Notes On Text Of Asoka Legend - Book Summary

This document, "Notes On Text Of Asoka Legend" by J. W. De Jong, is an academic work focused on the critical analysis and textual reconstruction of the legend of the Indian emperor Ashoka, a significant figure in Buddhist history. The author, J. W. De Jong, engages in a detailed comparison of various textual traditions of the Ashoka legend, primarily the Sanskrit version found in the Divyāvadāna and two Chinese translations.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the key points:

1. The Sanskrit Text and Its Challenges:

Primary Source: The Sanskrit text of the Ashoka legend is primarily found in chapters 26-29 of the Divyāvadāna, edited by Cowell and Neil (1886).
Corruption and Disordered Chapters: De Jong highlights that the Sanskrit text in the Divyāvadāna is not well-preserved. It suffers from corruption in many places, and the compilers of the Divyāvadāna appear to have altered the original order of the chapters.

2. The Importance of Chinese Translations for Reconstruction:

Reconstruction of Order: The primary method for reconstructing the original order of the Ashoka legend chapters is through the use of two Chinese translations.
First Chinese Translation (Ch. 1):
- Translated by Fa-ch'in around 300 AD.
- Titled A-yü-wang-chuan (Taisho no. 2042).
- Translated into French by Jean Przyluski (1923).
- Przyluski noted that Ch. 1 differs from other known recensions and contains unique passages.
Second Chinese Translation (Ch. 2):
- Translated by Seng-ch'ieh-p'o-lo between 506 and 520 AD.
- Titled A-yü-wang-ching (Taisho no. 2043).
- Przyluski observed that fragments of the Ashoka legend in the Divyāvadāna are very close to the corresponding chapters of Ch. 2.

3. Scholarly Editions and Translations:

Mukhopadhyāya's Edition (1963): Sujitkumār Mukhopadhyāya published a new edition of the Aśokāvadāna, arranging the chapters in a different order than the Divyāvadāna: Pāmśupradāna, Vītaśoka, Kunāla, and Asoka.
Strong's Translation (1983): John S. Strong's recent translation is based on Mukhopadhyāya's edition and, following the lead of the Chinese texts, inverts the order of two chapters.
De Jong's Critique: De Jong states that Strong's translation is not an improvement on Burnouf's earlier work and points out numerous errors. He notes that while Mukhopadhyāya made extensive use of Przyluski's translation of Ch. 1, his consultation of Ch. 2 seems limited to what Przyluski quoted.

4. Detailed Chapter and Story Comparisons:

The core of De Jong's work involves a meticulous comparison of the chapter divisions and specific stories across the Divyāvadāna (Sanskrit), Ch. 1, and Ch. 2. He provides charts and detailed notes on discrepancies and correspondences.

Chapter Structure: The Chinese translations, particularly Ch. 2, have their own divisions (bundles and chapters). De Jong divides chapters into sub-chapters for clearer comparison, noting when titles are absent in certain versions.
Key Correspondences and Differences:
- The article details how specific sections from the Divyāvadāna correspond to parts of the Chinese translations, often noting page numbers and translated titles (e.g., "Avadāna du don de la terre," "Avadāna du roi Asoka").
- Ch. 1's Unique Content: Ch. 1 contains additional chapters not found in Ch. 2, such as "La Destruction de la Loi du Buddha" and "Avadāna de la récompense donnée par le Roi Asoka."
- Ch. 2's Missing Content: Ch. 2 has a few short sections missing in Ch. 1, including "The transmission of the Law" and "Avadāna of the products of the cow."
- Chapter Headings: The Taisho edition of the Chinese texts has specific chapter headings, which are compared to Przyluski's chapter divisions.
Textual Emendations and Interpretations: A significant portion of the paper is dedicated to proposing emendations to the Sanskrit text based on comparisons with the Chinese translations and other sources.
- Examples of Emendations: De Jong suggests corrections for words like vinipatitaśarīrenāpy, medhyāḥ, amarābuddhajanasahitam, tasya ca vinayāt sattvänugrahād, asamartho, utpadya, garvam, kitikaiḥ, krandan, dhātudharān, koți, vāram, tatkalam, sāśrukanthah, phalam, jantugṛham, and samsargagatesu. He often provides the Chinese translation's rendering or the context to support his suggestions.
- Interpretational Debates: He discusses differing interpretations of terms, such as the meaning of koți (whether it refers to gold coins or population) and the significance of vāra in relation to the Bodhi tree.

5. Scholarly Context:

De Jong refers to previous scholarly work, including Burnouf, Przyluski, Mukhopadhyāya, Strong, LÜDERS, Edgerton, Hertel, and Sircar, indicating he is situating his research within a broader academic discussion on the Ashoka legend.
He expresses that many problems relating to the text and its interpretation still remain.

In essence, J. W. De Jong's "Notes On Text Of Asoka Legend" is a scholarly philological study that aims to improve the understanding and textual accuracy of the Ashoka legend. It highlights the critical importance of comparative textual analysis, particularly using the Chinese translations as a crucial tool to correct and reorder the corrupted Sanskrit text of the Divyāvadāna, ultimately contributing to a more reliable reconstruction of this significant historical and religious narrative.