by Andy Rotman
9Divy 229.3–4, bhūtaṃ varṇam. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 61) suggests yathābhūtaṃ varṇam. Cf. Divy 502.4.
10Following Speyer (1902: 358), read bhūtaṃ avarṇam. Divy 229.19, bhūtaṃ varṇam. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 61) suggests yathābhūtaṃ avarṇam. A parallel passage occurs on Divy 502.16, and the corresponding Tibetan (P 1032 ñe 74a6; D 3 ja 78a4) suggests the same emendation.
11Divy 229.26, vyavasthitaḥ. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 61) suggests vyavasitaḥ. That is, “has decided.” Cf. Divy 229.15.
12Divy 230.12, āpadyante. To agree with puruṣam, one might expect āpadyate, and Vaidya (Divy-V 142.29) emends accordingly. Nevertheless, one also finds āpadyantein a parallel passage at Divy 503.10. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit materials commonly use the plural for a subject in the singular. Cf. Edgerton 1993: i, 38, §5.1.
13Following Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read anukūlena. Divy 230.21, anukūlam. Cf. Divy 502.17, which in a parallel passage reads anuguṇena.
14Divy 230.24, dvistriyojana-. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62) suggests dvitriyāvatsapta-.
15Following Speyer (1902: 123) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read -oparimaṃ dakaskandham.Divy 231.1, -oparimandakaskandham. I follow Speyer in reading daka in the sense of udaka.
16The cover of this book features a photograph of a sculpted medallion (circa second century BCE) from the Buddhist stūpa at Bharhut in central India. The sea monster Timitimiṅgila is shown attacking a boat carrying Vasuguta and his two companions. The top of the medallion shows them rowing home after their escape. The medallion bears two inscriptions: “Vasuguta being rescued by the Great Lord from the belly of Timitimiṅgila” and “This rail bar is the gift of Vijitaka.” The medallion is currently housed at the Bharat Kala Bhavan in Varanasi. Thanks to John C. and Susan L. Huntington, and also Ajay Kumar Singh, director of Bharat Kala Bhavan. A special thanks to Monika Zin and Jutta Jain-Neubauer for all their help in securing a new photograph of the medallion. Cf. Chandra 1977: plate IV. For a line drawing, see Cunningham 1879: plate xxxiv, no. 2. For more on the accompanying inscription, see Visvanathan 2009: 127–128 and Sircar 1961–62: 207–208. For an instance of Timitimiṅgila’s appearance in Jain materials, see Lefeber 1995: 428.
17Divy 231.11, te. Speyer (1902: 123) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62) suggest teṣām.
18Divy 231.23, mucyemaḥ. Vaidya (Divy-V 143.24) emends to mucyema, the more standard form of the optative.
19Following Cowell and Neil’s query (Divy 233n1), read vahane. Divy 233.4, vahanam.
20Divy 233.12, bhagavato ’ntike. In the Divyāvadāna, the term antike generally means “in the presence of,” although sometimes it means “with regard to” or, more figuratively, “under” (cf. Rotman 2009: 254n46). The text is very concerned with issues of presence, for being near great fields of merit such as the Buddha is very beneficial to one’s spiritual progress (cf. Rotman 2009: 113–28). I translate this idiom according to context.
21Divy 233.23, tadrūpo guṇagaṇo ’dhigataḥ. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62) suggests omitting tadrūpo. I agree with Silk (2008b: 51n51), who observes that “the term guṇagaṇo is not altogether clear, but it seems to me that Edgerton 1953 s.v. is wrong to define it as ‘reckoning, counting, calculation of virtues.’” The phrase seems to indicate that the person in question has not obtained any great collection of virtues and, hence, has not achieved significant spiritual progress. The same stock phrase also occurs in the Avadānaśataka (e.g., ii, 51.5).
22Following Speyer (1902: 123) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read etāny eva tāni. Divy 234.3, “just that many are” (etāvanty etāni).
23Following Speyer (1902: 124), Vaidya (Divy-V 145.11), and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), omit ca. Divy 234.17, ca.
