Divine Stories

by Andy Rotman

  952The text generally calls the chief ministers “Hiru” and “Bhiru,” although it sometimes refers them as “Hiruka” and “Bhiruka.” For references, see Edgerton (BHSD, s.vv Bhiru, Bhiruka, Hiru, Hiruka). I use “Hiru” and “Bhiru” throughout.

  953Elsewhere, according to popular etymology, her name is said to mean “wise.” Cf. PTSD and DPPN, s.v. Vedeha.

  954Varṣakāra (Pāli, Vassakāra) is generally understood to mean “rainmaker,” but I follow Kosambi (1952: 56), who proposes “vaśyakāra (better vaśyakara or vaśyakārin) as the proper Sanskritization of vassakāra.” The minister subjugates others more than he causes rain.

  955Divy 545.12, āmātyān. It might have made more sense here if the text read “merchants,” considering that it is the “merchants” (baṇijaḥ | 545.16) who respond to him. Cf. the Tibetan (96a1–3; 103a2–3) and Nobel 1955: i, 51.

  956Here (Divy 546.10) the text reads, “The messenger returned” (sa dūtaḥ pratyāgataḥ). I follow Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 66) and omit this sentence. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 53n1.

  957Divy 546.10, athāpareṇa samayena. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 66) emends to atha, “because, contextually, it should not be ‘another time.’”

  958Divy 546.13, kīdṛśam. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 66), following the Tibetan (97a2; 104a1), emends to svayam.

  959Here (Divy 546.13–14) the text seems to be abridged. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 52n3.

  960Divy 546.25, anargho ’yaṃ dharmatā. Nobel (1955: i, 53n3) suggests anarghyam iyaṃ dharmatā.

  961Here (Divy 546.28–547.1) the text is likely corrupt. The Tibetan (97b3–6; 104b2–5) preserves a quite different reading, with Varṣakāra telling the king about the special jewel that is the Buddha. See Hiraoka 2007: ii, 518n58 and Nobel 1955: i, 54–55.

  962Divy 547.8, durāsadā. Cf. the Tibetan (98a4; 105a2) and Nobel 1955: i, 54n2.

  963Divy 547.9, nimittam. Speyer (1912: 117) emends to nirmitam and suggests the same at Divy 547.11, 547.14, and 547.16.

  964Following the Tibetan (98a5–6; 105a3–4) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 66), read evaṃ vayam śaknumaḥ. Nobel (1955: i, 54n4) suggests evaṃ (?) vayaṃ śakṣyāmaḥ. Divy 547.10, eva svayaṃ saṃjñapaya (mss. BD, saṃjñayāya). Vaidya (Divy-V 466.15) reads evaṃ svayaṃ saṃjñāpaya.Perhaps, “you yourself could inform him of this [so that we may] grasp the Blessed One’s appearance.”

  965Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 55n1.

  966Divy 547.25, abhyupapattiḥ. This is a little obscure. It could also mean “beneficial counsel.” The Tibetan understands it to mean “solemn promise”—what Nobel (1955: i, 55) translates as “dieses ist das feierliche Versprechen.”

  967Divy 547.26, lokasaṃvṛttiḥ. Vaidya (Divy-V 466.27) reads lokasaṃvṛtiḥ. Also possible is that this is an instance of aphesis, and so alokasaṃvṛti—hence, “this goes beyond common understanding.”

  968Following Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. abhyutsāhatā), the Tibetan (98b5; 105b3), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read abhyutsāhatā. Edgerton suggests, “energy, energizing, instigation, encouragement.” Nobel (1955: i, 55) suggests abhyutsāhanā and translates this is “dieses ist die Aufmunterung!” Divy 547.26, atyutsāhatā.

  969Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 56n3.

  970Divy 548.10–11, na śakyaṃ tena yad vā tad vā pratiprābhṛtam anupreṣayitum. Cowell and Neil (Divy 711) suggest, “He cannot have sent a common present in return for your former one.”

  971Divy 548.11–12, ānupūrvī tāvat kriyatām. Cowell and Neil (Divy 711) suggest, “We shall know what course to adopt.” Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the Tibetan (99a4–5; 106a3), reads parīkṣā for ānupūrvī.

