©arberrg
fcotoer
Uilirarj).
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Cornell University Library
BL 1420.C97 The
Bhilsa topes
or,
Buddhist monuments
3 1924 022 980 571
THE
BHILSA TOPES OB,
BUDDHIST MONUMENTS OF CENTRAL INDIA.
:
THE
BHILSA TOPES; OR,
BUDDHIST MONUMENTS OF CENTRAL INDIA COMPRISING
A BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH THE
03?
EISE, PBOGBESS,
AND DECLINE OF BUDDHISM;
WITH AN ACCOUNT
Off
THE
OPENING AND EXAMINATION OF THE VARIOUS GROUPS OF TOPES AROUND BHILSA.
BY
BREV.-MAJOR ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM, BENGAL ENGINEERS.
"
Whose
You
fabric huge,
dust the solemn antiquariau turns,
And thence in broken
sculptures, cast abroad
'
Like Sibyl's leaves, collects the builder's name,
Dyes..— Ruins of Rome.
Rejoiced."
Pttslrafcir
SMITH,
foitfc
®feirtg-tfem
LONDON: ELDER AND CO.,
$)lata.
65,
BOMBAY SMITH, TAYLOR AND :
CORNHILL. CO.
1854. {The Author
0/ this
work
it.] reserves to himself the right 0/ authorizing a translation of
3*7^//^
Printed by
Stkwabt and Mubhay, Old Bailey.
PBEFACE. The
1.
discoveries
made by Lieutenant Maisey and monuments
myself, amongst the numerous Buddhist that
still
exist
around Bhilsa, in Central India, are
described — imperfectly,
present work.
To
I fear
torian, these discoveries will be,
of very high importance
reader they
mounds
may
— by
the Indian
,
I
myself in the
antiquary and his-
am
willing to think,
while to the mere English
not be uninteresting, as the massive
are surrounded
by mysterious
pillars, recalling attention at
circles of stone
every turn to the early
earthworks, or barrows, and the Druidical colonnades of Britain.
In the Buddhistical worship of
trees displayed in
Sanchi bas-reliefs, others, I hope,
the
will
see (as
well as myself) the counterpart of the Druidical and
adopted
English reverence for the Oak.
horse-shoe temples of Ajanta and Sanchi
In the
many
will
recognise the form of the inner colonnade at Stone-
henge.*
More, I suspect,
will learn that there are
Cromlechs in India as well as in Britain ; f that the
Brahmans, Buddhists, and Druids transmigration of the soul *
Plate II.
figs. 1, 2,
and
3.
;
all
believed in the
that the Celtic language t Plate
II. figs.
4 and
a
5.
—
!
PREFACE.
VI
was undoubtedly derived from the Sanscrit ;* and that
Buddha
(or
Wisdom), the Supreme Being- wor-
shipped by the Buddhists, the
same
Welsh are too
is
probably (most probably)
god Buddwds, considered by the
as the great
These coincidences
as the dispenser of good.
numerous and too striking to be accidental.
Indeed, the Eastern origin of the Druids was sus-
who
pected by the younger Pliny, t
day Britain
this
many
similar
magic
celebrates the
ceremonies,
says,
rites
with so
The same
even more distinctly stated by Diony-
is
sius Periegesis,
who
says that the
Amnitse celebrated the As
to
one might suppose
that
they had been taken from the Persians." coincidence
"Even
rites
women
of the British
of Dionysos, v. 375
:
the Bistonians on Apsinthus banks
Shout
to the clamorous Eiraphiates,
Or, as the Indians on dark-rolling Ganges
Hold
revels to Dionysos the noisy
So do the British women shout Evoe
my
I have confined
2.
religious
belief
last
mortal
Buddha,
chiefly
to
Sakya Muni, the who died 543 B.C. There
taught
the
observations
by
was, however, a more ancient Buddhism, which prevailed not only in *
India, but in
all
the
countries
The name of Druid may be taken
tipvs;
Sanskrit, -r, dru; Welsh,
tree.
t Pliny? Nat. Hist. xxx.
1,
as an example: Greek derm; Erse, dair: a tree, or oak
—" Britannia
attonite celebrat tantis ceremoniis, ut possit."
hodie earn (magiam)
earn Persis dedisse videri
PREFACE.
Vli
populated by the Arian race.
The
Kra-
belief in
kuchanda, Kanaka, and Kasyapa, the three mortal
Buddhas who preceded Sakya Muni, was
India
in
contemporaneous with the worship of the elements inculcated
in
The
V6das.
the
between
difference
Vedantism and primitive Buddhism, was not very great; and the gradual evolution of the worship of
Pradhan by the Brahmans, Prajna by the Buddhists), from the
concrete Nature (called
and
Dharma
or
more ancient adoration of the simple elements, was but the natural
consequence
progressive
development of
Europe the
traces of this older
in the
the
the
Caduceus, or
wand
of the
and
growth
human mind.
the
Buddhism
are found
of Hermes, which
is
only
symbol of Dharma, or
deified nature, and in and the Saxon Woden ;— but Buddwas, Welsh
slightly altered forms of
the week,
The fourth day of
Buddha.
Wednesday, or Woden's-day, was named
Dies Mercurii by the Romans, and Buddhrvdr by the Hindus. of the Greek Hermeias or
is
still
called
Maia was the mother Hermes and Maya was ;
the mother of the Indian Buddha.
The connection
between Hermes, Buddwas, Woden, and Buddha is dent
In
;
although
impossible, to
it
make
Hermeias and mentioned by
may be it
his
and perhaps nearly
apparent to the general reader.
" golden wand,"
Homer *
difficult,
evi-
;
but Hesiod*
Theog. 938.
-^pvaoppairig, are is
the
first
who
PREFACE.
Vlll
speaks of his mother " Maia, the Atlantis to
Zeus the
illustrious
bore
Hermes, the herald of the
In the Homeric poems,
immortals."
who
also, there is
no
trace of serpents entwining the
in the
manner
represented in works of art.
the late
Home-
1
hymn
ridian staff) is
wand Even in
wand (which was
the
Apollo's sheep-
described as " a golden three-leaved innocu-
The
ous rod."
epithet of three-leaved
peculiarly
is
symbol of Dharma,
applicable to the three -pointed
an ornament on the Sanchi gateways
so conspicuous
of this volume.
In
of the
illustration
ancient
of India,
history
the bas-reliefs and inscriptions of the Bhilsa Topes are almost equal in importance to the discoveries
Layard
in
made by the the mounds
enterprising
more splendid and
of the Euphrates.
inscriptions found in the Sanchi
energ-etic
In the
and Sonari Topes we
have the most complete and convincing* proof of the authenticity of the history of
the Mahawanso. is stated,
Asoka, as related in
In the Pali Annals of Ceylon,
it
that after the meeting of the Third Buddhist
Synod, 241
B.C.,
Kasyapa was despatched
mawanta country
to the
He-
to convert the people to
Buddhism. In the Sanchi and Sonari Topes were discovered two portions of the relics of Kasyapa, whom the inscriptions call the " Missionary to the
The Sanchi of the
first
bas-reliefs,
whole Hemawanta."
which date in the early part
century of our era, are more original in
PREFACE. design and
more varied
IX
than any other
in subject
examples of Eastern sculpture which I have seen in
The
India. cessions,
subjects represented are religious pro-
worship of Topes and
the
and the
trees,
Buddhist
adoration of the peculiar symbols of the
Besides these there are some spirited sieges
Triad.
of fortified
cities,
Muni, and some
several stories from the little
rather attribute
life
of
Sakya
domestic scenes which I would
the fancy of the artist than to
to
their particular significance in Buddhistical story.
The plans and are all
sections
drawn from
scale (of
40
feet to
careful
an
which accompany
the north,
is
inch), to preserve the relative
by which the
The top
termined at a glance.
on which
the
same
scale of
400
thus
compare
the
another.
may
The plans of the from
feet to
be de-
different
groups of Topes are
several
situated, are all taken
of each
relative positions
of staircases, gateways, and other parts,
hills
work
measurements on the same
proportions of the different Topes.
drawing
this
my own an
surveys on the
The eye can
inch.
disposition
of
Lastly, the drawings of
one group with all
the principal
relic-boxes and caskets are one half the original size, sufficient (I
have reason to think)
for the correct deli-
neation of the different shapes and various mouldings.
I
am
indebted to the kind liberality of Major
H. M.
Durand, of the Engineers, for the view of the Sanchi Tope, and for the drawings of the Sanchi
bas-reliefs,
X
PREFACE.
containing the boat scene,
from
this world/' the
or
" Sakya's departure
" Religious Festival, with adora-
and a scene in the royal palace, with
tion of a Tope/'
a relic-casket.
The Topes were opened by
Lieut.
Maisey and
myself in the end of January and beginning February, 1851
;
1
of
and I attribute the success of our
discoveries in great part to the vigilance of our per-
I had become aware of the
sonal superintendence.
importance of this
watchfulness
strict
(after
I had
opened the great Sarnath Tope, near Benares, in 1835),
by the purchase of
five
beautiful gold coins
of Kadphises, which were brought from Anghanistan
Mr. Masson was engaged
at the very time that
opening the Topes of the Kabul valley.
