Vasudeva-hindi (IAST: Vasudevahiṇḍī, "Vasudeva's wanderings") is a Jain text by Sangha-dasa, probably from 5th century India. The text narrates several stories in the form of nested narrative layers. The main story is borrowed from Gunadhya's Brihat-katha, with the original hero Nara-vahana-datta replaced by Krishna's father Vasudeva.
Vasudeva-hindi is the oldest surviving text of the Jain narrative literature. The Jain monk Sangha-dasa wrote it in archaic Maharashtri Prakrit language.[1] The author claims that the legend of Vasudeva was first told by Mahavira's pupil Sudharman to his disciple Jambu, and since then, the story was transmitted to the author through a series of teachers and disciples.[1]
The text was definitely composed before 610 CE, when Jina-bhadra-gani Kshama-shramana refers to it in his Visheshana Vati. The author dates the text to the year 530 of an unspecified calendar era. Scholars K.R. Chandra and M.A. Dhaky believe that the era is the Vikrama Samvat, and thus, date the text to 473 CE. Indologist J.C. Jain writes that the date of Vasudeva-hindi has been "fixed" as the end of the 3rd century, but Indologist John E. Cort notes that there is no scholarly consensus on this, and Jain authors tend to date their texts as early as possible. U.P. Shah dates the text to early 5th century or a little earlier, while M.N.P. Tiwari dates it to mid-6th century.[2]
Some parts of the text, such as Dhammilla-hindi, are a later addition to the original text.[3]
The second layer of the frame story in the text names Mahavira as a narrator, which is a way of legitimizing the story as true. The naming of a king (instead of a Jain disciple) as the listener suggests that the text was aimed at an urban audience rather than monks.[1]
Contentsedit
The text narrates the legend of Krishna's father Vasudeva.[4] It is in form of multiple narrative layers, featuring several characters and stories from different times and places.[1] The main story is borrowed from Gunadhya's Brihat-katha tradition, in which the hero is Nara-vahana-datta instead of Vasudeva.[5] The text also includes materials from Vaishnavite texts such as Harivamsa and Vishnu Purana. The author quotes long passages from Jain canonical texts such as Samavayanga Sutra and Sthananga Sutra.[6]
The text progresses to the main story as follows:[1]
Layer
Narrator
Story
1
Conversation between the Jain monk Suhamma and King Konia
2
Suhamma
Conversation between Mahavira and Konia's father, King Senia of Raya-giha
3
Mahavira
Story of king Vasudeva's grandsons
4
Vasudeva
Vasudeva tells his grandsons about his adventures
Layer 4 contains the main story of Vasudeva's adventures, which is interspersed with secondary stories that talk about the Jain faith and its 63 illustrous persons. The narrative layers containing these secondary stories go still deeper. For example, in one of the narrative layers, Vasudeva refuses to marry the grand-daughter of an old woman because of her low social status. The old woman then talks about the origins of her family, narrating the story of her ancestor Usabha.[1]
Story of the previous births of Usabha and his donor Sijjamsa (Shreymsa) as twins in the Uttarakurus.
7
The female twin
Story of the twins' previous births as the god Laliyamga and his wife Sayam-pabha.
8
Laliyamga
Story of Laliyamga's previous birth as King Mahabala.
9
Sayambuddha
Mahabala's friend Sayambuddha tells him a series of moral stories.
The narrative then goes back to the main story as follows:[1]
Layer
Narrator
Story
8
Laliyamga
Story of Laliyamga's previous birth as King Mahabala, continued: Mahabala renounces the world, practices extreme austerity, and dies.
7
The female twin
Story of the twins' previous births, continued: Laliyamga and Sayam-pabha die and are reborn as prince Vairajamgha and princess Sirimai.
8
Sirimai
Sirimai remembers her previous birth as Sayam-pabha and her existence as Niāmiyā (Nirnāmikā, "a girl with no name").
7
The female twin
Story of the twins' previous births, continued: Vairajamgha and Sirimai marry and live happily before being poisoned by their son.