  972Following Divy 391.5–6, 475.5, and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read vipañcikaiḥ.Divy 548.22, vipaścikaiḥ (ex conj.; mss. ACD, vipañcanakaiḥ; ms. B, vipañcamakaiḥ). Cf. Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. vipañcika) and Nobel 1955: i, 57n2.

  973Divy 548.24, cāturaṅgair vijetā. Cf. Divy 60.15, caturantavijetā. See too Divy 140.21–22, cāturarṇavāntavijetā, and Divy 315.28–316.1, 368.26–27, 372.22, 379.21, 402.17, caturbhāgacakravartī.

  974Divy 549.1, śamena. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the Tibetan (99a4–5; 106b5), reads samena. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 57n5. Other instances of the passage (e.g., Divy 60.22, 140.28) read samayena. Cf. DS 416n382.

  975Divy 549.6–7, lokasya pravṛttinivṛttī. Previously (Divy 547.26) lokasaṃvṛttiḥ. Nobel (1955: i, 57) offers this translation: “und das ist (die Formel des) Werdens und Entwerdens der Welt.” Tharchin (1984: 15) translates this as “how one enters and can leave the world.” Perhaps, “the origin and cessation of the world,” “the arising and dissolution of the world,” or even “worldly activity and renunciation.”

  976Following Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. abhyutsāhatā), Nobel (1955: i, 57n6), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read abhyutsāhanā. Divy 549.7, atyutsāhanā (sic mss.).

  977Divy 549.10, pratiprasrabhya. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 58n2.

  978Divy 549.14–15, avidyāpratyayāḥ(mss., -ayā) saṃskārā yāvat samudayo nirodhaś ca bhavati. The second half of this sentence is unclear. The Tibetan (100a4–b2; 107a3–b1; trans. in Nobel 1955: i, 58) offers a detailed account of interdependent arising in forward and backward order. For versions of this in Pāli, see Saṃyutta-nikāya ii, 70, and Udāna 1.

  979Divy 549.19, bhūratnena. Nobel (1955: i, 59n2) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the Tibetan (100b3; 107b2), read dūrasthena. That is, “far away.”

  980Divy 550.9, -pātaprati-. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the standard formula, emends to pātraḥ prati-. Cf. Divy 39.21, 155.29, 199.26–27, etc.

  981Divy 550.9–10, paribhuktaṃ śayanam. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the standard formula, emends to yathāparibhuktaśayanāsanam. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 60n1.

  982Divy 550.17, dātavyāni. Cf. Divy 40.11, anupradāpitāni and DS 407n292. In that instance, I read the verb to mean “inspired donations of.” See too Divy 550.23, dāpitāni.

  983Following Edgerton (BHSD, s.vv. uccaka, kocava) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read vṛṣikākocava-. Divy 550.16, -vṛṣikoccaka- (ms. A, -otvaca-; ms. B, -occakta-; ms. C, -ovaca-; ms. D, -ovvaka-). Cf. DS 407n292.

  984The Tibetan preserves a more detailed account here. Nobel (1955: i, 60n4) offers this reconstruction: [r]udrāyaṇo rājā lekhaṃ vācayitvā prītiprāmodyajātaḥ(or, -jāto babhuva) | tenārdha- . . . nagaraśobhā kṛtā caturaṅgena balakāyenānekajanaśatasahasraparivāreṇa svayam eva pratyudgamya . . . That is, “King [R]udrāyaṇa read out the letter and was pleased and delighted. Then he made the road beautiful for two and a half leagues, made the city beautiful as well, and then personally went out to receive him together with his fourfold army and with many hundreds and thousands of followers . . .”

  985Here the text (Divy 550.19) adds “five hundred monasteries” (pañcavihāraśatāni). I omit this, following the Tibetan (101b1; 108b1) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), since it is included in what follows.

  986Following the Tibetan (101b1; 108b1) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read anekajanaśatasahasra-. Divy 550.19–20, yena ekajanasahasra-. Cowell and Neil (Divy 550n5) query -tāny aneka-.

  987Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), following the standard cliché (e.g., Divy 50.8–9) and the Tibetan (101b5; 108b4–5), adds sākṣātkṛtaṃ kaiścit sakṛdāgamiphalam. That is, “some directly experienced the reward of the once-returner.” Divy 551.1 (omitted). See Divy 166.16–17, 209.14, 226.7–8, etc., for variants to the cliché.

