Introduction
The tenth and very famous collection of Khuldak Nikaya is called Jataka. Tales related to the previous life of Buddha is known as Jataka. Actually, Jataka is the oldest representative collection of the whole Indian narrative literature. Some scholars believe that Jataka is the collection of 547 folk tales which were in vogue during the time of Buddha; later on, some part of Buddha's previous hirch stories were included in it. There are various opinions regarding the original sources and original form of Istakas. According to some scholars the seed of these tales are present in the Suma Plaaka and Vinaye Pisses. On the basis of some stories related to the Buddha's life found in Mahanages and Chullavagga of Vinaya Pitaka developed the story of Tittara Jataka, similarly, on the basis of suttas like Kuzadanta, Mahayadhana, Maharudasana and Marvadest, so many Jataka tales were developed. The Buddha himself used to make his teachings interesting by using stories and similes. Original source of many Jataka tales are such ancient folk-tales which were in vogue from previous times and which were transformed here in Buddhist form. It seems that many stories of Jatakas were emerged from ancient folk poetries. Thus, apart from the Buddha's stories of Sutta and Vinaya, the ancient folk-tales and folk-poems might be accepted as the original source of Jataka tales, which were transformed asBuddhist ethical ideals.It is difficult to decide the exact number of Jatala tales. According to the Theravada tradition of Sri Lanka and in the Nidanakathe of Samantapasadika its number is 550 but in the present form only 547 Jatakas are found. It may be possible that the number of Jatakas isuncertain due to mixing so many stories. In original form most of the Jaraka tales may be accepted of Buddha's time because depiction of Jataka tales on the stone panels of Sanchi and Bharhut in 2d 3d century BCE is the evidence of their antiquity but the present form of Jataka cannot be of ancient times totally. Presently there are six divisions of Jataka: Nidanakatha (Introduction), Pachhupanna-vatthu (Important Jatakas), Atueta-vatthu (Ancient Jataka tales), Gatha, Atthavannana (Explanation of Gathas), and Samedbana (In this Buddha unites the ancient characters with the characters. of his own time). Actually, gathas are the oldest and original in aforesaid divisionsand only it may be accepted as the part of original Tripitaka. Stories are connected with the gathas because without it there is no importance of Jataka in narrative literature. Rest of the part is the explanation of gachas and posibly it was written after the compilation of Tripitaka in the form of The Jataka lavesture is one of the important sources for understanding ancient Indian culture. It throws sufficient light on religious, social and economic condition as well as art and architecnite of pre-Buddhist India. Vinternite writes that there are seven types of sturies in the Jataka viz, ethical tales, stories of animals and birds, stories full of satire, long ot novel type stories, description of moral ethics, general comments and religious stories. According to these forms the method of description is also of five types. Somewhere it is in prose, somewhere in corresponding poerry form, somewhere description and dialogue are in mixed form and at some places long desipriens begin with prose but ended with gathas. Stories like Banarinda Jataka presents atire in poetry form. In these types of stories human being is told inferior to the animals. Elements of cxcitement are found in Mahaammaga Kataka, description of hell is found in Chchadanta Jataka, ethical element is found in Guna Jataka whereas historical dialogues are found in Sankichha Jataka Importance of Jataka is not only as a representative of folk literature but it also explains the ancient trade routes. It describes the crafts, trade and various other things related to human being Jataka gives much material to painters and sculptors. A number of texts in poetry forin came into existence on the basis of Jatakas outside India too. Thus, Jataka is the treasure for world folk literature. Contribution of Jatakas in the development of Indian art and architecture never be forgotten. Stupas of Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati: paintings of Ajanta; stupa of Borobudur in Java; pagodas of Myanmar and the temples of Sukhothai all are decorated with Jataka stories. It is proved that Jataka tales travelled by land route by crossing the Hindukush Mountainand expanded in the western countries. According to Pali tradition there were 550 Jataka tales. The Jataka tales composed in Pali in India were taken to Sri Lanka by Mahendra in about 250 BCE and the commentary was translated there into Simhalese and again translated inito Pali in 5 century CE by Buddhaghosha. As per another tradition, in Sri Lanka the original Jataka text comprised of the Gathas and a commentary that contained the stories written in the Early Simhalese was found. This was later translated into Pali in about 430 CE by Buddhaghosha and after that the Simhalese original text was lost. But there might have existed a text containing Jataka tales in India too at least by the 3 -2th century BCE. In the beginning of 4 century CE the well-known Sanskrit scholar Aryasura composed Jatakamala in verse, containing 34 selected tales. The main objective of writing these tales in verse is to teach the doctrine of universal salvation in a classical and pleasant style. In the work, the author emphasized on three perfections: generosity, morality and bearance, mainly applicable to monarchs and also on the Bodhisattva ideal of self-sacrifice or the wellbeing of others. Aryasura's Jatakamala was followed by the Northern Buddhists whereas the Pali Jataka by the South Indian Buddhists. In c.400 CE another Sanskrit work Rarnamalavadana, a collection of edifying tales told in material form, contain 38 tales. Each tale is said to have been narrated by Upagupta to the king Asoka. It is composed in slake form. Another source for the previous birth stories of Buddha is AvadanaKalpalata written by a Kashmiri poet Kshemendra in 11
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