| Title:
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ONCE A PEACOCK, ONCE AN ACTRESS
TWENTY-FOUR LIVES OF THE BODHISATTVA FROM HARIBHATTA'S "JATAKAMALA" |
| By: |
Haribhatta, Peter Khoroche (Trans) |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| List price:
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£24.00 |
| Our price: |
£21.60 |
| Discount: |
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£2.40 |
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| ISBN 10: |
022648596X |
| ISBN 13: |
9780226485966 |
| Availability: |
Usually dispatched within 1-3 weeks.
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| Publisher: |
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS |
| Pub. date: |
5 September, 2017 |
| Pages: |
288 |
| Description: |
Peter Khoroche's translation of Arya Sura's "Jatakamala" (ca. fourth century) has sold more than fifteen-hundred copies in each of its editions. We now have a new translation of the "Jatakamala" by Haribhatta, a later contemporary of Arya Sura's. Like the earlier volume, this one contains rare examples of the earliest extant writings from Sanskrit's classical period. To date, six of the thirty-four stories from the work are still lost to time, but even in its truncated form, the tales, in Khoroche's splendid, fluid renderings, amply illustrate the Buddha's single-minded devotion to the good of all creatures in each of his incarnations. Here we have stories of an actress and a peacock, as noted in the title, but also tales of kings and monkeys, sages and fools, lions and elephants, princes and fairies, in equal measure entertaining, surprising, and moving--in addition to edifying. These unique tales of bravery, romance, sex, death, and, ultimately, rebirth, will be greeted by a very appreciate audience. |
| Synopsis: |
Written in Kashmir around 400 CE, Haribhatta's Jatakamala is a remarkable example of classical Sanskrit literature in a mixture of prose and verse that for centuries was known only in its Tibetan translation. But between 1973 and 2004 a large portion of the Sanskrit original was rediscovered in a number of anonymous manuscripts. With this volume Peter Khoroche offers the most complete translation to date, making almost eighty per cent of the work available in English. Haribhatta's Jatakamala is a sophisticated and personal adaptation of popular stories, mostly non-Buddhist in origin, all illustrating the future Buddha's single-minded devotion to the good of all creatures, and his desire, no matter what his incarnation man, woman, peacock, elephant, merchant or king to assist others on the path to nirvana. Haribhatta's insight into human and animal behaviour, his astonishing eye for the details of landscape and his fine descriptive powers together make this a unique record of everyday life in ancient India as well as a powerful statement of Buddhist ethics. This translation will be a landmark in the study of Buddhism and of the culture of ancient India. |
| Publication: |
US |
| Imprint: |
University of Chicago Press |
| Returns: |
Returnable |
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