  988Divy 551.12, āryamahākātyāyana bhavato ’ntike. Following the Tibetan (102a2; 109a2), one would expect āryamahākātyāyanasyāntike. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 61n6.

  989Divy 551.15–16, sarvasaṃskāragatīḥ. Cf. Divy 180.23, where the same passage reads “rebirth in all realms of saṃsāra” (sarvasaṃsāragatīḥ).

  990Following the Tibetan (102b2; 109b2), Nobel (1955: i, 63n3), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), read praṇayatīti. Divy 551.27–28, praprīṇayatīti(sic ms. A; mss. CE, prapīṇ-; ms. D, prīṇayatīti; ms. B, prapānnaiyatīti). Edgerton (BHSD) translates this as “makes delightf
ul.”

  991Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 63n5.

  992Divy 552.17, antaḥpuraparijanaḥ(mss., antaḥpuram). Normally parijana would refer to “attendants,” and I would translate this compound as “palace women and their attendants.” In what follows (Divy 552.20), however, the text reads antaḥpurajanaḥ,suggesting that here parijana refers to the palace women themselves, perhaps denoting their low status.

  993Following Divy 550.8–9, the Tibetan (103a4; 110a4), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67), add prāvikṣat | rājagṛahaṃ piṇḍāya. Divy 552.24 (omitted).

  994Divy 552.25, -pātaprati-. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 67–68), following the standard formula, emends to -pātrā prati-. Cf. Divy 39.21, 155.29, 199.26–27, etc.

  995Divy 552.25, yathāparibhuktaṃ śayanāsanam. Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), following the standard formula, emends to yathāparibhuktaśayanāsanam.

  996Divy 552.29, śāstrānugatā. Nobel (1955: i, 64n1) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), following the Tibetan (103a6; 110a6), emend to śāstrānuśastā. That is, “recommended by the Teacher.”

  997Following Edgerton (BHSD, s.vv. uccaka, kocava) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), read vṛṣikākocava. Divy 553.2, vṛṣikocca- (mss., vṛṃśi- and -dhānā-). Cf. DS 407n292.

  998Following Divy 550.17–17, the Tibetan (103a8; 110a7), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), add mahataḥ. Divy 553.4 (omitted).

  999Following Divy 550.14, 550.19, etc., the Tibetan (103a8; 110b1), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), add nagaraśobhā ca. Divy 553.6 (omitted).

  1000Following the Tibetan (103b1; 110b1–2) and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), add -śata-. Divy 553.6 (omitted).

  1001Divy 553.18, durnṛtyam. Nobel (1955: i, 65n2) suggests durnṛttam.

  1002Following Speyer (1912: 361), the Tibetan (103b8; 111a1), Nobel (1955: i, 65n3), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), read ārye candraprabhā. Divy 553.27, āryacandraprabhā.

  1003By “focusing her attention” (samanvāhṛtya), Śailā has activated her knowledge and insight—in this case, regarding the karmic condition of the queen. As it is frequently said in the text (e.g., Divy 84.6–7, 190.8, 492.9–10), “the knowledge and insight of arhats does not operate unless they focus their attention.” Cf. DS 408n304.

  1004Divy 554.10, paryuṣitaparivāsā. Egderton (BHSD, s.v. paryuṣita) offers this explanation: “having completed residence (in heaven; said of gods reborn there after having been lower beings previously; is divine existence regarded as a kind of probation? prob[ably] merely change of residence, sc. from earth.” Edgerton offers this translation: “It would not be proper that we should approach the Blessed One to see him after finishing our residence (probation?); let us, while it is still unfinished, (visit him).” The cliché also occurs in the Avadānaśataka (i, 259.9, 282.3). Perhaps the probationary period here concerns not her time in the realm of the gods but the fact that she never finished her ordination in the human world. Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 66n5.

  1005Following the Tibetan (104a6; 111a7), Vaidya (Divy-V 470.23), and Hiraoka (HA 29; HD 68), read cala-. Nobel (1955: i, 66n7) and Speyer (1902: 360) suggests calad-. Divy 554.13, balad-. Cowell and Neil (Divy 554n1) query balavad-.

  1006Following Vaidya (Divy-V 470.24) and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), utsaṅgam. More literally, the term means “lap,” but one only has a lap when sitting, and the goddess hasn’t yet sat down. Perhaps she is cradling the flowers against her stomach. Divy 554.15, utsargam.

