ABSTRACT

The objective of this research is to study the concept of MahavessantaraJataka Tales, Jujaka Chapter Existing in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture and to analyze Jujaka Chapter Existing in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture. The research methodology used is to study data from Tipitaka, Commentaries, text books, academic documents, and related research reports. The findings of research are as follows;

1.             History of Jujaka appeared in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture, Wat Ban Khae, Huay Tai Sub-district, Muang District, Si saket Province, has the contents about historical background, origin, and development of the literature. The time of composing of Jujaka Chapter Existing in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture is not present. It is accepted that MahavessantaraJataka of Cambodia is the composed work of SomdetPhraHariHarirak Rama (PhraAongDuang) who was born in B.E. 2339 and passed away in B.E. 2403 and engraved in palm-leaf in B.E. 2462. The language used in composition of the literature is Khamer letter engraved in the palm-leaf which is called in Thai “calligraphy” and in Khamer “original”.

2.             Characteristics and qualities of Jujaka were found in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture as follows; Jujaka was a Brahmin named Dunnvittha in Kalingaratha. Tolaka Brahma and CandiBrahmani were his father and mother. When his parents were dead, he lived with his ant and uncle at the village of Dunnavittha. He married with Amittata. Jujaka’s external characteristics were briefly prescribed as an evil human with eighteen characteristics such as 1) Balankapado i.e. a pan-and-bent-footed 2) Atthanakho i.e. half rotted nails, etc. Besides his evil human, he had the deformed, ugly, horrid, disgusting, and pitiful physical features. His characteristics were added by the writer in terms of being a flirted, wise witted, boasted, and humorous person.

3.             The Dhamma principles related to politics, tradition and cultures, economics, education, and social values in B.E. 2462 found in Khamer Palm-leaf Scripture are as follows; in the aspect of living standard, they were simple living, mutual helping, generous, merciful, and unselfish; in the aspect of profession, they were bureaucratic, agricultural, and trading; in the aspect of dressing, they wore sarongs and loincloth, used natural perfume like turmeric powder; in the aspect of belief, they respected in superstition, astrology, auspicious occasion, and Buddhism i.e. merit, demerit, goodness, badness, moral shaming, moral fearing, and gratefulness.