The History of Indian Literature c9.425

c9.425

³⁵⁸ Whether the Southern Buddhists are acquainted with Kṛishṇa is not yet clear. Buddha's prior birth as Kaṇha has, according to the text published in Fausböll's edition, p. 194, nothing to do with Kṛishṇa; the Játaka as Mahákaṇha (No. 461 in Westergaard's *Catal.*, p. 41), can hardly have any reference to him either; but what of the Játaka as *Kesava*? (No. 341 in Westergaard's *Catal.*, p. 40). The expression in Hardy, *East. Mon.*, p. 41, "You are yet a youth, your hair is like that of Kṛishṇa" (*I. St.*, iii. 161), is unfortunately not before us in the original text: might not the passage simply mean, "Your hair is yet black?" The fact of Kṛishṇa appearing in the Abhidhánappadípiká as a name of Vishṇu proves, of course, just as little for the ancient texts as the patronymics Kaṇhi, Kaṇháyana in the schol. on Kachch., v. 2. 4 (Senart, pp. 185, 186), which have necessarily to be referred to the epic or divine personality of Kṛishṇa.