Page 62 - EH65

60 EASTERN HORIZON | BOOK REVIEW

Book Review

By Benny Liow Woon Khin

Vanessa R Sasson, Yasodhara and the Buddha.
Bloomsbury: London, 2021. pp 294. £15.29
www.bloomsbury.com

This is a novel by Vanessa Sasson about Siddhattha
and Yasodhara. Vanessa Sasson highlights the story of
Siddhattha Gotama from the perspective of Yasodhara,
who became his wife and bore him a child. Buddhist
sources, including the Jatakas, mention that both Sakya kingdom for him to choose his bride.
Siddhattha and Yasodhara were born on the same
day and same time in their final rebirth as humans. Going against the tradition of the time, Siddhattha
Siddhattha who was heir to the Sakya kingdom, later decrees that he will present gifts to the maidens during
became the Buddha; and Yasodhara was the beautiful the ceremony instead of receiving gifts from them.
girl who became his loving wife, and later renounced When Yasodhara’s parents hear about this ceremony,
to become a nun. Theirs is a love story which has been they are keen for Yasodhara to meet Siddhattha. But
replayed over many lifetimes. Yasodhara is not as enthusiastic as her parents and is
reluctant to attend the ceremony because she finds it
In Sasson’s novel, Yasodhara is portrayed as someone humiliating to present herself to Siddhattha.
who is independent, strong-willed, and resilient. In
chapter 3, Sasson tells the story of how Yasodhara It would seem that Yasodhara is too modern for her age!
questions why she is not allowed to eat the fried bread Eventually, she relents. When the day of the ceremony
before the king officially begins the evening meal while arrives, Siddhattha presents each maiden with a gift.
the same restrictions are not placed on the boys who are Then his gaze falls on Yasodhara and he is smitten.
already busy eating some of it. Her mother explains that He presents her with the necklace that he is wearing.
Siddhattha can eat the bread before the official dinner Yasodhara responds rather audaciously, “is that all I’m
starts because he is the prince; and Devadatta because worth?”? Siddhattha laughs and gives her his ring too.
he is a boy, even though he is not the heir to the throne! And from there love blossoms and soon Siddhattha and
Sensing that Yasodhara is not too pleased with the Yasodhara are married.
explanation, her mother advises Yasodhara to be patient.
In the novel, Sasson also takes us through Yasodhara’s
Yasodhara’s strong character and pride is also journey of her joys and sorrows, and expectations and
mentioned in chapter 7, entitled Choosing. In the story frustrations. In a way, the novel can be regarded as a
mentioned in the Mahāvastu, an early Buddhist text, fairy-tale wedding for Yasodhara who not only marries
Prince Siddhattha has reached the age of 16 and his the heir to the throne but also bears him a male child.
father and the ministers are all encouraging him to But she is also not spared the sadness that ensues when
choose a bride so that he can have an heir of his own. Siddhattha stealthily leaves her just as their son Rahula
This is because the King and his ministers are well was born.
aware that Siddhattha is not particularly keen on affairs
of the state, not forgetting the prediction that he could While Yasodhara is the main focus of this novel, Sasson
either be a universal monarch or a great spiritual leader. also depicts the life of Siddhattha. Though very much
Hence, there is an urgency for Siddhattha to be married seen through the eyes of Yasodhara, Sasson conveys
to anchor him to the seat he will take as heir apparent. the slow transformation of Prince Siddhattha from a
To this end, the ministers arrange a ceremony where sheltered prince to a deeply sensitive young man. On the
Siddhattha will meet the maidens of high birth in the way, we also learn about how the gods in the heavens