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Art. VII.—The Story of Thuwannashan, or Suvaṇṇa Sāma Jātaka, according to the Burmese version, published at the Hanthawati Press, Rangoon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

A peculiarly interesting feature of this Jātaka is the fact that it has undoubtedly been depicted on the western gateway of the Sanchi Tope (Figure 1 in Plate xxxvi. of Fergusson's “Tree and Serpent Worship”), and will illustrate what curiously erroneous theories may be evolved from imperfect data. I feel convinced that a complete knowledge of the Jātaka and other stories current in. Buddhist literature would enable one to explain most of the scenes depicted on these and other Buddhist ruins. That trees and serpents were, and are, largely worshipped is not to be denied, but I think it will be clearly seen from this and other plates that Fergusson did not draw correct deductions regarding the Sanchi and Amravati Topes. In his second edition he admits this.

Type
Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1894

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References

page 213 note 1 In the Gāta he is always called Sāma, and I cannot find the word Suvaṇṇa. The number in Ceylon List is 543.

page 218 note 1 This blindness is explained as follows: “In a former existence Dukūla was a doctor and attended a rich man who would not pay him. Being angry he went home and told his wife. The wife said, ‘Go back and give him some medicine that will make him blind again.’ He acted on this advice, and the rich man again lost bis sight.”