24Following Speyer (1902: 124) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read tadaiva. Divy 234.18, tadeva.
25Following Speyer (1902: 124) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read abhyavahṛtya. Divy 234.25, avahṛtya.
26Divy 235.4–5, brāhmaṇyā nendriyāṇām. Vaidya (Divy-V 145.22) emends to brāhmaṇyās te indriyāṇām.
27Divy 235.8–9, garbhalambhasamakālam eva sa evaṃvidha upakramaḥ kṛtaḥ. Edgerton (BHSD) suggests reading upakrama here as “violence, doing violence to, attack (by violence).” One might therefore translate this passage as “This type of violent attack began when the fetus first formed.” The term upakrama also occurred previously (Divy 235.3, 235.4), and there I translated it as “treatment.” Cf. Divy 247.24 and 254.24–25. Likewise puzzling here is the use of kṛtaḥ.
28Following Speyer (1902: 124) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read bhūtagrahāveśābādhākāra.Divy 235.11, bhūtagrahāveśo bādhākāra.
29Following Speyer (1902: 124), Vaidya (Divy-V 145.32), and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read -svajana-. Divy 235.19, -sajana-. Cf. Divy 234.24.
30Divy 235.27, dharmaśravaṇakathām. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62) suggests dharmakathām.
31For more on this passage, see DS 24–25.
32For thoughts on Dharmaruci and the Buddhist sect known as the Dhammarucikas, see Silk 2013.
33Following Speyer (1902: 124), Vaidya (Divy-V 146.9–10), and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read āhārakṛtyaṃ kuru. Divy 236.6, āhāraṃ kṛtyaṃ kuru.
34Following Cowell and Neil’s query (Divy 237n1), read saṃlakṣitam. Divy 237.1, saṃlakṣitaḥ.
35Divy 237.21, sārdham sarvarūpaiḥ. The term sarvarūpa appears to be nearly synonymous with garbharūpa (Divy 238.24), gṛhajana (Divy 238.26), and svagarbharūpa (Divy 249.28).
36Read nīlavāsasaiḥ. Divy 238.23, “of the Dark Clothed One” (nīlavāsasaḥ). Cowell and Neil (Divy 707) and Edgerton (BHSD, s.v. nīlavāsas) suggest that the “dark-clothed one” could be an epithet of Kubera, who is lord of the yakṣas. Cf. Divy 221.1 and 229.25.
37Divy 240.3, asthiśakala. Although I previously translated this term as “skeleton” (Divy 239.29), here that translation seems too specific to capture Dharmaruci’s incredulity. In what follows, however, when the Buddha uses the same term (Divy 240.11) to tell Dharmaruci that this object is, in fact, a “skeleton,” Dharmaruci is shocked.
38Following Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read vyaktiṃ nopalabdham. Divy 240.4–5, vyaktiṃ copalabdham. Perhaps, “Then he did manage to get a clear sense of its size,” although this doesn’t make sense in context.
39Divy 240.13–14, tṛpyasva dharmaruce bhavebhyas tṛpyasva bhavopakaraṇebhyaḥ. The Buddha had previously declared that Dharmaruci, owing to the donor’s gift of a cartload of food, was finally “satisfied” (tṛptaḥ| Divy 239.20). Now the Buddha asks him to be satisfied with existence. For a similar sentiment, see Divy 177.19–21.
40Following Vaidya (Divy-V 148.28) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read atīva saṃvignaḥ. Divy 240.16, atīvasaṃvignaḥ.
41For more on this stereotypical description of arhats, see DS 397n163.
42Following Divy 97.26, 180.26, etc., Vaidya (Divy-V 249.1), and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read vidyā-. Divy 240.24, avidyā-.
43Divy 242.6–7, baṇikśreṣṭhī. Ivo Fišer (1954) examines the role of the seṭṭhi (Skt. śreṣṭhin) in the Pāli Jākatas and concludes that “guildmaster” is an incorrect translation in that context, for the seṭṭhi is a wealthy trader, and sometimes banker and bankroller, but not the head of a guild. Fišer (1954: 265) also concludes that “it would be much safer not to translate the term seṭṭhi at all.” In the Divyāvadāna, however, I think “guildmaster” is an appropriate rendering for the term, as it refers to an appointed position.