I
now
from Major Kittoe that he has found a broken
in
learn
steatite
vase amongst the rubbish at the foot of the great
Sarnath Tope. this vase
It
was the
is,
I
fear,
more than probable that
relic-casket of the
Sarnath Tope,
which must have been destroyed during
my
unavoid-
able absence on engineer duty at Mirzapore.
As
the opening of the Bhilsa Topes has produced
such valuable results, Court of Directors authorise the
much
it is
will,
to be
hoped that the
with their usual liberality,
employment of a competent
open the numerous Topes which
and South Bahar, and
to
still
officer
exist in
to
North
draw up a report on
all
the Buddhist remains of Kapila and Kusinagara, of
PREFACE. Vaisali
XI
and Rajagriha, which were
scenes of
A
Sakya's labours.
would be of more
the
principal
work of
this kind
real value for the ancient history
of India (the territory of the Great
Company) than
the most critical and elaborate edition of the eighteen
Puranas.
I would also venture to recommend that the two fallen
gateways of the Sanchi Tope should be removed
to the British
Museum, where they would form
most striking objects
The value of
in a
the
Hall of Indian Antiquities.
these sculptured- gateways will, I feel
confident, be highly appreciated after the perusal of the brief account of their
them contained
in this
work; while
removal to England would ensure their preser-
vation.
For a most admirable view of one of these
gateways I
refer
Mr. Fergusson's
the reader to beautiful
and
the frontispiece of artistic
illustrations
of ancient Indian architecture.
Before parting,
may
I beg to draw the particular
attention of the reader to ferent classes of
my
identification of the dif-
Pramiue and Germance, as recorded
by Kleitarchos and Megasthenes, with orders of Buddhist Srdmanas.
the different
I do so because some
of our most eminent scholars have doubted the prevalence
and extension of the Buddhist
the beginning of the Christian era.
religion before
Now
the Pramnce
of Kleitarchos, and the Germance of Megasthenes, are
both stated to have been the opponents of the Brah-
— XU
—
PEEPACE.
Were
mans.
the
this
case
Srdmanas, which was a
title
they can only be the
common
to all the orders
of the
Bauddha community even Sakya himself
being-
styled
Maha Srdmana,
or the " Great Devotee."
The
;
Germance of Megasthenes is placed doubt by his mention that " women were
identity of the
beyond
all
* allowed to join them on taking- vows of chastity,"
had nuns.
for the Buddhists alone
It will not, I trust, be out of place in a Preface to observe that the several orders of Pramnce, mentioned
by Kleitarchos, 1. Optivoi,
Arhan
(or
are,
or "mountaineers," a
Aran, as
it
is
Greek corruption of
sometimes
spelt),
which was
common title of the Bodhisatmas, or second class of the Bauddha community, who usually dwelt on hills. a
2.
clad,"
YvfxvTiTai,
—a
the
" naked," or rather the " half-
descriptive title of the
Bodhisatwas, who,
during their devotions, wore only the Sanghdti, or kilt.
Tvftvijc,
soldier,
or Tujuvhtj/c,
was applied
—not to an unarmed one
;
to a light-armed
and, therefore, also,
to a lightly-clad person. 3.
Ho\itikoi, the
" townsmen," I only take to be
a corrupted transcript of the Sanscrit Pratyeka, the third class of the
was
it
Bauddha community, whose duty
to mingle with the people,
and frequent the
towns. *
Megasthenes
in Strabo, v.
ae^oixivai nai uvras aQpoBiolwp.
2vft
t-ai
ywa'uas
PBEFACE. 4.
Xlll
the "rural/' which
Rpoayiopioi,
I take to he
an alteration by some copyist, for the sake of the antithesis of " town and country/' with the last. The original term used
by Kleitarchos was, I " listeners/' a
to believe, Tlpoae^pioi, the
lation of the Sanscrit
see reason
literal trans-
Srdwaka, the fourth
class of the
Bauddha community. It
is
my
Opuvoi and the Buddhists.
I have identified both the
belief that
with the Bodhisatwa of the
Yvfivrirai
For, though there were four classes of
Buddhists, yet, the superior grade being those
had attained the rank of Buddha, they had, of no representatives on earth.
who had heard
Megasthenes, who resided
rv/xvrirai.
some years in India,
states
more
there were only three classes of Ftp/xavai 1.
YAo/3ioi,
desire all
;
" that
human
course,
Kleitarchos, therefore,
that there were four orders, has created
one out of the for
who
correctly that ;
viz.,
from the Sanscrit alobhiya, " without is,
the Bodhisatwa,
who had
suppressed
passions.
2. IorpiKoi, the "physicians/'
which I take
to be
a slight corruption of UpanKoi, for Pratyeha, the third class of Buddhists,
who, as they mixed much with
the people, would no doubt have generally acted as physicians, as the Christian
monks have done
in later
days. 3.
ETroirai, or
"beggars," equivalent to the Bhik-
shu, or mendicant
monk
of the Buddhists.
;
PREFACE.
XIV
Now
Kleitarchos was one of the companions
Alexander
of
and, as he did not advance into India
;
beyond the Hyphasis, or Byas River,
his
distinct
mention of the different classes of the Bauddha com-
munity seems
to
me
least)
(at
conclusive, that the
Sakya had not only become prevalent
religion of
Gangetic India, but that
it
had reached the Punjaub
Macedonian invasion,
at the period of the
Let me add that a
in
still
earlier
B.C. 330.
mention of the
Buddhists may, I think, be found in Herodotus, who, writing- about B.C. 420, shortly after the
second Synod says, differing in
assembly of the
— " There are other Indians, who,
manners from those before mentioned, put
no animal to death, sow no grain, have no fixed habitations,
and
upon vegetables."
live solely
of this class of Indians
but calls
is
it
them
skrit
is
The name
not given by Herodotus
by Nicolaus Damascenus, whc
preserved
Aritonii, the same, I believe, as the San-
Now
Arhanta.
Arhanta
is
a
title
of th<
Bodhisatwa, one of the classes of the Bauddha com' munity, which observed
by Herodotus
to
the
hibited from taking
begged tions,
all
Aritonii.
life
their daily bread
and
lived wholly
the peculiarities attributeo
;
;
They were pro
they soM'ed no grain, bu they had no fixed habita
upon vegetables.
Alexander Cunningham. Simla, 1853.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER INTRODUCTION.
I.
XVI
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
II.
LIFE OF SAK.YA. PAGE §1.
Early Indian worship— Elements
15
16
2.
Conflicting opinions at Sakya's advent
.
3.
Doctrine of transmigration
.
4.
The Swastikas
17
5.
Their doctrine of eternal annihilation
19
6.
Swastikas, Brahmans, and Buddhists, compared
19
Ditto
20 20
Ditto
7. 8.
Birth and early
9.
The four
life
of Sakya
16
predictive signs
21
10.
Ditto
21
11.
Ditto Ditto
12.
.
13. Probability of the story of his conversion 14.
Embraces a
15.
His asceticism
16.
Ditto
....
religious life
.
Braves the terrors of Maro or death
18.
His teaching
19.
Ditto
.
.
21. Grief of his followers
.
his corpse
.
23. Division of his relics 24. 25.
They
-
.
20. Sakya's death
Burning of
-
.
17.
22.
21 21
.
by Ajatasatra And again distributed by Asoka are collected
.
22 22
23 24 24 25 25 26
26 28 28
30 30
CHAPTER
III.
FAITH OF SAKYA. § 1.
Early observations of mankind
2.
Discrimination of the elements
31
3.
Early worship of Greece and India
32
.
31
CONTENTS.
XVU
...
§ 4. Philosophical systems of ditto
The Pythagoreans
5.
.
.
.
6.
Sakya's faith
7.
The Samadhikas
8.
Buddhists deny the Creator's providence Doctrine of Mrvritti and Pravritti, or rest and action The five Dhyani Buddhas, or personifications of the elements
;
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha (Contemplatists) and the Pradhanikas (Ma.
...
terialists)
9.
.
11. Similarity
of the early Brahmanical and Bauddha schools
12.
The Sankhy a
13.
Buddhist belief of creation of matter Doctrine of the Sankhya teacher, Kapila
doctrine of the eternity of matter .
14.
15. Doctrine of the
Sankhya
.
.
.
.
.
.
17.
doctrine of supreme nature Mystic roots of the elements
.
.
.
...—
20.
The
.
3.
three classes of Sakya's doctrine:
Vinaya;
24.
Ditto
.
.
.
.
27.
Ditto
.
social
Ditto
41
.
.
Buddhism and Mahomedanism
...
CHAPTER
45
.
49 50
.
50
.
.
44
.47 •
.
reformer
42 43
46
.
Kachhayana and Katyayana Ditto
Sakya a
40 40
45
Ditto
32. 33.
.
.
Ditto
30.
.
.
26.
29.
40
Sutra;
.
Language of the Buddhist books
28. Identification of
39
41
23.
