Sinhala poet and his poetic vision -part III :
The concept of Bhanaka and birth stories
Sunanda Mahendra
POETRY: The Birth Stories of the Buddha are included in the
vernacularly known Pansiya Panas Jathaka Potha (The Book of Five-Hundred
Birth Stories of the Buddha).
The concept of Bhanaka existed during the oral medium period, before
the arrival of the written medium. ' Bhanaka' is an honorary title
conferred on the priests who could recite the doctrine stanza by stanza
they learned off by heart at the respective religious institutions.
As its title implies, the Jataka tale is about a hare, who sacrifices
its life to feed a starving old man. Makhadeva is a King famous for his
renunciation of worldly things having seen a single hair turning grey.
Resembling the features of the famous Beauty and the Beast tale, this
poetic work is woven around a relationship between an ugly King and a
pretty Queen named Kusa and Pabavathi respectively.
This Jataka tale is about a teacher and a student - Guttila and
Musila. Guttila, in the first instance, does not accept Musila to his
pupilage, foreseeing something disastrous.
Musila, however makes himself influential by attending to Guttila's
aged parents, who have an authority over their son. Guttila makes Musila
a master of music paving the way to the Royal Palace.
Strange were the proceedings, when Musila claimed for an equal
position with his teacher. Frustrated by the nasty traits of his pupil,
Guttila leaves for the forest seeking isolation, but he is once again
disturbed by the information about a competition that was going to take
place in the Royal premises in order to identify the most talented
personality of the duo.
The greatest of the gods Sakra emerges at this juncture to assist
Guttila in defeating the ill-will by goodwill, and finally, Musila is
made to undergo disgrace before the masses. The versified form of this
Jataka tale has the authorship of Ven. Vettheve, a Buddhist priest in
the Kotte period, 16th century.
A cruel lecherous King Brahmadatta wants to win a fairy, and he kills
the fairy's husband while they were in a happy mood on the mount
Sandagiri . A sorrow-struck fairy makes an act of truth (satyakriya) and
brings back the husband once again with the assistance of the greatest
of the gods Sakra. |