Divyāvadāna

The Divyāvadāna is a collection of avadāna stories compiled between the 3rd and 4th centuries, and is one of the largest and earliest sources of Indian Buddhist narrative literature. The narratives it contains are set during the time of the Buddha’s stay in Śrāvastī, in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍada. This manuscript starts with the Śroṇakoṭikarṇāvadāna (fols. 1b–21b) and ending with the Rūpāvadāna (fols.465b–474b), Although the colophon of the Rūpāvadāna mentions that it is the 36th story, the manuscript includes the Aśokāvadāna before it, whose colophon identifies it as the 30th chapter. However, the folio numbering is maintained in sequential order. It is also important to note that the chapters throughout the manuscript do not follow a consistent numerical sequence. Matsunami notes: “2 leaves with fol. No. 176 and with fol. No. 184. The paginations of 252, 255, 303, 351 and 454 are missed out.” (Matsunami, 1965, p. 71).