31.
2.
Abhidharma
and Triyanika Their compilation in b. c. 543 Kachhayana's Pali grammar
25.
38
41 1.
21. Called Tripitaka 22.
.
The Brahmanical Seswaras and the Aiswarika Buddhists is a compound of mind and
All the schools agree that there matter
37
39
.
The Brahmanical Nireswara similar to the Bauddha Swabhavika .
36
39
.
teacher, Patanjali
19.
34
38
16.
18.
32
33
35 .
10.
PAGE
51
52
.53
IV.
FIRST SYNOD. § 1
.
2.
The Bauddha community Synod of five hundred monks .
First
.
•
.
.
.
55
.56
CONTENTS.
XVU1
TAGE
monks
§3. First Synod of five hundred
5.
Rehearsal of Vinaya
6.
Rehearsal of
7. 8.
... ....
Ditto
4.
Dharma
Buddha's Hymn of Joy His last injunctions
.
11.
Dress of the ascetics
13.
.
.
.
The four
.
.
Arhats
Pratyekas
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
•
-62 .63 .63
.
•
.
.64 .66
Types of the Buddhist classes between Buddhist and Christian ideas of immortality 19. The Grand Lama of Tibet a Bodhisatwa, and not a Buddha 20. Rules for the Bhikshu 17.
18. Difference
.
.
.
21. His dress
.
and equipments
.
CHAPTER
59 59 59 60
64
...
classes of Kleitarchos
57
61
•
.
Sarmanes, or Sramanas
15. Iatriki, or
16.
•
Ditto
14. Hylobii, or
•
.
57 58 58
.
.
Conclusion of the Synod Admission of women
12.
•
.
10.
9.
•
.
67
67 68 69
V.
CHRONOLOGY. §1. Succession of teachers
... ... ...
.
Ditto
2.
.
.
3.
Chronological
4. 5.
Date of Sakya's death 543 Chandra Gupta's accession
6.
Possible origin of the error in Buddhist chronology
list
of teachers
—
b. c.
.
.
CHAPTER
.
.
.
.
.
71
72 72
.73 .74
.
75
VI.
SECOND SYNOD. § 1. 2.
Ten
indulgences claimed
by the
Assembly of Second Synod
....
Vaisali fraternity
.
77 78
CONTENTS.
XIX PAGE
§ 3.
Discussion on the indulgences
79
4.
Sentence of degradation confirmed
5.
Similarity of proceedings to those of English trial
80
CHAPTER
80
by jury
VII.
BUDDHIST SCHISMS. 1.
§
2.
The degraded monks Various
5. 6.
7
originate the .
.
Ditto
3. 4.
sects
.
Maha Sanghika
.
.
.
heresy .
,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Vaibhashikas The Sautrantikas Names of eighteen schisms Extent of Buddhism in 443
.
b.c.
.
CHAPTER
.
81
.82 .82 .83 .84 .84 .
85
VIII.
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM. § 1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
11.
The Maurya dynasty
He He
:
accession of
Chandra Gupt
87
expels the Greeks from the Panjab
88
conquers India
90
Palibothra, or Pataliputra Indian expedition of Seleukos Nikator ditto Ditto Accession of Bindusara
92
Embassy of Dionysios Asoka deputed to Taxila
93
90 91
91
.
93
Appointed Governor of Ujain Death of Bindusara
CHAPTER
95 96
IX.
REIGN OF ASOKA. §
1
.
2.
Accession and conquests of Asoka His conversion to Buddhism
97 98
XX § S.
CONTENTS. He
erects
Promulgates numerous
5.
Title of Priyadarsi doubted
6.
True meaning of Dharma
7.
Ditto
8.
Ditto Ditto
9.
99
numerous Vihars and Chaityas
4.
100
edicts
by Prof.
II.
..... ..... ..... .....
10.
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, mentioned in
11.
Antiquity of the Pali Scriptures vindicated
inscription
100
H. Wilson
102 103
104 105 the
Bhabra 105
106
12.
Ditto
Ditto
107
13.
Ditto
Ditto
107
Name
108
17.
Asoka not mentioned in his own inscriptions and Asoka Chronological difficulties removed Doubtful name in edicts, perhaps Ariobarzanes
18.
Asoka's knowledge of the Greeks
111
19.
No
14.
of
15. Identity of Priyadarsi 16.
109 110 111
mention of the kings of Kabul and Parthia in his edicts Dates of the Rock edicts
112
20. 21.
Date of the
113
.... ....
Pillar edicts
22. Sincerity of Asoka's faith
CHAPTER
113 114
X.
THIRD SYNOD.
.....
§1. Heretics assume the dress of the Buddhists and enter their monasteries 2.
Expulsion of the heretics
3.
Rehearsal of Vinaya and
4.
Missions to foreign countries
5. Relics 6.
7. 8.
Dharma
.... ....
of the missionaries found in the Bhilsa Topes
Kasapa and of Majhima Ditto,
Relics of
Relics of Gotiputra
Explanation of the term ddydda 10. Gotiputra, the missionary to Dardabhisara 9.
11.
Other
relics
115
116
.....
11C 116
119
120 120 121 121
122
123
XXI
CONTENTS.
PAG1S
§ 12. 13.
The
zeal of
Asoka anticipated Christianity
Kunala, son of
Asoka— Asoka's
death
CHAPTER RISE § 1. 2. 3.
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
Division of Asoka's
empire— Fall of the Mauryas
Conquests of Menander in India
The Scythian Mauas expels the Greeks is succeeded by Azas
Rise of the Yuchi or Tochari under Kadphises
6.
Kanishka, a zealous Buddhist
7.
Milindu, Raja of Sakala
8.
Nagarjuna Buddhism extended into Tibet Mention of Buddhists by Apollonius of Tyana By Klemens of Alexandria ByPorphyrius By Palladius and Scholastikos In the Hindu dramas
12. 13.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
133 135
.
136
XII.
3.
4.
Chronological table of the Guptas
5.
Data
8.
138
.140
.
141
for chronology
•
& 7. Mr. Thomas's chronology He dates the rise of the Guptas from
141
145
.
Reasons for adopting a later date 9.* Silver currency of Gujrat copied
145
78 a.d. .
.146
from the drachmas of 149
Apollodotus
Chandra Gupta at Udayagiri Sanakanika, name of the kingdom of Bhilsa Vaishnava faith of the princes of Sanakanika
150
10. Inscription of
12.
139
.
9.
11.
T1TJDDHISM.
—
Rise of the Gupta dynasty Gupta era Gupta era dates from establishment of dynasty Gupta kings mentioned by the Chinese
6
.131 .132
.
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. — DECLINE AND FALL OF
2.
131
.
.
.
127
.128 .128 .130
.
.
127
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
:
CHAPTER
§ 1.
.125 .126
.
..... .
5.
10.
123
.
XI.
He
11.
.
.
.
4.
9.
123
in religious missions
.
151
,
152
.
.
CONTENTS.
XX11
PAGE
152
Chandra Gupta at Sanchi of the meaning of Prajna
§ 13. Inscription of 14. Illustrations
153
15.
Prajna
16.
18.
Chandra Gupta's gift to Sanchi Tope Chandra Gupta, lord of Ujain Ditto not an orthodox Buddhist
19.
Buddhism prevalent
20.
22.
paramount in the Panjab and Northern India Guptas Tantrika belief of Skanda Gupta
23.
Extravagance of the Tantrists
24.
Their charms and incantations Spread of Tantrika doctrines
17.
is
nature deified
•
.
.
in Pataliputra
.
155
.
155
156
Ditto
...
21. Religious belief of the earlier
25.
.154
.
.
26. Lokfeditya 27.
Budha Gupta
28.
Toramana
156 158
.160
..... .
.
.
... ...
30. Decline
32.
163
.
164
of Buddhism Buddhism
fall
165 166
of Buddhism
CHAPTER
160 162
—inscriptions at Eran and Gwalior
Causes of the decline and
160 161
29. Conquests of Siladitya
31. Pall of
154 154
.
.
167
XIII.
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES. §
1.
2. 3.
Account of the building of a Tope from the Mahawanso Memorial pillar recording the builder's intentions Topes usually built by forced labour .
5.
Foundations Laying the foundation stone
6.
Ceremonies attending
7.
Form
4.
169 169
.
.
170
.
170
.
it
of the chaitya
171 .
.
.
.
.
8.
Construction of the relic-chamber
.
.
.
9.
Procession of the relic-casket
.
.
.
10.
Ceremonies on closing the relic-casket
11.
Ceremonies on placing
12.
Completion of the Tope added to
13. Cornices or copings
.170
it
.172 .172 .173
..... .
in the relic-chamber
it
.
.
173
.
.
.
.174
.
.175
174
CONTENTS.
XX111 PAGE
§ 14. 15.
Other additions by subsequent kings The same description applies to the Great Sanchi Tope .
16. Different positions of
17. Consecration
176
the relic-chamber
176
of the ground
18,19. Various shapes of
177
20.
