A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t2.198

v2.c19.s3.t2.198

Nevertheless, we are obliged to take our stand on this very Jātakaṭṭhavaṇṇanā, the only Jātaka-text known hitherto, for the following account of the contents of this collection of Buddhist tales, which is of the utmost importance not only for the history of Indian Literature, but also for the history of the literature of the world. The "stories of the present" it is true, can certainly be left aside. They are sometimes only duplicates of the "stories of the past," sometimes foolish and entirely worthless inventions, and at best narratives which have been borrowed from other parts of the canon, *e.g.* Vinayapiṭaka, Suttanipāta, Apadāna, or from other commentaries. So much the more valuable are the actual Jātakas or the "stories of the past."