The Divyāvadāna or Divine narratives is a Sanskrit anthology of Buddhist avadana tales, many originating in Mūlasarvāstivādin vinaya texts."Fables in the Vinaya-Pitaka of the Sarvastivadin School" by Jean Przyluski, in The Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol.V, No.1, 1929.03 It may be dated to 2nd century CE. The stories themselves are therefore quite ancient and may be among the first Buddhist texts ever committed to writing, but this particular collection of them is not attested prior to the seventeenth century. Typically, the stories involve the Buddha explaining to a group of disciples how a particular individual, through actions in a previous life, came to have a particular karmic result in the present. A predominant theme is the vast merit () accrued from making offerings to enlightened beings or at stupas and other holy sites related to the Buddha.
Contents The anthology contains 38 avadana stories in all, including the well-known Aśokāvadāna "Legend of Aśoka", which was translated into English by John Strong (Princeton, 1983). The collection has been known since the dawn of Buddhist studies in the West, when it was excerpted in Eugène Burnouf's history of Indian Buddhism (1844). The first Western edition of the Sanskrit text was published in 1886 by Edward Byles Cowell and R.A. Neil.Neil, Robert Alexander; Cowell, Edward B.: The Divyâvadâna: a collection of early Buddhist legends, now first edited from the Nepalese Sanskrit mss. in Cambridge and Paris; Cambridge: University Press 1886. The Sanskrit text was again edited by P. L. Vaidya in 1959.Vaidya, P. L. (1959). Divyāvadāna , Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning (romanized) The Aśokāvadāna part of Divyavadana compiled during 4-5th century A.D. by sectarian Mathura's Buddhist monks
Sahasodgata-avadāna, in the opening paragraphs, describe the Buddha's instructions for creating the bhavacakra (wheel of life).Bhikkhu Khantipalo (1995-2011). The Wheel of Birth and Death Access to Insight
Rudrāyaṇa-avadāna explains how the Buddha gave the first illustration of the Buddha to King Rudrayaṇa. According to this story, at the time of the Buddha, King Rudrayana (a.k.a. Udayana (king) ) offered a gift of a jeweled robe to King Bimbisara of Magadha. King Bimbisara was concerned that he did not have anything of equivalent value to offer as a gift in return. Bimbisara went to the Buddha for advice, and the Buddha gave instructions to have the first drawing of the Buddha himself send the drawing to Rudrayana. It is said that Rudrayana attained realization through seeing this picture.Dalai Lama (1992). The Meaning of Life, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins. Wisdom, p. 45
List of Stories This is the list of stories contained in the Divyāvadāna:Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon, Language: Sanskrit, Script: Devanagari
Selected English translations
Author Title Publisher Notes Year Joel Tatelman Heavenly Exploits (Buddhist Biographies from the Dívyavadána), New York University Press English translation of stories 1, 2, 30 and 36 with original Sanskrit text 2005 Andy Rotman Divine Stories, Wisdom Publications English translation of the first seventeen stories 2008 Andy Rotman Divine Stories, Part 2 , Wisdom Publications English translation of stories 18-25, 31, 32, and 34-37. 2017
Original Sanskrit
Title Publisher Notes Yearदिव्यावदानम्, http://www.dsbcproject.org/canon-text/book/364Digital Sanskrit Buddhist CanonSanskrit original in Devnāgri script2007
References
External links The Divyâvadâna: a collection of early Buddhist legends by E. B. Cowell (English transliteration) Divyavadana (1959) by P. L. Vaidya (Sanskrit)