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Abstract
My contention is that the V?narinda J?taka (V J) is a specifically Buddhist narrative, being a strategic reworking of situations and characters common to Indian oral tradition. By way of a fluid, triple-layered construct that is experimental in nature, I support this claim by exploring the interpretive possibilities of the text. Chapter one functions as a philological groundwork, and is a translation of the P?li text that highlights terminology with distinctive resonances in the Buddhist tradition. The second chapter reveals the ways in which the VJ is marked by generality, drawing out pan-Indian elements through an examination against excerpts from the Pacatantra, considered n?ti literature, and the Sundarak?a in V?lm?kis R?m?yaa, a Hindu work, all having pre-literate roots. In the third chapter, I offer a creative explication of the VJ, bringing to light the abundance of Buddhist allusions, and doctrinal references embedded within the narrative.