  1007Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), following the standard cliché and the Tibetan (104a6; 111a7), adds -padma-. Divy 554.14 (omitted).

  1008The Sanskrit is a little peculiar here. Nobel (1955: i, 66–67n8) suggests the following reconstruction: pūrayitvā atikrāntavarṇā . . . (?) rātryāṃ yena bhagavāṃs tenopasaṃkrāntā upasaṃkramya bhagavantaṃ puṣpair avakīrya bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvaikānte niṣaṇṇā apīdāniṃ candraprabhāyā devakanyāyā varṇānubhāvena sarvaṃ veṇuvanaṃ kalandakanivāsam udāreṇāvabhāsena sphuṭum abhūt.

  1009Divy 554.15, kārandakanivāpam.Vaidya (Divy 470.25) emends to kalandakakanivāpam.

  1010Following Divy 311.5 and Divy 580.19, add smaḥ. Or following Divy 47.16, add vayam. Divy 554.27 (omitted).

  1011Divy 554.28–29, bahuduḥkhayuktaḥ. Nobel (1955: i, 68n1) suggests bahuduṣṭayuktaḥ. Cf. Divy 52.28–29, bahudoṣaduṣtaḥ, and MSV iv, 59.8, bahudoṣayuktaḥ.

  1012Following Divy 52.29, Speyer (1912: 360), Vaidya (Divy-V471.3), Nobel (1955: i, 67–68n3), and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), read supuṇyā. Divy 555.1, svāpuṇyā.

  1013Following Divy 53.1, Speyer (1912: 360), Nobel (1955: i, 67–68n3), and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), read tīrṇā ca. Divy 555.5, tīrṇaś ca.

  1014Divy 555.12, parigamya (mss. insert ca) pradakṣiṇam. Cf. MSV iv, 601, praṇipatya ca dakṣiṇam. Nobel (1955: i, 68n5) therefore suggests parigamya ca dakṣiṇam.

  1015Following Speyer (1912: 360), Vaidya (Divy-V 471.15), Nobel (1955: i, 68n5), and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), read jitāriṃ. Divy 555.12, jitāraṃ.

  1016Following Divy 462.17, Cowell and Neil’s query (Divy 555n3), Speyer (1912: 360), Vaidya (Divy-V 471.17), and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), read sasya-. Divy 555.14, samyak (mss. ABD, samyasaṃ-).

  1017Divy 555.17, svarbhavanaṃ. Speyer (1902: 360), Nobel (1955: i, 68n6), Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), MSV iv, 60.5, and the Tibetan (104b8; 112a3), read svabhavanaṃ. That is, “her home.” See too Divy 464.5, where I also prefer svar- to sva-.

  1018Divy 555.22, middhāvasthalocanāparisphuṭo ’vijñātaḥ.Nobel (1955: i, 68n9) suggests middhāvaṣṭabdhalocano ’parisphuṭavijñānaḥ,which he translates as “Schlaftrunkenen Auges und noch nicht bei klarem Bewusstsein.” Tharchin (1984: 27) offers this translation: “his eyes and mind still clouded by sleep.” Cf. Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. middha), which Nobel thinks needs correcting.

  1019Divy 555.26, dṛṣṭadharmā. Nobel (1955: i, 69n1) suggests dṛṣṭadharme or dṛṣṭadharma eva.

  1020Following the Tibetan (105a6; 112b1) and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68), read saṃnidhikāraparibhogena. Nobel (1955: i, 69n3) suggests saṃnidhānakāraparibhogena and offers this translation: “Es wäre nicht recht, wenn ich, nachdem mich die Göttin aufgefordert hat, als Hausherr im Hause bleibe, dem Genuss der angehäuften Schätze und den Lüsten nachgehe.” Also possible is this: “It wouldn’t be proper for me to remain a householder, clinging to my home, now that I’ve been urged by a deity [to renounce]. Should I enjoy hoarding wealth here or sensual pleasures [in heaven]? Cf. Saṅghabhedavastu i, 143.19–20. Divy 556.4–5, saṃnidhānī kālaparibhogena.This is obscure, and likely corrupt. Edgerton (BHSD), trying to make sense of saṃnidhānin, suggests “staying in the neighborhood, living in the same vicinity (as at present)?” The whole sentence, quite provisionally, might be rendered, “Should I stay where I am with deadly pleasures or enjoy sensual delights [in heaven]?”