178
Topes Their age ascertained approximately from shape
CHAPTER SANCHI TOPE. §
175
176
XIV.
— NO.
1.
Position of Sanchi Hill
179
2.
Description of ditto
179
3.
Group of Topes
4.
Sanchi, the same as Sha-chi of
5.
Name
1.
at
180
Sanchi
Fa Hian
180 181
of Sanchi
6.
Story of the holy nettle at Sha-chi
182
7.
Village of Sanchi
182
8.
Situation of the Great Tope No.
1
183 183
10.
Other ruined Topes Shape of the dome
11.
Upper enclosure
184
9.
184
18.5
12. Pinnacle, chatta 13.
14.
186
Height of the Tope Colonnade or Buddhist railing
186 187
15. Pillars of colonnade 16. Kails of ditto
187 187
17.
Architraves
18.
Prevalence of Buddhist railings
187
19.
Four gateways Pillars of gateways— different
189
20. 21. Architraves of gateways 22.
Symbols of
24. Figures of the four 25.
.
Buddhas
Hariswamini inscription Lion pillar, with inscription
27. Capital of pillar 28.
Height of
capitals
Buddha and Dharma
23. Variety of bas-reliefs
26.
188
.
ditto
189 190 191
191
192 193
194 194
CONTENTS.
XXIV
§ 29. Style
30. Statue pillar
PAGE
..... ....
of sculpture in the
31. Capital of pillar
195
lions.
196 197
....
34. Shafts of pillars cut into pieces for sugar-mills
197 197 198
35. Eastern pillar
199
32. Description of statue
33.
36.
Height of
Broken
pillar
.
.
pillar of
37. Flight of steps,
199
Hariswamini Gosha
and statues
at entrance
CHAPTER
199
•
XV.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS. EASTERN GATEWAY. Right Pillar I.
Bight Pillar
Dream
of
Maya
201
.
202
.
202
— Inner Face.
Adoration of Tree
I.
II.
.....
—Audience Hall —Women dancing before the King
Palace Scene
H. Palace Scene
—Front Face.
.
.
.202
.
Left Pillar— Front Face. I.
DI.
Adoration of Symbol of
Boat Scene
In. Prince
Dharma
— Sakya's Nirvana
in Chariot leaving Kapila
Left Pillar
I.
.
Kitchen Scene
... ....
.
203 204 205
—Inner Face.
... —
H. Worship of Buddha as flame ni. Tope dedicated to the Supreme Buddha
.
.
.
.
205
207 210
CONTENTS.
Architraves
XXV
—Front. PAGE
I.
II.
m.
Worship of Topes
.
.
Procession of Buddha's feet
Worship of Tree
.
I.
III.
.
.
211
.
Architrave
II.
.211 .211
.
.
—Rear.
Worship of Trees Worship of Trees hy Animals Worship of Tope by Elephants
.
.
211
.
.211 .212
SOUTH GATEWAY. Right I.
II.
III.
Triple
Pillat
—Front
Symbol of Dharma
Face.
...
.213
Scene in Palace
.
Casket Scene in Palace
.
213
.213
.
.
—Front.
Architraves
....
Worship of Topes Worship of Tope HI. A Siege, and Relic-procession I.
II.
.
.
.
.
.
.
214 214 215
WEST GATEWAY. Right Pillar I.
II.
Trial of the
Bow
.
.
Right Pillar I.
218
.
Ditto
TV. Lions
II.
...
........
Worship of Tree
HI.
—Front Face.
222 222 223
—Inner Face. .223
Gateway—Worship
of Tree Worship of Tree surmounted by Chatta
.
223
XXVI
CONTENTS.
—Front Face.
Left Pillar
PAGE I.
II.
223 224
Social Scene
Love Scene
Left Pillar I.
Ascetic Life
II. Festival
III. State
—Archers
224 225
of the Tree
Barge
226
Architraves I.
II.
III.
—Front Faces.
Procession escorting a Relic-casket
Worship of Symbol of Buddha Worship of Tree by Elephants
Architraves I.
II.
III.
—Inner Face.
227 229 229
—Rear Faces.
Worship of Topes Triumphal Procession Temple Worship
229
229 229
NOBTH GATEWAY. Right Pillar I.
—Front Face.
Tree, with Staircase
230
Right Pillar
—Inner Face.
Worship of Tree
230
II.
Ditto
231
III.
Ditto
231
I.
—
CONTENTS.
Left Pillar
L Worship II.
III.
XXV11
—Front Face. PAGE
of Tree
231
Reverence paid to a Boy Simple Adoration
232 232 232
IV. Procession V. Domestic Scenes at Fountain
232
Left Pillar I.
IT.
III.
—Inner Face.
Cave Temple
233 233 233
Procession
Worship of Tree
CHAPTER INSCRIPTIONS. Nos.
No.
1
to 176. 177.
—NO.
XVI.
1 TOPE.
SjLnCHI.
On colonnade— old On southern pillar
235-259
259
Nos. 178 to 196. Later inscriptions from gateways
CHAPTER
XVII.
OPENING OF sANCHI TOPE §
1.
2. 3.
4,5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
— NO.
—
Manner of opening the Tope Brick Tope discovery made Probable age of the Tope 500 b.c.
No
—
—
Probable date of the colonnade 250 Date of the gateways 19 to 37 a.d.
262-267
b.c.
—
Gateway inscriptions in a more recent character Old inscription hidden by pillar of gateway Tope probably dedicated to the Supreme Buddha
1.
269 270 270 271
272 272 273 273
CONTENTS.
XXYI11
CHAPTER NO. 2 TOPE.
XVIII.
— SANCHI. PAGE
275
2.
Tope Dimensions of dome
3.
Pinnacle
4.
Colonnade, or Buddhist railing
5.
Ornaments of
276 276 277 277 278 278 278
§1. Position of
6. Bas-reliefs
275
pillars
of entrance pillars
7.
Bas-reliefs of
8.
Wheel
Tope and wheel
pillar
pillar
Sangha, or the united symbols of Buddha and
9.
Probable age, about 220
10.
278
CHAPTER INSCRIPTIONS Nos.
1
to 43.
On
Dharma
b. c.
FROM
XIX.
NO. 2 TOPE.
— SANCHI.
colonnade.
280
CHAPTER XX. OPENING OF NO. § 1
.
TOPE.
— SANCHI.
Present appearance of the Tope
285
2.
Position of the relic-chamber
.
3.
Relic-box with inscription
.
4.
Remarks on
inscription
.
5.
Inscriptions
on the
steatite
boxes
6.
Remarks on the enshrined
relics
7.
Relics of ten Buddhist teachers in 240
8.
Tope
originally intended for relics of
.
e. c.
.
two only
.
Intimate connection between the principal Buddhist leaders 10. Value of genealogies derivable from other Topes 9.
.
.
.
285
286 286 287 289 291 291
292 293
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER NO. 3 TOPE.
xxix
XXI.
slNCHI. PAGE.
§ 1.
Present appearance, and former
2.
Buddhist railing
295
3.
Pillars of ditto
4. 5.
Square enclosure Relic-chamber with two relic-boxes
6.
Relic-box of Sariputra
7.
Seven precious things in
.
296 296 297 297 297 298
.
298
8, 9.
10.
The seven
precious things in this Tope
of
12. Initial letters 13.
relic-casket
Series of seven precious things according to the Chinese
11. Relic-casket
Maha Mogalana
.
of names written in ink
...
Sariputra's career
16, 17.
Sakya's account of Sariputra
18.
His death and cremation
19.
Origin of Mogalana
20. Relics of both 21. 22.
23.
—
—
.
SONARI TOPES.
.
Position of Son&ri
3.
Situation of Topes No. 1 Tope Sondri Dimensions of Tope
4.
5.
pillar at Sravasti
—
.
.
.
.
299 300 301 305
305
306 306 307
.308
XXII.
— NO.
—meaning of name
Wheel
.
..... ....
found at Satdhara Date of Tope uncertain between 550 and 250 n. c. Date of Tope, perhaps 500 b. c. of railing, 250 b. c. Other Topes at Sanchi
2.
.
.
.
CHAPTER
1
.
299
.299
,
Relative position of relics to right and left
14. 15.
§
295
size
1 TOPE.
309 310 311 311
312
XXX
CONTENTS. PAGE
§
6.
Surrounded by a Buddhist railing
250—200
7.
Probable date,
8.
Opening of Tope— stone boxes
312 313
e. c.
CHAPTER
313
XXIII.
NO. 2 TOPE.— SONARI.
§1
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
XXXI
XXV.
TOPES AT BHOJPUR. PAGE 1.
Ruins of Bhojpur
2. Position 3.
327
Situation of Topes
6.
No. 1 Tope, A No. 2 Tope, B Opening of ditto
7.
Relic-casket, a crystal
4.
5.
8.
9.
10. 11.
12.
327
of ditto
328 329
330 331
Tope
331
No. 3 Tope, C No. 4 Tope, D Remains of other Topes, upper stage No. 7 Tope, a second stage Opening of ditto ;
13. Relic-jar
of Patito, the " degraded"
14. Relic-jar
of Upahitaka
15. 16.
