A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Villagers leave a single fruiting Tinduka tree surrounded by thorns in order to trap five hundred crop-eating monkeys. As the people cut the occupied tree, the troop panics while its chief remains composed. In the village, one of the chief’s young ones explains its fear for its relatives to another monkey, who frees it from captivity. The youngster sets the village on fire, drawing the attackers away and allowing the troop to escape. The freeing monkey and the released youngster are distinct helpers; the story does not give them personal names or magical control of fire.
Origins & earliest records
Indian Buddhist narrative preserved in Tibetan translation
Records & interpretation
Whole chapter and its footnotes directly read in the digitized1906 edition.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources
XLII, The Monkeys Saved from Death, pp. 348–349; note cites Kah-gyur ii. ff. 115–116
- 02
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources — XLII The Monkeys Saved from Death
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906, title-page transcription independently checked. Tibetan Kah-gyur to German by F. Anton von Schiefner, then German to English by W.R.S.Ralston. Complete selected XL–XLIX344–359 and all notes independently read. Tibetan/German source-language originals not collated; footnoted comparisons not promoted to separately inspected works.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Schiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources (London, 1906)
XLII, The Monkeys Saved from Death. XLII, The Monkeys Saved from Death, pp. 348–349; note cites Kah-gyur ii. ff. 115–116
Whole chapter and notes read. Explicit identities and relations preserved; Bodisat status only where stated. Earlier cited Tibetan canonical witnesses not independently inspected. Original paraphrase of historical translation.
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources
Tibetan Tales Derived from Indian Sources, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1906, title-page transcription independently checked. Tibetan Kah-gyur to German by F. Anton von Schiefner, then German to English by W.R.S.Ralston. Complete selected XL–XLIX344–359 and all notes independently read. Tibetan/German source-language originals not collated; footnoted comparisons not promoted to separately inspected works.
- Villagers angered by crop raids leave a single Tinduka tree and surround it to trap a monkey troop. While the men cut it down, the chief remains outwardly calm. One of his young ones is already captive in the village; another monkey releases that captive, who sets the settlement alight. The men turn to the fire and the troop escapes.
Historical German-mediated English rendering; Tibetan originals and footnoted comparative works not independently collated. Page labels from hosted transcription. Religious/moral assertions remain narrative framing. No verse, ritual, prayer, medical preparation or modern adaptation copied.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical translation of Buddhist narrativeSchiefner/Ralston, Tibetan Tales (1906), XLII, The Monkeys Saved from Death, pp. 348–349; note cites Kah-gyur ii. ff. 115–116Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.