  1021Following the Tibetan (105b4; 112b7) and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 68–69), read mayā rājyaṃ kārayatā kasyacid aparādhaṃ taṃ kṣantavyam. Nobel (1955: i, 70n1) suggests yan mayā rājyaṃ kārayatā kasyacit kiṃcid aparā(d)dhaṃ kṛtaṃ tat kṣāntavyam iti. Divy 556.20–21, bhūyaśaḥ putram āha| putra tvayā rājyaṃ kārayatā kasyacid aparādhyaṃ na(mss., ta) kṣāntavyam iti. That is, “And to his son, he said, ‘Son, while ruling the kingdom you should not forgive anyone’s wrongdoing.’” These words, though sensible, don’t seem correct in this context.

  1022Following Vaidya (Divy-V 472.12) and Divy 46.20–21, 101.5, 250.15, etc., add saṃprasthitaḥ. Divy 556.26 (omitted).

  1023Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69), following the Tibetan (105b6; 113a2) and Divy 557.8, adds -kumāra-. That is, “princes.” Divy 556.27 (omitted).

  1024Divy 557.15 pauruṣān (mss., pauruṣāṇ). Nobel (1955: i, 70n3) suggests emending to pauruṣeyān.

  1025Read te kathayanti. Divy 557.16–17, “he said” (sa kathayati).

  1026Following Divy 552.9, 552.28, 557.25, etc., the Tibetan (106b2; 113b7), and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69), read priyavayasyā. Divy 557.29, vayasyā. According to the Tibetan, Rudrāyaṇa p
refaces his remarks by saying, “No, it isn’t like that.” Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 71n5.

  1027Following Nobel (1955: i, 71n6) and Vaidya (Divy-V 473.2), read abhyunnamayya. Divy 558.1, atyunnamayya.

  1028Following Nobel (1955: i, 71n8) and Vaidya (Divy-V 473.4), read ākāṅkṣante. Divy 558.5, ākāṅkṣate.

  1029Divy 558.8, anekaśatāyā. Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69), following the Tibetan (106b6; 114a3), reads anekaśatasahasrāyā.That is, “many hundreds and thousands.” Cf. Nobel 1955: i, 71n9.

  1030Divy 558.20, -kara-. Nobel (1955: i, 72n2) and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69), following Divy 37.1–2, read -karaka-. See note 182. And then, following the standard cliché (Divy 37.2, 48.21, 159.10, etc.) and the Tibetan (107a3; 114a7), Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69) adds saptāhāvaropitakeśaśmaśruḥ. That is, “with a week’s growth of hair and beard.”

  1031Following Divy-V 473.18, read evaṃ sthitaḥ. Divy 558.22–23, naiva sthitaḥ. Cf. Divy 48.24 and 159.12, naiva sthitā, which Vaidya (Divy-V 29.32 and 98.22) emends to evaṃ sthitā, and Divy 342.2, nopasthitā, which Vaidya (Divy-V 211.23) also emends to evaṃ sthitā. Nobel (1955: i, 72n3) and Hiraoka (HA 30; HD 69) suggest “clothed” (nepatthitaḥ). See note 183.

  1032Divy 559.6, śatapale. More literally, the bowls are “one hundred palas in size.” Nobel (1955: i, 73) takes this to mean “one hundred ounces in weight,” although the weight of a pala seems to have differed by region.

  1033Following Nobel (1955: i, 73n3) and Vaidya (Divy-V 473.28), read rājate. Divy 559.6, rajate.

  1034Following Nobel (1955: i, 73n4), read māṃsopasecitam.Divy 559.8, māṃsopasevitam. Cf. Pāli maṃsupasecanam.

  1035Following Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. sparśita), read nivāte sparśitārgaḍe. Divy 559.12, nirvāte sparśitāgate. Edgerton offers this translation: “Having slept in a secure tower with locked door-bolts, are you not tormented sitting at the roots of trees?” Also possible is that nirvāte(or nivāte) could mean “sheltered from the wind” or perhaps “with closed windows.” Nobel (1955: i, 73) offers this translation: “windstill und mit Türbalken verschlossen.” See too Nobel 1955: i, 73nn5–6.