44Divy 242.8, ṣaṣṭim. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62) suggests its omission.
45Following Speyer (1902: 124), read pratyāgataprāṇajīvita. Divy 242.27, pratyāgataprāṇo jīvita.
46Vaidya (Divy-V 243.1) omits tac chāsanam antarhitaṃ kṣemaṅkarasya (Divy 243.1).
47Divy 243.2, caityam alpeśākhyam. While this could be translated more literally as “a weak shrine,” I follow Edgerton’s (BHSD) understanding of alpeśākhya as “insignificant, petty.” In what follows (Divy 243.8–9), the shrine is made to be maheś
ākhyatara, which I translate as “even more special,” but which could be read more literally as “even more powerful.” Although I argue for this latter understanding of maheśākhya elsewhere (Rotman 2009: 224n32, 225n33), here the emphasis seems to be on appearance, not strength. Could the guildmaster’s renovations really make the Buddha Kṣemaṅkara’s shrine “more powerful”? Cf. Divy 258.16.
48This passage has received a lot of scholarly attention, for it offers a detailed description of an early Buddhist stūpa in India. See, for example, La Vallée Poussin 1937; Weller 1953; Alsdorf 1955; Kuiper 1959; M. Bénisti 1960: 74–77; Roth 1980; Roth 1985: 183–96; Schopen 1997: 50n61, 82n10; Rhie 1999: i, 254, 279–80; and von Hinüber 2016. For a conjectural sketch of the stūpa here described, see Rhie 1999: ii, fig. 4.4i. Roth (1985: 185–86) offers this translation: “After that they began to construct four flights of stairs on precisely all four sides of the stūpa, each with a so-called ‘neck-onset,’ according to the order (of the structural components). The first platform, then the second, according to the order (of the structural components), then the third platform (were constructed), up to the ‘egg-dome,’ according to the order (of the structural components); and the ‘egg-dome’ thus constituted was laid out in a comprehensive manner (at the point) where the pole-mast had already been placed inside. After this, a cuboid addition was contructed above the completely new ‘egg dome,’ according to the order (of the structural componenets), the mast was erected and the great treasure-jewel was placed upon the rain basin (at the pinnacle).”
49Divy 244.8, pratikaṇṭhukayā (ms. D, pratikaṇṭhakayā). This is obscure. Edgerton (BHSD) translates it as “singly, severally, one by one,” but it is likely an architectural term. Agrawala (1966: 74) takes it to mean “the space between the actual stūpa and the railing,” and Von Hinüber (2016: 37) explains it as “the ‘counter-wall’ or periphery, the outer part of the vedikāout of which the drum and the dome rise.” My translation builds on von Hinüber’s explanation. A special thanks to Marylin Rhie (personal communication) for her insights into this passage and the mechanics of early Indian stūpa renovation. She concludes that the renovation refers to a “Gandhāran-style stūpa of around the third to fourth century CE.”
50Divy 244.10–12, tathāvidhaṃ ca bhūpasyāṇḍaṃ kṛtaṃ yatra sā yūpayaṣṭir (following ms. D; mss. AC, sāyupaṣṭir; ms. B, sāpayaṣṭir) abhyantare (mss., abhyantara) pratipāditā. Following Roth (1985: 186) and von Hinüber (2016: 37n36), read bhūyasyāṇḍam for bhūpasyāṇḍam. Alsdorf (1955: 15), Vaidya (Divy–V 151.2), and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), following Cowell and Neil’s query (Divy 244n2), read stūpasyāṇḍam. Accordingly, M. Bénisti (1960: 76) offers this translation: “Le dôme du stūpa (stūpasyāṇḍa) fut fait de telle sorte que le poteau du stūpa (stūpayaṣṭi [for yūpayaṣṭi]) se trouva placé (pratipāditā) à l’intérieur.” I agree with Roth (1985: 189), however, that there is “no good reason” to emend yūpayaṣṭito stūpayaṣṭi—although La Vallée Poussin (1937: 281) proposed it as well—even though the precise meaning of yūpayaṣṭiis unclear. It is either a “post” (i.e., a de facto synonym for yaṣṭi, which appears in the following sentence) or a “shaft for a post,” into which the post will then be erected. Alsdorf (1955: 15) provides this translation: “Und die Kuppel des Stūpas [read stūpasya] wurde so gemacht, dass darin die Yūpayaṣṭi ins Innere eingelassen war.” Rhie (1999: i, 254) describes this as “the egg-like dome into which the shaft for a pole is to be sunk.”
