Remarks on the Khotanese Jatakastava

Summary

This article discusses a manuscript discovered in the Tun-huang caves containing the Jatakastava, a Khotanese poem dedicated to praising the Buddha’s virtues through stories of his previous births (Jatakas). It traces the history of the manuscript’s discovery and notes that it is dedicated to King Visa Sura and lists forty-seven Jataka tales. The author describes the manuscript’s language and metre, comparing it with Sanskrit and Pali traditions. He argues that the Jatakastava belongs to a literary genre that uses stava (praise) poems to summarise the Buddha’s compassion and generosity. The poem recounts the heroic deeds of the Bodhisattva in each birth, emphasising the ethical ideals of generosity, morality and patience. It also notes differences between the Jatakastava and the well-known Jatakamala: the Khotanese version includes less narrative detail and more praise and may have been used in courtly recitations or ritual contexts. The article contextualises the Khotanese Buddhist community, describing influences from India and Central Asia. It discusses the translation activities at Tun-huang and the assimilation of Buddhist literature into Khotanese culture. The author interprets the Jatakastava as evidence of the spread of Mahayana devotionalism along the Silk Road. He emphasises that the poem demonstrates how Central Asian Buddhists adapted Indian literary forms into local languages. By comparing the Jatakastava with related Khotanese texts, the article sheds light on Khotanese religious vocabulary and metre.