Ashokavadana

The Ashokavadana (Sanskrit: अशोकावदान, "Narrative of Ashoka") is an Indian Sanskrit-language text that describes the birth and reign of the Maurya Emperor Ashoka the Great. It contains legends as well as historical narratives, and glorifies Ashoka as a Buddhist emperor whose only ambition was to spread Buddhism far and wide.

Ashokavadana is one of the avadana texts contained in the Divyavadana ("Divine Narrative"), an anthology of several Buddhist legends and narratives. According to Jean Przyluski, the text was composed by the Buddhist monks of the Mathura region, as it highly praises the city of Mathura, its monasteries and its monks. Also known as Ashokarajavadana, it was translated into Chinese by Fa Hien in 300 CE as A-yu wang chuan, and later as A-yu wang ching (zh:阿育王经) in 500 CE. It was translated into French by Jean Przyluski in 1923, and in English by John S. Strong in 1983.

Date of composition

There are several versions of Ashokavadana, dating from 5th century CE to 16th century CE. According to Simon Coleman and John Elsner, the earliest finished form of the text dates back to 2nd century CE, although its oral origins may go back to 2nd century BCE.