Description
The complete colophon establishes that the manuscript is not an independent work entitled Ratnadhvajāvadāna, but rather the sixth chapter (ṣaṣṭhamo'dhyāyaḥ) of the Vicitrakarṇikāvadāna. The chapter is specifically named Ratnadhvajoddhāraṇa (“The Deliverance/Rescue of Ratnadhvaja”). This identification is corroborated by the repeated occurrence of references to Ratnadhvaja-rāja and Ratnadhvaja Tathāgata within the text, confirming that Ratnadhvaja is the principal figure of the narrative. Therefore, the manuscript should be catalogued as Ratnadhvajoddhāraṇa, Chapter 6 of the Vicitrakarṇikāvadāna, a work belonging to the tradition of Buddhist Avadāna literature. The chapter appears to narrate the story, merits, and eventual deliverance or spiritual elevation of Ratnadhvaja, in accordance with the soteriological themes characteristic of Buddhist avadāna narratives.
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