51Divy 242.12, atinavāṇḍasya. Alsdorf (1955: 13) and von Hinüber (2016: 37n36) emend to abhinavāṇḍasya. As von Hinüber (2016: 37n36) notes, this reading in conjunction with the term bhūyasyāṇḍamin the previous sentence “clearly shows, as rightly emphasized by L. Alsdorf, that the dome was enlarged as well.”
52Divy 244.22, utpalaṃ padmaṃ kumudaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ. I follow Rau (1954) and Hanneder (2002, 2007) in translating these terms.
53These appear to be different varieties of jasmine, for the most part. For more, see the Pandanus Database of Indian Plants at http://iu.ff.cuni.cz/pandanus/database/. And for more about this idyllic vision of beautiful and fragrant flowers, see Ali 2003 and Schopen 2006.
54Divy 244.25–26, sarvartukālikāḥ puṣpaphalāḥ stūpapūjārtham. The term vṛkṣa (“tree”) seems to be implied. Cf. Divy 62.9, 62.13, 127.5–6, etc. Otherwise, “Flowers and fruits remained year round to honor the stūpa.”
55Read sthāvarā vṛttiḥ prajñaptā. Divy 244.26, sthāvarāvṛttiprajñaptāḥ. Another possibility would be to emend the text to sthāvarā vṛtiḥ prajñaptā.That is, “a permanent boundary hedge was established.”
56Following Vaidya (Divy-V 151.12) and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 62), read stūpadāsā dattāḥ. Divy 244.26, stūpadāsadattāḥ (mss., stūpadāsādattā).
57Bodhisattvas are said to perfect the various virtues—in other words, fulfill the various perfections—during three incalculable time periods (asaṅkhyeya) of a great age (mahākalpa) (Kloetzli 1997: 85). Cf. Dayal 1932: 76–79.
58Divy 245.24, smṛtiṃ pratilabhethāḥ. Cf. Divy 261.22.
59Divy 245.27, sugataḥ. Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 63) suggests jagataḥ. That is, “in the world.” Cf. Divy 252.14. At Divy 227.4, the corresponding Tibetan (1030 ge 170a3; 1 kha 181b4) suggests the same emendation. Cf. Divy 228.1.
60Following Divy 54.13, 141.17, etc. and Hiraoka (HA 12; HC 63), read vidyācaraṇasampannaḥ. Divy 246.5, vidyācaraṇasamyaksaṃbuddaḥ.
61Divy 246.12, sābhisaṃskāreṇa. Here and in what follows (Divy 246.15, 248.10, etc.), the term sābhisaṃskāreṇaseems to mean “following the proper formalities.” Elsewhere in this story (Divy 250.20, 250.24) and in the rest of the text, however, the term refers to a quality of mind that yields great karmic results. In “The Story of a Woman Dependent on a City for Alms,” a beggar woman cultivates “a great resolution of mind” (mahatā cittābhisaṃskāreṇa| Divy 90.26), and as such her offering of an oil lamp to the Buddha produces for her amazing results. And in “The Miracle Sūtra,” the Buddha, “with a resolute [mind]” (sābhisaṃskāreṇa | Divy 158.5) puts his foot down on the ground, and as a result the whole world-system begins to shake. Edgerton (BHSD) translates the term as “with proper preparation of mind; with fixed, determined mentality.”
