The Glorious Deeds of Purna

The vast majority of Sanskrit Buddhist texts are available in the avadana literature. The present study provides an annotated translation and applies the methods of literary criticismto a first-century account about the life of saint Purna. It reveals the complexity and richness of this genre, which has been an integral part of Buddhist self-understanding for more than two thousand years. According to Buddhist tradition, the great evangelist who brought Buddhism to the land Sronaparantaka (which corresponds to a large part of the current Indian State of Gujarat) is Purna of Surparaka. Following the Introduction, which discusses some methodological issues in detail, there is an annotated translation and a detailed literary analysis. The appendices contain translations of four other versions from the Purna life after brief closing remarks.