Notes

n.1Jātakas typically relate stories from the Buddha’s past lives, in which the Buddha is either the protagonist of the story or a witness to other events. See Appleton 2010, pp. 3–6; and Rothenberg 1990, 4–5.

n.2See Ohnuma 2007, p. 42.

n.3For an English translation, see Jones 1956, vol. 3, pp. 31–39. For an edited Sanskrit version, see Marciniak 2019, vol. 3, pp. 42–48

n.4See Sieg and Siegling 1921 and Lane 1947.

n.5We were unable to consult any original version of this text or its Russian translation in Oldenburg 1894, but Sieg and Siegling 1921 (p. 2, n. 1) note that the version they consulted contains only a versified version of the Mahāvastu story.

n.6See Lane 1947, p. 33.

n.7The figure of Nanda in this text alludes to the Buddha’s cousin Nanda, or Sundarananda (“Handsome Nanda”), who is famed for his good looks in Buddhist literature, a notable example being Good-Looking Nanda (Saundarananda) by the philosopher-poet Aśvaghoṣa (c. 80–150 ᴄᴇ).

n.8This may allude to an eponymous avadāna in which the monk Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa (Pāli: Soṇa Koḷivisa) perseveres in pursuing his goals despite numerous obstacles.

n.9Germano 2000, p. 251.

n.10Denkarma, 300.b.7. See also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, 155–56, no. 283.

n.11福力太子因縁經 Fuli taizi yinyuan jing, Taishō 173.

n.12We are grateful to Laurence Zhou for making a brief comparison of the content of the Tibetan and Chinese texts.

n.13Kano 2015, p. 99.

n.14The Stok Palace, Narthang, and Lhasa editions read min (“un-”), while the Degé edition reads byin (“give”). Our translation follows the former reading.

n.15The Degé edition reads bdag (“self”), in contrast to Narthang and Lhasa, which read dag (the plural marker). This translation follows the latter, which appears more in line with the context.

n.16The Peking, Yongle, Lithang, and Peking Kangxi editions read bde (“happiness”) while the Degé reads der (“there”). This translation follows the former.

n.17There is a spelling discrepancy between the Degé edition and the other versions. In contrast to Degé’s dpen pa (“vital,” “useful,” “necessary,” “essential”), the other editions have dben pa (“devoid of”). This translation follows the former. Tib. dpen pa is an old term, which, in this context, means the same as its synonyms mkho ba, yid du ’ong ba, and phang. In its numerous occurrences in this text, the term occurs in the unusual compound nyams su dpen pa (not found elsewhere in the Kangyur or Tengyur), which seems to refer to things one wishes or values as important.

n.18The Peking, Kangxi, and Choné editions read bzod pa (“patience”); this translation, however, follows the Degé edition and Stok Palace editions, reading bzo.

n.19Apart from the Degé edition, which reads dge (“virtue”), all the other editions consulted read dag (the plural marker). We have followed the latter reading, which accords with the reading in a parallel phrase earlier in the Degé edition itself.

n.20Tib. sems can phan tshun khong ba rnams, literally, “animals who [usually] hold mutual animosity.”

n.21Tib. mchu, literally “lips.”

n.22This part of the aspiration is crucial, because the negative karma of pretas colors their perceptions and causes them to see water as pus and blood, and food as a disgusting substance like vomit.

n.23The Degé edition reads de nas (“and then”), but we have instead translated following the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions which read de dag (“they”).

n.24The Degé edition reads glod (“release”), and the Narthang, Peking Yongle, and Peking Kangxi editions read blod (“chew”!). We have instead followed the reading from the Stok Palace edition which reads blon (“counsel,” “advise”) and understand it to refer to discussion.

n.25The text here (and hereafter) refers to this prince as gzugs dang ldan pa (Skt. Rūpavan) rather than his proper name gzugs stobs (Skt. Rūpabala). We have taken this as a descriptor rather than a proper name and translated the references to the brothers accordingly.

n.26The Degé edition reads byis pa skye bo (“childish beings”), but we have followed the reading from the Stok Palace edition, which reads byis pa so so’i skye bo (“childish ordinary beings”).

n.27The Degé edition here reads ’dzem pa (“to avoid”), whereas the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions read mdzes pa (“beauty,” “beautiful”). In the translation we have followed the latter.

n.28The grammar in this paragraph up to this point is unclear and the translation is therefore tentative.

n.29The Degé edition reads mthong nas ’jigs pas, but we have followed the Stok Palace reading of mthong na ’jigs pa, which allows us to read this phrase (“terrifying even to look at”) as a modifier for the river. Both the Narthang and Lhasa editions also agree with the Stok Palace in reading ’jigs pa instead of ’jigs pas.

n.30The Degé reads dge slong de dag (“those monks”) but this translation follows the Narthang, Lhasa, Urga, and Stok Palace editions which read dge slong dag (“Monks…”).

n.31The Degé edition reads jo co (sic!); we have followed the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions which read jo bo (“lord”).

n.32The Tibetan term grub pa dang bde ba (abbrev. grub bde) translates the Sanskrit yogakṣema, which signifies the secure possession of what has been acquired. It is generally explained as a coordinative (Skt. dvandva) compound denoting the “acquisition (Skt. yoga) and preservation (Skt. kṣema) of property.”

n.33The Degé edition reads gzhol (“remained”), but we have followed the reading in the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions, which read yol (“passed”).

n.34The Degé reads mthong na yid du ’ong zhing (“delightful to behold, and”), but this translation follows the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné editions, which read mthong na yid du ’ong ba (“delightful to behold”), giving a more grammatical reading.

n.35The Degé edition obviously made a typo here by repeating the epithet rgyal po snang byed twice. In this translation, we have followed the Narthang and Lhasa editions, which only give the name a single time.

n.36Apart from the Degé edition, which reads thang po, all the other versions read theng po or ’theng po, both of which mean crippled leg(s). Considering its present context, this translation follows the majority.

n.37In contrast to the Degé edition, which reads bsod pa (“taking delight”), the Peking Kangxi edition reads bstod pa (“praise”). As the latter makes the most sense grammatically, we have followed it.

n.38“Queen” is added here for the sake of clarification.

n.39The term “results” is added for context to clarify the intended meaning of the adjective gdon mi za bar (Skt. avaśyam, “inevitable”) with respect to karma.

n.40The Degé edition reads dang here, but we have followed the Peking Yongle, Lithang, Peking Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions, which read kyang.

n.41The Tibetan term jo bo is usually translated as “master” or “lord.” Here it is probably a translation of the Sanskrit term svāmin, which means “lord,” “master,” and “husband.” Her addressing him in this way (even after he squandered all the family’s possessions while gambling) reflects the sort of deference expected of an Indian wife toward her husband, in literature at least.

n.42The Degé edition has ’dzin (“considered”), but according to the Lithang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions, it is ’dzer, which is an old way of writing zer (“said”). This translation follows the latter.

n.43The Degé edition duplicates this name. We have followed the Narthang and Stok Palace editions, which only give the name once.

n.44Literally “touched”; this probably refers to the tradition of a “tour of conquest” (Skt. dig-vijaya ), in which a great king would establish dominion over surrounding areas by traveling to the four quarters. Wherever he was able to roam unimpededly became his domain. Ideally, this should be done through the power of his righteousness; other kings submitted to him and became his vassals in recognition of his superior moral standing.

n.45This is repeated twice in the text. “Yes” is added to emphasize this repetition.