62Divy 246.13, sāmantarājan. Here I take sāmanta in the sense of “neighboring,” although elsewhere it seems to mean “vassal” (Divy 328.27–28).
63Vaidya (Divy-V 152.24) omits prāsādikāv abhirūpau | tau ca gatvā tatra yajñe brāhmaṇapaṅktiṣu prajñapteṣv āsaneṣu(Divy 247.7–8).
64This is one of the magical powers (Skt., ṛddhi; Pāli, iddhi) frequently enumerated in Pāli literature (e.g., Dīgha-nikāya i, 78).
65Divy 248.24, nīlotpalapadma.Previously the girl asked for some nīlotpala (Divy 248.21), and later what appear as a result of her merit are nīlapadma (Divy 248.25). Usually utpala and padma refer to different kinds of flowers, as in the common expression “blue, red, and white waterlilies” (utpalapadmakumuda- | Divy 186.3, 221.11, etc.). In the Divyāvadāna, padma seems to be a generic term that encompasses both “lotus” and “waterlily.” Santona Basu (2002: 93) makes much the same claim for the use of paduma—the Pāli term for padma—in the Pāli canon.
66Note that the waterlilies appear as a result of Sumati’s merit, and not, as we might expect here, the girl’s merit.
67Following Speyer (1902: 125) and Hiraoka (HA 13; HC 63), read praveśitāni. Divy 249.4, praveśakāni.
68Following Cowell and Neil’s query (Divy 249n3) and Hiraoka (HA 13; HC 63), read mām api. Divy 249.25, mamāpi.
69The text is silent about Sumati’s response to the girl’s demand. He accepts the flowers from her, but he is never shown making the fervent aspiration she requested.
70Following Vaidya (Divy-V 154.26) and Divy 250.24, read sābhisaṃskāreṇa, although sābhisaṃskāramis also possible. Divy 250.20, sābhisamskāra. Cf. Divy 158.5, bhagavatā sābhisaṃskāre�
�a pṛthivyāṃ padau nyastau; Divy 364.26, bhagavatā sābhisaṃskāraṃ nagaradvāre padaṃ pratiṣṭhāpitam.
71This scene is found in Gandhāran stone sculpture, both in reliefs and in large, independent statues. See, for example, Kurita 2003: i, figs. 6, 7, 9, and 11. My thanks to Marilyn Rhie for these references.
72Following Speyer (1902: 125) and Hiraoka (HA 13; HC 63), read jaṭāḥ saṃstīrya. Divy 252.2, jaṭāṃ(mss., jaṭā) saṃtīrya.
73Divy 252.3–4, yadi buddho bhaviṣyāmi bodhāya budhabodhana| ākramiṣyasi me padbhyāṃ jaṭāṃ janmajarāntakām. One might also translate the verse in a different order to capture a more tempered sentiment: “If, with your feet, you will tread on my matted hair, | which will bring an end to birth and old age, | I will become a buddha, O awakener to wisdom, | for the sake of awakening others.” There also could be a pun here. The verse might be read, “If, with your words, you will solve the tangle of desires that leads to rebirth and old age . . .” Hiraoka (HA 13; HC 63) suggests the vocative janmajarāntakafor janmajarāntakām to avoid having to read this compound as an adjectival phrase modifying jaṭāṃ.
74Following Cowell and Neil’s restoration (Divy 252.12; cf. Divy 252n7), nṛbhavād dhi mukto[mukto]. Speyer (1902: 125) suggests nṛbhavādhimukto[yukto]. Perhaps, “bound to human existence.” Hiraoka (HA 13; HC 63) concurs.
75Divy 253.26 (omitted). Part of the text has been lost.
76Jonathan Silk (2008a) has critically reedited the following section of the story (Divy 254.3–262.6), making use of two fragmentary Gilgit manuscripts: Gilgit folios 1474–83 (= G1) and folios 1354–58 (= G2). My thanks to him for his excellent work, which I rely on in what follows.