Probable date, No. 8, Tope, b
250—200
b. c.
22.
No. 9 „ c No. 10 „ d No. 11 „ e Other Topes on the second Third stage of Topes Fourth stage of Topes
23.
Bhojpur Topes, mostly opened before
17. 18. 19.
20.
21.
stage
CHAPTER ANDHEE 1.
332 333 333 334 334 335 336 336 337 337 338 339 339 340 341
.
Position of the Topes
341
XXVI.
TOPES.
342
XXX11
CONTENTS.
CONTENTS.
XXXffl PAGE
§
21. Position of the various
22.
groups of Topes
Appearance of the Tope
.
hills in ancient times.
.
364 365
.
APPENDIX. Description of ancient arms, &c.
.
.
.
.
369
LIST OF PLATES.
I.
II.
III.
Sketch
map
of the country around Bhilsa.
Comparison of Druidical and Buddhist monuments. Various specimens of Topes.
— Sanchi. — Sonari, Satdhara, and Andher. Group of Topes — Bhojpur.
IV. Group of Topes
V. Groups of Topes VI.
VTI. View of the great Sanchi Tope, No.
1.
VHI. Plan and elevation of ditto. IX. Elevation and section of colonnade.
X. Sanchi
pillars.
—eastern gateway. —southern gateway. Tope scene —northern gateway.
XI. Boat scene
XII. Relic scene XIII.
XIV. Female dancer— west
XV. XVI.
Kitchen scene Inscriptions
gate.
—leaf-roofed house and gateway.
from No.
1
XVII.
Ditto
ditto.
XVIII.
Ditto
ditto.
XIX.
Ditto
ditto.
XX. XXI.
Tope.
Plan and elevation of No. 2 Tope, Sanchi. Inscriptions
XXII. Plan and
from No. 2 Tope.
elevation of No. 3 Tope, Sanchi.
XXIIE. Ditto
ditto
No.
XXIV.
ditto
No. 2
XXV.
Ditto
Topes of Satdhara.
1
ditto,
Sonari.
ditto, Sonari.
XXXVI XXVI. XXVII.
XXVIK. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. '
LIST OF ELATES. Nos.
1, 2,
and 4 Topes
at Bhojpur.
Nos.
8, 9,
and 10
ditto.
Plan and elevation of No.
1
Tope, Andher.
Ditto
ditto
No. 2
ditto.
Ditto
ditto
No. 3
ditto.
Symbols of Buddha.
XXXII. Symbols of Dharma and Sangha. XXXIII. Ancient arms and instruments.
;
THE
BHILSA TOPES. CHAPTER
I.
INTRODUCTION. 1.
The Buddhist
religion has long been extinct in
India, but it still nourishes in Nepal and Tibet, in Ava, Ceylon, and China, and amongst the Indo-
Anam, Siam, and
Chinese nations of votaries
far
outnumber those of
Japan,
Its
other creeds,
all
except the Christian, and they form one-fourth of the
whole human race.* the cradle
The valley of the Ganges was of Buddhism ; which, from its rise in the Christ, gradually
sixth century before
Kashmir and Kabul shortly invasion; and it was introduced to
*
The
about
170
Christians
222
Nepal, 1
;
number about 270
millions,
millions
;
who
Japan,
are
25
and Ceylon, 1
spread over
It was extended by
the whole of India.
:
;
distributed
total,
222
;
Alexander's
after
into China about
millions
Anam, 14
Asoka
j
the Buddhists
as follows:
Siam,
3
— China, Ava, 8
j
millions.
B
THE BHILSA TOPES.
2
the beginning of our era by five hundred Kashmirian 1
In A. D. 400, when Fa Hian visited Buddhism was still the dominant religion;
missionaries.
India,
but the
Vaishnavas were already rising into con-
In the middle of the seventh century, Hwan Thsang found numerous
sequence.
although the pilgrim temples of the
Saivas, whose
doctrines
embraced by Skanda Gupta and the of Pataliputra,
is
like
later princes
Buddhism was still the prethe people. But the progress of
yet
vailing religion of religion
had been
the
of
existence
a
tree
;
which,
symptoms of decay, can neither be strengthened nor renewed. The faith of Sakya was
after the
first
evidently on the decline
about
the
holy
cities
two or three centuries
;
and though of
Benares
later,
it
it
still
lingered
and Gaya
for
was no longer the
honoured religion of kings and princes, protected by the strong arm of power, but the persecuted heresy of a weaker party,
who were
forced to hide
their
images under ground, and were ultimately expelled from their monasteries by fire.* 2.
Buddhism had
* In
1835
in fact become an old and worn-out creed, whose mendicant monks no longer begged their bread, but were supported by lands
near Benares,
underground.
numerous Buddhist images at Sarnath of which had evidently been purposely hidden I found quantities of ashes also ; and there could
I excavated all
be no doubt that the buildings had been destroyed by fire. Major Kittoe, who has made further excavations during the present year is
of the
same
opinion.
INTRODUCTION.
3
long since appropriated to the monasteries.
Srdmanas and Bhikshus were
not
The
those
like
of
ancient days, the learned and the wise, whose bodily
and
abstinence
contemplative
devotion,
combined
with practical exhortations and holy example, ex-
wonder of the people.
cited the pious
The modern
Buddhists had relapsed into an indolent and corrupt body, who were content to spend a passive existence in the monotonous routine of monastic
was of
still
life.
There
the daily chanting- of an appointed
number
hymns
still
;
the same observance of forms and
the same outward signs
ceremonies
j
there were
of religion
j
but there was no fervent enthusiasm in
still
the lifeless performance of such monotonous routine
and
the
ardent
which
zeal
heart of every Buddhist of his
had
religion,
once burned
monk
long-
of good. ence
;
the
for the propagation
since
The only virtue now consisted evil, which was accounted equal
in
in
become
extinct.
abstinence from
to the performance
Indolent listlessness and passive indiffer-
took the place of devout contemplation and
pious abstraction
;
and thus the corrupt practices
of modern Buddhists would seem
to
countenance
the idea, that the more useless they became in this life,
the
more
fitted
did
they consider themselves
for the next. 3.
But though
the religion of the Buddhists has
long been extinct, and though the monks' "
call to
refection" has been silent for ages, yet their
monas-
teries
and temples
still
remain
j
their paintings
and
; ;
THE BHILSA TOFES.
4 sculptures
exist
still
attest the
live, to
enthusiastic
historical writings
their
;
wonderful sway which
may
individual
succeed in
still
single
a
establishing
The sculptures both we may read of
over the minds of a whole people.* the history
illustrate
;
and in
kings bowing reverentially before Topes and Trees of princes bearing caskets of relics on their heads, to be shrined
Topes ;
in the
and of the universal
reverence paid to the monks. 4.
The Buddhist remains now
existing'
may be
divided into four distinct classes.
Cave Temples, containing Topes, Sculp-
1st.
tures, Paintings,
Snd.
5.
the
and numerous inscriptions.
Vihdras, or Monasteries.
3rd.
Inscriptions on
4th.
Topes, or Religious Edifices.
Rocks and
Pillars.
The Cave Temples have been made known by beautiful
pictorial
illustrations
of
Ferg'usson
but the curious paintings which adorn the interior
must be
copied,
and the numerous inscriptions must
be deciphered, before the historical value of these
remarkable monuments fully *
appreciated.
The
of
the
Captain
Gill,
principal paintings are in the
and Ellora; Great Tope.
the sculptures
The
Buddhists
at Sanchi,
of
the
will
be
Madras
Cave Temples at Ajanta on the gateways of the
identity of the head-dresses of the paintings
with those of the sculptures, and more particularly the recent forms of the alphabetical characters in the Cave Temples, show that the caves cannot date earlier than the beginning of the Christian era. a.-d.
200.
My
own
opinion
is,
that they are not earlier than
INTRODUCTION.
Army,
now employed
is
painting's
at
5
Ajanta
in copying*
but the volumes of inscriptions in the
j
Caves of Nasik, Junir, Kanari, and
remain
:
Karli,
still
of
two
to be copied.*
The
6.
kinds
the
Vihdras,
— 1st,
nificent
Monasteries,
are
Cave Viharas, of which several mag-
specimens
Fergusson
or
have
been
by
published
Mr.
and 2nd, Structural Vihdras, of which
;
some specimens
still
remain at Sanchi, but
in
a
ver}- ruinous condition. 7.
The
Inscriptions on the Pillars at Delhi and
Allahabad, and on the Tirhut Pillars at Mathiya
and R&dhiya have long ago been deciphered and
by the remarkable ingenuity of James
translated
Prinsep. Gujrat,
in
The Inscriptions on the Rocks at Junagiri and at Dhauli in Kuttack, were also
interpreted
by him.
A
inscriptions
(but in
the
third version of the rock
Ariano
Pali
character),
which was found at Kapur-digiri, near been
has
carefully
collated
with
Peshawur,
the
by
others
* In Bird's learned " Historical Researches on the Origin and
Principles of the plates
Ellora,
Bauddha and Jaina
Religions," there are several
of inscriptions from the Caves of Kanari, Karli, Ajanta,
Nasik, &c.
translations
;
Of some
of these,
Dr.
