Owing to a couple of requests and enquiries, I have now integrated the English translations of the word commentaries, or word explanations, of the Jātaka verses into the main Jātaka Stories themselves. I was reluctant to do this at first as it interrupts the flow of the story, but as some people wanted it, I have done it, although it is also possible to switch them off, and just enjoy the story itself.
The commentaries themselves are sometimes very simple of the “unquestionable means being sure, unfailing, leading to deliverance,” type; but as in the commentary on the verse from which this quotation is taken they can be much more expansive, and include long digressions and quotations.
The word commentaries can also be read with the Pāḷi here, and in the standalone English version here.
I hope this will make them more easily available to people who want to understand how the commentaries work. As with the Jātakas themselves these are reconstructed (or bhāṇaka) versions of the text, so you don’t have to look elsewhere for the whole commentary. As I only translated the first 500 verse commentaries, this only effects the initial 300 Jātakas, not the later ones.
Please note that the commentaries are only integrated into the online html version of the text as there it is possible to turn them off if you do not want them. The pdf and epub versions remain as previous.
Distinguished Banthe,
I am translating the Jātakatthavaṇṇanā into Hungarian with my friend. However, our knowledge of Pāḷi is weak. Thus, we rely heavily on the three English translations (Cowell-Rouse, Cone & Shaw). The commentaries are immensely helpful to us. Do you know of any translations of the commentaries, such as for the Vessantara Jātaka? Otherwise, do you, Banthe, intend to translate the Word Commentaries for the remaining Jātakas?
With the most sincere regards, Janos Jelen
Dear Friend, it is very good to hear about your intended translations. I have revised the Cowell edited translation here: https://ancient-buddhist-texts.net/et/Jataka/ The main changes are vocabulary and consistency, and a retranslation of around 500 of the verses. I think you may find this version easier to work with as it is, for the most part, in modern English.