6
Sijjamsa
Stories of several previous births of the twins:
Gods in Sohamma-heaven
Physician Kesava and his friend Abhayaghosa
Gods in Accua-heaven
Prince Vairanabha and his friend Sujasa
Gods in Savvattha-siddha-heaven
Sijjamsa recalls that after their birth as gods, they were born as Usabha and Sijjamsa.
5
The old woman
Story of Usabha, continued: Usabha preaches the dharma.
4
Vasudeva
Vasudeva continues to narrate stories of his adventures, with each story containing multi-layer sub-stories.
Unlike other texts, such as the Mahabharata, Vasudeva-hindi does not remind the reader of the main frame story or any sub-frame story at any point. According to scholar Anna Aurelia Esposito, Vasudeva-hindi deliberately confuses the readers with such complex layers to cause them to "experience the sensation to be completely lost – lost not only in this thicket of stories, but also in the complex and incomprehensible nature of the world."[1]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghAnna Aurelia Esposito (2016). "Didactic dialogues: communication of doctrine and strategies of narrative in Jain literature". In Brian Black; Laurie Patton (eds.). Dialogue in Early South Asian Religions. Routledge. pp. 88–92. ISBN9781317151425.
^John Cort (2010). Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History. Oxford University Press. p. 313. ISBN9780199739578.
^J.C. Jain (1975). B.J. Sandesara (ed.). "Is Vasudevahiṇḍī a Jain version of the Bṛhatkathā ?". Journal of the Oriental Institute. 23. Oriental Institute, Baroda: 62–63.
^Anthony Kennedy Warder (1994). Indian Kavya Literature. Vol. 4. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 464. ISBN9788120804494.
^G.P. Bhatt; G.V. Tagare, eds. (2013). The Vayu Purana Part 2. Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 748. ISBN9788120839052.
^Asim Kumar Chatterjee (2000). A Comprehensive History of Jainism. Vol. 1 (Second ed.). Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 246–247. ISBN81-215-0931-9.
Further readingedit
J.C. Jain (1977). The Vasudevahindi: an Authentic Jain Version of the Brhatkatha. Ahmedabad: L.D. Institute of Indology. OCLC 469480884.
External linksedit
Vasudeva-hindi text in Devanagari script
Dharmasenagani Mahattara's Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1
April 10, 2024
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Vasudeva hindi IAST Vasudevahiṇḍi Vasudeva s wanderings is a Jain text by Sangha dasa probably from 5th century India The text narrates several stories in the form of nested narrative layers The main story is borrowed from Gunadhya s Brihat katha with the original hero Nara vahana datta replaced by Krishna s father Vasudeva Vasudeva hindiAuthorSangha dasa GaniOriginal titleवस द व ह ण ड CountryIndiaLanguageArchaic Maharashtri PrakritSubjectAdventures of VasudevaPublication datepossibly 473 CE Contents 1 Authorship and date 2 Contents 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksAuthorship and date editVasudeva hindi is the oldest surviving text of the Jain narrative literature The Jain monk Sangha dasa wrote it in archaic Maharashtri Prakrit language 1 The author claims that the legend of Vasudeva was first told by Mahavira s pupil Sudharman to his disciple Jambu and since then the story was transmitted to the author through a series of teachers and disciples 1 The text was definitely composed before 610 CE when Jina bhadra gani Kshama shramana refers to it in his Visheshana Vati The author dates the text to the year 530 of an unspecified calendar era Scholars K R Chandra and M A Dhaky believe that the era is the Vikrama Samvat and thus date the text to 473 CE Indologist J C Jain writes that the date of Vasudeva hindi has been fixed as the end of the 3rd century but Indologist John E Cort notes that there is no scholarly consensus on this and Jain authors tend to date their texts as early as possible U P Shah dates the text to early 5th century or a little earlier while M N P Tiwari dates it to mid 6th century 2 Some parts of the text such as Dhammilla hindi are a later addition to the original text 3 The second layer of the frame story in the text names Mahavira as a narrator which is a way of legitimizing the story as true The naming of a king instead of a Jain disciple as the listener suggests that the text was aimed at an urban audience rather than monks 1 Contents editThe text narrates the legend of Krishna s father Vasudeva 4 It is in form of multiple narrative layers