Bird
has offered
but as he has an evident leaning towards identify-
ing Buddhism with the ancient Sun-worship, the translations are not so accurate as could be wished. proper if it
p.
name
of
Mitra
was the Persian Mithra, the
51, which
gives
For instance, wherever the
(a friend) occurs, he has translated
the
name
sun.
of Biulha
His third
Mitra
it
as
inscription,
(the friend of
Buddha), should have taught him the true value of Mitra.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
6
Many
Professor Wilson.
from
short inscriptions
Gaya, Sanchi,, and Birat, as well as from the Cave Temples of Southern India, have also been published but, with the single exception of
at different times
j
the edicts in the
Eock
Inscriptions,
which contain
the names of Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and
Mag-as, the inscriptions in the present volume of greater interest, and of
than
all
much higher importance,
that have yet been published.
The numerous Topes which
8.
are
still
are chiefly confined to a few localities.
exist in
India
The Topes of
Kabul and Jelalabad were opened by Messrs. Honigberger and Masson in 1835, and those between the
Indus and the Jhelam by Generals Ventura and Court in 1833 and 1834.
The Topes near Benares
were opened by myself in 1835, and those at Sanchi
and other places around Bhilsa, were opened by Lieut.
Maisey and myself present year.
in January and February of the The Topes of Tirhut and Bahar still
remain to be examined. 9.
Of
the Bhilsa Topes none have yet been de-
scribed excepting the largest
near Bhilsa.
An
of the Sanchi group
accurate plan and section of this
building, with a short account of the various subjects
represented in the sculptured bas-reliefs of the gate-
ways, was published by
Cunningham, Bengal.
On
his
brother Captain J. D.
solicitation*
* See Vol. xvi., p. 745.
my
my
in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of
and
earnest repre-
Just eighteen days before his death,
brother thus wrote to a friend regarding these discoveries,
INTRODUCTION.
7
sentation of the great value of these bas-reliefs, the
Court of Directors were induced to employ Lieut.
Maisey
make drawings of the buildings and of its gateways. In January last I joined Lieut.
to
sculptured
Maisey
and I
at Sanchi,
am
therefore able to speak
positively of the value of his drawings, which cannot
be surpassed for strict
accuracy of
10.
of the
illustrated in
great
a manner
and importance.
In the present work
it
is
my
intention
to
Topes, or Buddhist monuments, which
exist in the
neighbourhood of Bhilsa,
These Topes consist of
India. all
of outline and minute
bas-reliefs
now be
will
their value
describe the still
The
detail.
Tope at Sanchi worthy of
fidelity
on low sandstone
situated
in Central
five distinct hills,
groups,
more or
less
(See Map.)
inaccessible.
Sanchi, 5f miles to S. W. from Bhilsa. 2nd, SonAri, 6 miles to S. W. from Sanchi. 1st,
Satdhara, 6^ miles W. from Sanchi. Bhojpur, 7 miles E. S. E. from Sanchi,
3rd, 4th,
and 6 miles S. S. E. from Bhilsa.
Andher, 4
5th,
miles E. S. E. from Bhojpur,
and 9 miles E. S. E. from Bhilsa.
—The
extreme distance from west to
Satdharato Andher, 11
A
Tope
is
is
me
from
17 miles.
properly a religious edifice de-
which had been early communicated pleasure to
east, or
to reflect that
my
to him.
" It
is
no small
residence in Bhopal brought
about the delineation of this monument and that of others, and so led the
way
to
many
important antiquarian results."
THE BHILSA TOPES. Buddha; that is, either to Adi Buddha, the great First Cause of
dicated emphatically to
the celestial
or to one of his emanations, the
all things,
Mdnu-
" Mortal" Buddhas, of whom the most celebrated, and the only historical one, is Sakya Muni, who died in B. C. 548. In the Topes dedicated to the celestial Buddha, the invisible Being who pervaded all space, no deposit was made ; but the shi, or
who
Divine Spirit,
occupy the
by a
is
" Light," was supposed
pair of eyes, placed on each of the four sides
either of the base, or of the
Such
is
crown of the
Existent"),
which the eyes are placed on the
in
upper portion of the building. regular Chaitya
ment
edifice.*
Kathmandu, Swayambhunath (the " Self
the great Chaitya or Tope near
Nepal, dedicated to
in
to
and was typified on the outside
interior,
(inner
A
specimen of the
represented in the 3rd compart-
is
of the left-hand pillar
face)
of
the
eastern gate at Sanchi, in which the two eyes are
one above the other. Such also are the numerous Chhod-tens in Tibet, which are dedicated to the celestial Buddha, in contradistinction to the placed
*
The legend of Kun&la, the son of Asoka, proves the antiquity In a former birth, Kun&la is said to have
of this practice.
plucked the eyes from a Chaitya, for which he was punished by the loss
of his
own
in
the next birth
;
and because he then
presented a pair of golden eyes to a Chaitya, he
was afterwards
born as the son of Asoka, with eyes beautiful as those of the Kunala bird, from which circumstance he obtained his name.
—
See Hodgson, 409-413.
p.
117
;
and Burnouf Buddhisme Indien, pp.
See also Plate III. of this volume.
INTRODUCTION.
U
Dung-tens, which are built in honour of the mortal
Buddhas, and which ought
to contain
some portion
The
of their relics either real or supposed.
firsts
Chhod-ten, means simply an "offering'" to the Deity; the latter, Dung-ten, relic-receptacle.
emphatically a "bone/' or
is
The same
distinction
is
preserved
and Dhdtugarhha or The former is properly a religious edifice, dedicated to Adi-Buddha, while the latter is only The word a "relic-shrine," or repository of ashes. Chaitya, however, means any sacred object as a as well as any monument tree, an altar, a temple
in the Sanskrit terms, Chaitya
Dhagoba.
—
—
raised
on the
a pillar
:
site
Chaitya
of a funeral pile, as a
may
general term for both kinds of
tugarhha or Dhagoba " relic" shrine. 12.
where
is
The word Tope it is
mound
or
therefore, perhaps, be only a
mound
while
;
Dhd-
particularly restricted to the
is
derived from Afghanistan,
used to designate
all
the solid
mounds of
masonry which were opened by Messrs. Honigberger and Masson. The same term also is applied to the massive tower of Manikyala in the Panjab, as well as to all the smaller towers in its neighbourhood.
There can be no doubt therefore that the name of Tope is the same as the Pali Thupo, and the Sanskrit
Stupa, a
"mound"
or "tumulus," both of which
terms are of constant use in the Buddhist books. Stupa, or Tope, is therefore a name common to each
kind of tumulus; whether dedicated
to
the
Supreme
it
be the
solid
temple
Being, or the massive
THE BHILSA TOPES.
10
mound his
erected over the relics of Sakya, or of one of
more eminent
13.
From
appear that Topes were
would
it
in existence prior to Sakya's advent
were
much
of
objects
Sakya himself
Budd-
passages in the Pali
several
annals,
histical
followers.
and that they
;
reverence
to
especially inculcated the
the
people.
maintenance
of these ancient Chaityas* and the continuance of
But
the accustomed offerings and worship.
accommodation of
doubtless, only a politic
this was,
his
own
doctrines to the existing* belief of the people, adopted for
the purpose of ensuring a more ready assent to
his
own
views.
prophetic
Mahomed
Like as
missions
Moses and
of
recognised the Elias,
divinity of our Saviour Christ, so did
and the
Sakya Muni
acknowledge the holy Munis Kakutsandafi Kanaka,
and Kfoyapa, as
his
They
immediate predecessors.
were, probably, heroes or saints,
who had
obtained
the respect of their fellow-countrymen during
and their reverence erected
over their
after death.
in the
relics
life,
Stupas had been neighbourhood of
Kapila and of Benares, and their worship was too firmly
established to be
of success. %
Sakya
attacked with
any chance
therefore artfully engrafted
them
* See his seven imperishable precepts, given to the people of Vaisali.
The
sixth of these
is,
" to maintain, respect, reverence,
and make offerings to the Chaityas; and to keep up the ancient offerings without diminution."
f Or Krakuchanda. % Fo-hwe-H, chap. 20,
— " His
body remained
entire."
And
INTRODUCTION.
11
on his own system as the Buddhas of a former age. In like manner, the farmer, who cannot check the
mountain stream, turns
course into numerous
its
rivulets for the irrigation of his lands.
14. It appears also that Stupas
had been erected
over Supreme Monarchs prior to Sakya's advent, for
Sakya
particularly
informs
disciple*
his
that, over the remains of a Chakravarti
Ananda
Raja, " they
build the thupo at a spot where four principal roads
meet."
It
is
clear,
therefore,
that the
Tope,
or
" tumulus," was the common form of tombs at that period. In fact, the Tope, as its name implies, is nothing more than a regularly-built cairn or pile of 1
which was undoubtedly the oldest form of
stones,
funereal memento. 15.
