
• Morpha Volume 3: Song of the Slayer
• Life...Dont Miss It. I Almost Did: How I Learned To Live Life To The Fullest
• Battles in the Alps
• How To Save A Marriage: 92 Tips On How To Solve Your Marriage Problems Without Needing Marriage Coun