The Divyavadana is an enormous compendium of Indian Buddhist narratives written in Sanskrit from the early centuries of the Common Era, whose stories have since spread throughout Asia, as both narrative and narrative art, leaving an indelible mark on Buddhist thought and practice. The stories in the collection were frequently used in the education of both monastics and laity in premodern Asia, exerting a powerful influence as moral exempla and legal precedent, and they were considered by many to be the word of the Buddha himself. These stories were likewise canonical in their influence on Buddhist art.

Representations of these stories can be found across Asia, from Kizil in China to Sanchi in India to Borobudur in Indonesia. It is not hyperbole to say that these are some of the most influential stories in the history of Buddhism. The stories presented here, among the first texts to be inscribed by Buddhists, highlight the moral economy of karma, illustrating how gestures of faith, especially offerings, can bring the reward of future happiness and ultimately liberation.

Divine Stories: Divyavadana, Part 1, Translated by Andy Rotman, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 2008, 502 Pages, $24.95

Andy Rotman is an associate professor in the Religion Department at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in South Asian languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago in 2003. His research concerns the ways in which narratives and images in South Asia function as a part of social history and material culture.

	Contents: Divine Stories: Divyavadana
	Preface	ix
	Map of Indian Places in the Divyavadana	xiv
	Technical Notes	xvii
	Introduction	1
	A Summary of the Stories	31
	THE DIVYAVADANA
1.	The Story of Kotikarna	39
	Kotikarna-avadana
2.	The Story of Purna	71
	Purna-avadana
3.	The Story of Maitreya	119
	Maitreya-avadana
4.	The Story of a Brahman's Daughter	135
	Brahmanadarika-avadana
5.	The Story of a Brahman's Panegyric	143
	Stutibrahmana-avadana
6.	The Story of a Brahman Named Indra	151
	Indrabrahmana-avadana
7.	The Story of a Woman Dependent on a City for Alms	161
	Nagaravalambika-avadana
8.	The Story of Supriya	177
	Supriya-avadana
9.	The Chapter on the Great Fortune of the Householder Mendhaka	223
	Mendhakagrhapativibhuti-pariccheda
10.	The Story of Mendhaka	235
	Mendhaka-avadana
11.	The Story of Asokavarna	243
	Asokavarna-avadana
12.	The Miracle Sutra	253
	Pratiharya-sutra
13.	The Story of Svagata	289
	Svagata-avadana
14.	The Story of a Wretched Pig	325
	Sukarika-avadana
15.	The Story of One Foretold to Be a Wheel-Turning King	329
	Cakravartivyakrta-avadana
16.	The Story of Two Parrot Chicks	333
	Sukapotaka-avadana
17.	The Story of Mandhata	337
	Mandhata-avadana
	APPENDIXES
1.	Addendum to Mendhakagrhapativibhuti-pariccheda	373
2.	The Cosmos According to the Divyavadana	377
3.	Divyavadana and Mulasarvastivada-vinaya Concordance	381
	Notes	385
	Glossary	445
	Bibliography	467
	Index	487
	About the Translator	503