The Mahāvastu Tale of Kuśa and Sudarśanā as a Piece of Narrative Literature

Abstract

This paper examines the tale of Kuśa and Sudarśanā mainly as it is found in the Mahāvastu. It has incorporated the types and motifs of folktales such as “Cupid and Psyche” （“Beauty and the beast”） and “Identification by a ring.” Not only that, I argue that the tale has developed into a piece of narrative literature, which includes repeated comical episodes of Kuśa’s behaviour: looking at his own wife, Sudarśanā, in the disguise of various types of working men and then making excellent handicrafts for his wife’s love as a variety of craftsmen.