featuring several characters and stories from different times and places 1 The main story is borrowed from Gunadhya s Brihat katha tradition in which the hero is Nara vahana datta instead of Vasudeva 5 The text also includes materials from Vaishnavite texts such as Harivamsa and Vishnu Purana The author quotes long passages from Jain canonical texts such as Samavayanga Sutra and Sthananga Sutra 6 The text progresses to the main story as follows 1 Layer Narrator Story1 Conversation between the Jain monk Suhamma and King Konia2 Suhamma Conversation between Mahavira and Konia s father King Senia of Raya giha3 Mahavira Story of king Vasudeva s grandsons4 Vasudeva Vasudeva tells his grandsons about his adventuresLayer 4 contains the main story of Vasudeva s adventures which is interspersed with secondary stories that talk about the Jain faith and its 63 illustrous persons The narrative layers containing these secondary stories go still deeper For example in one of the narrative layers Vasudeva refuses to marry the grand daughter of an old woman because of her low social status The old woman then talks about the origins of her family narrating the story of her ancestor Usabha 1 Layer Narrator Story5 The old woman Story of Jina Usabha 6 Sijjamsa Story of the previous births of Usabha and his donor Sijjamsa Shreymsa as twins in the Uttarakurus 7 The female twin Story of the twins previous births as the god Laliyamga and his wife Sayam pabha 8 Laliyamga Story of Laliyamga s previous birth as King Mahabala 9 Sayambuddha Mahabala s friend Sayambuddha tells him a series of moral stories The narrative then goes back to the main story as follows 1 Layer Narrator Story8 Laliyamga Story of Laliyamga s previous birth as King Mahabala continued Mahabala renounces the world practices extreme austerity and dies 7 The female twin Story of the twins previous births continued Laliyamga and Sayam pabha die and are reborn as prince Vairajamgha and princess Sirimai 8 Sirimai Sirimai remembers her previous birth as Sayam pabha and her existence as Niamiya Nirnamika a girl with no name 7 The female twin Story of the twins previous births continued Vairajamgha and Sirimai marry and live happily before being poisoned by their son 6 Sijjamsa Stories of several previous births of the twins Gods in Sohamma heaven Physician Kesava and his friend Abhayaghosa Gods in Accua heaven Prince Vairanabha and his friend Sujasa Gods in Savvattha siddha heavenSijjamsa recalls that after their birth as gods they were born as Usabha and Sijjamsa 5 The old woman Story of Usabha continued Usabha preaches the dharma 4 Vasudeva Vasudeva continues to narrate stories of his adventures with each story containing multi layer sub stories Unlike other texts such as the Mahabharata Vasudeva hindi does not remind the reader of the main frame story or any sub frame story at any point According to scholar Anna Aurelia Esposito Vasudeva hindi deliberately confuses the readers with such complex layers to cause them to experience the sensation to be completely lost lost not only in this thicket of stories but also in the complex and incomprehensible nature of the world 1 References edit a b c d e f g h Anna Aurelia Esposito 2016 Didactic dialogues communication of doctrine and strategies of narrative in Jain literature In Brian Black Laurie Patton eds Dialogue in Early South Asian Religions Routledge pp 88 92 ISBN 9781317151425 John Cort 2010 Framing the Jina Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History Oxford University Press p 313 ISBN 9780199739578 J C Jain 1975 B J Sandesara ed Is Vasudevahiṇḍi a Jain version of the Bṛhatkatha Journal of the Oriental Institute 23 Oriental Institute Baroda 62 63 Anthony Kennedy Warder 1994 Indian Kavya Literature Vol 4 Motilal Banarsidass p 464 ISBN 9788120804494 G P Bhatt G V Tagare eds 2013 The Vayu Purana Part 2 Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology Motilal Banarsidass p 748 ISBN 9788120839052 Asim Kumar Chatterjee 2000 A Comprehensive History of Jainism Vol 1 Second ed Munshiram Manoharlal pp 246 247 ISBN 81 215 0931 9 Further reading editJ C Jain 1977 The Vasudevahindi an Authentic Jain Version of the Brhatkatha Ahmedabad L D Institute of Indology OCLC 469480884 External links editVasudeva hindi text in Devanagari script Dharmasenagani Mahattara s Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vasudeva hindi amp oldid 1199059069, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