In his last injunctions to Ananda,f Bhagawia, " dwelt on the merits to be acquired by
likewise
building
1
thupd over
relics
of
Tathagata, Pache-
Buddhd, and Sdrvakd," or Buddhas, Pratyekas, and and he more particularly pointed out Srawakas ;
that they be raised
who prayed to
at
the
shrines
him would be born
in
that would
heaven. J
But,
although the original object of a Tope was to cover the remains of the great, or to enshrine the relics of the holy, yet, in a short time, other Topes, or
Tumour
quotes the same from the Pali Annals,
were not separated."
—See Prinsep's Journal,
* See Turnour, in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
f Turnour, in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
1006.
Turnour, in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
1005.
I
vii.
1006.
—" The
797.
joints
THE BHILSA TOPES.
12
memorial monuments, were
on spots ren
erected
dered famous by the leading events of Sakya's
These holy places rapidly increased
in
.
number, until
there was scarcely a larg*e city in India, from to Orissa,
and from Nepal
possess a
monument For
to Ceylon,
illustrative of
life.
Kabul
which did not
some act of the
this end, the doctrine of trans-
Great Teacher.
migration was highly accommodating the mortal pilgrimage of
;
although
for
Sakya was limited
central provinces of the Ganges, yet there
to the
was no
part of India which he might not have visited in
some former existence; and is said to
in this
way, indeed, he
have been in Ceylon.
The Topes were, therefore, of three distinct kinds 1st, The Dedicatory, which were consecrated to the Supreme Buddha; 2nd, The strictly Funereal, 16.
:
which contained the ashes of the dead ; and 3rd, the Memorial, which were
Of
17.
spoken; but I
built
Dedicatory
the
may
upon celebrated Topes
spots.
I have
here observe, that, as
already it
is
im-
probable that any deposit would have been placed in them,
we may such
Topes,
as
plausibly conclude that the largest those
of
Sanchi,
Satdhara,
and
Bhojpur, were consecrated to the Supreme Invisible
Adi-Buddha. 18. Of the Memorial Topes, known. great
little
is
at
present
It seems nearly certain, however, that the
Manikyala Tope was of
this
kind; for the
extracted from it, which begins with Gomangasa, " of the abandoned body," undoubtedly
inscription
INTRODUCTION. refers
Sakya's abandonment of his body to a
to
hungry
13
This Tope, therefore,
lion.
than the period of
Fa
dates
Hian's Indian
earlier
pilgrimage
in a.d. 400.
19.
The Funereal Topes were of course the most
numerous, as they were built of
all sizes,
and of
all
kinds of material, according to the rank of the deceased and the means of his fraternity.
At Bhojpur,
the Topes occupy four distinct stages or platforms
of the
The
hill.
largest Topes, six in number, occupy
the uppermost stage, and were, I believe, dedicated to
Buddha;
that
is,
Adinath, or to the This view
Sdkya.
either to the celestial relics is
of the
Buddha,
mortal Buddha,
borne out by the facts that
the largest Tope contained no deposit; and that the
second and third sized Topes yielded crystal boxes,
one of which, shaped a minute portion of 20.
like
human bone
The second-rate Topes,
stand on the second stage. these
a Tope, contained only smaller than a pea sixteen
in
five
inscriptions of
21.
The
of these Topes,
any
view,
third
We
discovered
but there were no
historical value.
stage of the
seven small Topes,
been
number,
my
Topes contain the ashes of those who had
reached the rank of Bodhisatwa. relics
in
According to
!
built over the
Pratyeka Buddhas.
all
hill
is
occupied
by
of which I suppose to have
remains of the third grade of
Of the
on the lowest stage of the
eight Topes which stand hill,
one
is
than any of those on the third stage.
much
larger
These Topes
THE BH1LSA TOPES.
14
were, I believe, built over the ashes of the lowest
grade of the Bauddha
community, the
Srawaka
Buddhas. 22.
The few remarks which I have suggested show the valuable light
above, will be sufficient to
which the Topes are
likely to
of the religion of Buddha. to the examination of the
afford in illustration
But, before proceeding
Topes and their contents,
I propose to give a slight historical sketch of the progress of that combined system of practical morality
and philosophical speculation which, under the name of Buddhism, was the dominant faith of India for
nearly fifteen centuries.
—
—
LIFE OF SAKYA.
CHAPTER
15
II.
LIFE OP SaKYA. 1.
In
the earliest times of which
authentic record, the Arian race,*
and India, was attached
In Persia, the
to the
we have
any-
both in Persia
worship of the Sun.
element was looked upon as the
fiery
earthly type of Mithra, or the heavenly orb; and
was kept continually burning- by the Magian priesthood. But the worship of the elements was not unknown to the Persians; for
the sacred flame
Herodotus expressly the
Sun and Moon,
and
to the
" they
to the Earth, to Fire
In
Winds."t
* I use the term
the race
states that
Avian
sacrificed to
and Water,
India, the worship of the
in its widest acceptation to signify
Aryya, whose emigrations are recorded
of
'
in
the
Starting from Ericene- Veejo, the Aryas gradually
Zendavesta.
spread to the south-east, over Aryya-vartta or Aryya-desa, the
northern plains of India; or Persia.
The Medes
f Herodotus, koX irvpl
Kal
i.
viari
quoted by Barker, Gods,
whom
Lempriere, in
and to the south-west, over Iran,
are called Apewi
131,
Qvovat
Kal
avifioioi.
Ik
—" They teach
by Herodotus.
jj\i£>
So
re
also
the nature and origin of the
they think Fire, Earth, and v.
Magi.
ical acXrjvrf Kal yy Diogenes Laertius,
Water."
Strabo and others say the same.
Barker's
THE BHILSA TOPES.
16
material elements was intimately blended with that
Sun j and Varuna and Indra (with his attendant Maruts), or Water and Air, shared with Agni, or Fire, in the daily reverence of the people. The religious rites consisted of sacrifices, and of the recitation or chanting- of the ancient hymns of praise of the
and thanksgiving-, which are
still
preserved in the
The officiating priests were most probably Brahmans; for, although there is no positive au-
Vedas.
thority for such a belief, yet
we know
of the Buddhist religion,
rise
in
that, at the
the 6th century
before
our era, they formed an hereditary priest-
hood,
and
were
the
recognised
teachers
of
the
Vedas.* 2.
At
this particular period of
Indian history, the
minds of men were perplexed with conflicting systems of religious belief,
and with various philosophical
speculations on the origin of the world, and on the
mystical union of mind and matter, or of soul and
The most popular system was that of the JBrdhmans and their followers, who believed in the body.
immortality of the soul after transmigration opponents, the
their
existence
was
finite,
Swastikas,
affirmed
and was limited
to
;
while
that
its
con-
its
nection with the body. 3.
The
doctrine of the transmigration of souls
was
one of the earliest religious beliefs of the ancient world. *
809.
In Egypt
Tumour,
its
acceptance was universal
;
and
in Journal of Asiatic Society, Bengal, vii. pp. 805,
LIFE OF SAKYA.
17
was denied only by the atheistical Swastikas; for the Brdhmans, notwithstanding- the India*
in
it
metaphysical schools, agreed in
differences of their
believing that
mankind were
successive regenerations, in
this
By
world.
to
destined,
by means of
prolonged existence
a
the attainment of true know-
ledge, through abstract meditation, and
more espe-
by the endurance of painful mortifications of the flesh, it was held possible to alleviate the misery of each successive existence by regeneration in a cially
higher and a happier sphere of
life.
But
was
it
enough that the general tenor of a man's life was virtuous, for even a single sin was sufficient to draw down the punishment of a lower state of The sole aim, the one existence in the next birth. not
motive impulse of man, in each successive existence,
was
to
win
for himself a
at each birth,
and a
each death.
at
still
still
happier state of
was, therefore, only
It
life
higher stage of perfection with the
greatest difficulty that the most virtuous could wring
from the reluctant gods his the trammels of this
final
u mortal
cipation of soul from body, and
of
exemption from
coil"
by the eman-
by the re-absorption
the liberated spirit into the divine essence or
head, which was 4.
its
God-
original source.
The Swastikas received
their
name from
their
was the fundamental belief of all The principal difference classes, both Buddhist and Brahmanical. between the two creeds lay in the means for attaining final *
The migration of
souls
exemption from migration..
C
;
THE BHTLSA TOPES.
18
peculiar symbol the Swastika, or mystic cross, which
was a
"
This term
typical of their belief in Swasti.
is
meaning
compound of Su, "well," and asti, "it is;" it is well," or, as Wilson expresses it, " so be
and implying- complete resignation under stances.
But
it
all
it;"
circum-
was the stupef} ing submission of the r
Fatalist, not the
meek resignation of the
Christian,
Almighty, and " whatever is, is right," because acknowledges that According to the Chinese* it is the will of God.
which bows
to the chastening of the
who
the Swastikas were Rationalists,
held that con-
tentment and peace of mind were the only objects
worthy of attainment
in
this
Whatever ad-
life.
vanced those ends was to be sought; whatever hindered them was to be shunned. desires
were
to be
subdued
;
all
All impulses and
hopes and fears were
to be suppressed " All thoughts,
Whatever
all
passions, all delights,
stirs this
mortal frame,"
were accounted violators of the peace; and
common
cares of
different forms
life
all
the
were considered as so many
and degrees of pain.
