[INDOLOGY] The story of Yajñadatta and the mirror in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra

[Dimitry Shevchenko]

Dear all,

I have been asked on the possible source of a simile of Yajñadatta falling in love with his own reflection in a mirror and going mad, mentioned in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra (大佛頂首楞嚴經), a Chinese Buddhist text, probably composed in Tang China, during the early eighth century CE:
 "Did you hear about Yajnadatta from Shravasti who on impulse one morning held a mirror to his face and fell in love with the head in the mirror? He gazed at the eyes and eyebrows but got angry because he could not see his own face. He decided he must be a mountain or river sprite, lost control, and ran madly about. What do you think? Why did this person set out on a mad cause for no reason?"
Purna said,  "That person was insane. There's no other reason."
Shurangama Sutra v4 pt1 (sfsu.edu)<http://online.sfsu.edu/rone/Buddhism/Buddhism/Shurangama/ss4pt1.htm>
Has anybody encountered this story in other Indian or Chinese sources?

Thank you in advance!
Best regards,
Dimitry


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