A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t2.96

v2.c19.s3.t2.96

Nevertheless, even in the form in which they stand in the ballads of the Suttanipāta, these legends cannot belong to the oldest stratum of Buddhist tradition. They already pre-suppose a fairly long history of the Buddha legend. Among the latest parts of the Suttanipāta, however, are some of the prose narratives forming the framework for poems which in themselves bear the stamp of antiquity. *Fausböll*¹ indeed, has declared all the prose passages to be later additions. This can hardly be accepted. But K. E. *Neumann* is probably not far wrong when, in his translation, he simply omits some of the prose passages, regarding them, as he says using rather strong language, as "commentatorial priestly trash." When for instance, often in an entirely superfluous and clumsy manner, some Yakṣa or deity appears in order to introduce a dialogue, we are doubtless justified in calling such passages commentatorial additions.² At all events, the Suttanipāta, too, is a collection made up of earlier and later texts, and is certainly not a unified work,³ even though a few of the poems included in the Suttanipāta, such as perhaps the 12 Suttas of the Uragavagga, may be the work of the same author.