In the anxious quest for quietude, even the memory of the past was to be forgotten; and, what was a more rational *
They
the
are
their doctrine
is
The Swa&ti of
Tao-sse of the Chinese
;
and the founder of 604 and 623 b.c.
said to have flourished between
Sanskrit
is
the Suti of Pali
;
and the mystic
cross,
only a monogrammatic symbol formed by the combination of the two syllables, su ti suti.
or Sw&stika,
is
+
=
LIFE OF slKYA.
19
although perhaps not a more attainable one,
object,
there was to be no vain solicitude for the future.
The
5.
of eternal annihilation,
doctrine
fatalist
and consequent escape from future punishment, will always be popular amongst people of weak minds and strong passions 1
;
and as these have ever been the of mankind
prevailing characteristics 1
the
Atheistical
of the
principles
the East,
in
Swastikas
were
received by the bulk of the people with very great
They assumed the name of Tirthakaras,* " pure- doers ; " but by the Buddhists of Tibet
favour.
or
they are said to have been indecent in their dress,
and grossly Atheistical in
their
principles.
Their
Tibetan name Mustegs, or " Finitimists,"
is
ficant of their doctrine of finite existence
but they
are
more generally known
as the
;
signi-
Pon, or Pon-po.
This sect, which prevailed
throughout Tibet until
now
confined to the furthest
the seventh century,
parts of the most
name
of
Pon
punya, " pure," 6.
after
is
The
eastern province of Tibet.
evidently only the Sanskrit
is
tHJH
—
a synonyme of Tirthakara. Between the Swastikas, who promised nothingthis life, and the Brahmans, who offered an
almost endless series of mortal existences, people of strong-
sadly
minds and deep thoughts must have been
Few men
perplexed.
of
vigorous intellect
could have believed that their never-sleeping- souls * See
Fo-kwe-ki,
22,
The
old
pp. 181, 192.
23,
and
Csoma's Tibetan Grammar,
name of Tirthakara, cffa^T^,
preserved amongst the Mog-als as Ter.
is
still
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
20
were subject to decay and dissolution
and yet how
;
few of them, by the most zealous asceticism, could reasonably expect the final attainment of incorpora-
For the mass of mankind
tion with the Divinity.
hope whatever; for few
there could have been no
would attempt the attainment of that which was so difficult as to
7.
be almost impossible.
During-
prevalence
the
of
such
the
beliefs,
of any more rational system was certain and the triumphant career of S&kya Muni, and the
success
rapid propagation of his religion,
much
as
to the defects of
may
be attributed
former systems as to the
practical character of his
own
cated morality, charity,
abstinence,
precepts, which incul-
and the more
speedy attainment of Buddhahood, with the abolition of caste, and of the hereditary priesthood. 8.
Sakya Sinha,
or
Sakya Muni,
the
great
mortal teacher of the Buddhist religion, was the son of Maya, by Suddhodana, Raja of Kapila, a petty principality near
the present Gorakhpur.
He
was
born in the year 623 b. c, and was, by his father's side, a
descendant of Ikshmaku, of the Suryavansa, or
solar race.*
His
Siddhartha.
He
original
name was Suddhatto,
was reared
in the
or
palace of his
father in all the accomplishments of a young' prince
of that period
;
and
at sixteen years of
ried to the Princess Yasodard, or
From *
age he was mar-
Subhaddakachhana.
that time until his twenty-ninth year, he was
Tumour's Mahawanso,
p. 9.
See also Tumour's Extracts from
the Atthakattha, published in Prinsep's Journal,
vol. vii. p.
92?.
LIFE OP SAKYA.
21
wholly wrapped up in the pursuit of
when a
pleasures,
succession of incidents awakened in
train of deep thought, plete
human
change
which gradually led
own
in his
him a
to a
com-
and which eventually
life,
affected the religious belief of one-half of the
human
race.* 9.
Mounted
steeds, the
prince was proceeding
when he was
pleasure-garden,
appearance of an
man,
drawn by four white
in his chariot,
as
startled
usual to his
by the sudden
old, decrepid, toothless, gray-haired
tottering feebly along with a staff.
roused him
to
and
reflection,
The sight
he returned to his
palace full of the sad belief that man, in whatever state
10.
he
may
be born,
Four months
is still
u subject
later,
on a second excursion
to decay."
towards the pleasure-garden, he met a poor wretch, squalid with disease
and he returned
;
to his palace
sadder than before, with the reflection that
man
is
subject to disease as well as to decay. 11.
Four months
met a corpse
;
on a third occasion, he
later
and he returned
to his palace
still
sadder than the last time, with the reflection that
man, however high disease, and death. 12. Four months
his station, is subject to decay,
later,
he noticed a healthy, well-
clad person, wearing the peculiar robe of those de* its
In the time of Trajan, when the
greatest extent, Buddhism,
was
Roman Empire had
attained
the prevailing belief of China
and India, which must then have contained more than one-half of the population of the globe.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
22
This caused another reflection on the propriety of that mode of life which could produce both cheerfulness of mind and healthiness
dicated to religion.
of body
;
and
determined
prince
the
at
once to
These four incidents are called
join the religionists.
shown at intervals to the persons destined to become Buddhas.* 13. The whole story of Sakya's early life, when the " four predictive signs," which are
stripped of the
by
superhuman incidents fondly added
his followers,
seems both natural and true
:
for
nothing can be more probable than the religious retirement of a young prince, who for twelve years
had abandoned himself to every variety of pleasure until he was cloyed with enjoyment, and the cup of desire
was brimful
incidents
to satiety.
narrated
Even
the miraculous
by devout Buddhists,
not
are
more wonderful than those which are recorded and believed of the Virgin Mary, and scores of Eoman Catholic saints, as well as of the Arabian Mo-
hammed. 14. Sdkya Sinha was twenty-nine years he
left his
and
wife
ascetics.
on the bank of the *
when
Yasodard and her infant son Rdhula,
quitted his native city of
garb of the
of age
When
Anoma
Kapila to assume the near his journey's end,
river,
he cut off his long
Tumour's Extracts from the Atthdkatiha,
nal, vol. vii. p. 805.
in Prinsep's Jour-
These four predictive signs are generally
believed to have been witnessed at intervals of four months.
Dighabhdnaka
fraternity, however, assert that
the four predictive signs on the same day.
The
Sakya witnessed
all
LIFE OF SAKYA. hair with the tiara
still
23
attached to
it,*
and donned
the three religious garments, with the begging pot, razor, sewing needle, waistband,
and bathing
peculiar to the Bhikshu, or mendicant ascetic. clad,
prince
the
entered
the
city
cloth;
Thus
Rajagriha
of
(fourteen miles from Graya), and begged for alms and food, which city,
having collected, he retired from the
and seating himself with
his face to the East,
ate without loathing his first mendicant
meal of the
broken scraps of bread which had been thrown into his
begging
15.
pot.
Thence pursuing
acquired
from
certain
his
alms -pilgrim age, Sdkya the
priests
knowledge
of
Samdpatti ;f but "finding that Samdpatti was not the road that led to Buddhahood," he gave it up,
and devoted himself
to
Pradhan.%
he dedicated himself to the study of
and subjected himself,
to
the
For
six years
Mahd pradhdn,
utmost extremes of
penance and starvation, until he was reduced to a " perfect skeleton ;" but finding that the mortification of the flesh was attended with
prostration
of the
mind, he gave up this system
also,
the right road to Buddhahood.
Sdkya then resumed
his •
as
not being
begging pilgrimages, and with proper food he The Sanchi
bas-reliefs,
and Ajanta
frescoes,
both represent
the hair intertwined with the head-dres3 in a manner practised
t Samddhi,
inTrfV>
silent
abstraction,
only-
and contemplation of
the Supreme Being. J
now
by the people of Burmah.
Pradhdn,
T[ViT*f, Nature, or concrete matter.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
24
regained his bodily strength and mental vigour
was abandoned by the
five
disciples
who had
;
but fol-
lowed him for six years.* 16. After
Bodhi
he passed four weeks under the
this
then one week under the Nigrodho tree
tree,
(Ficus Indica), then another week under the lindo tree (Stravadia), then another
Rqjayatana
(Buchanania
tree
week under the
latifolia).^
whole weeks he thus continued
Macha-
For seven
absorbed in deep
meditation until he had obtained Bodhi-jnydn,^. and
was prepared
known unto mankind
make
to
wonderful efficacy of
Dharmma
(both
faith
the
and
works), and the desirableness of Nirvana. 17.
During
his
the
that
liberation
of abstract meditation under
tree,
of death § army of horrors
him
fit
Sakya was assailed by the terrors (Maro, or Death personified) and his
Bodhi
the
;
one whose belief taught
but, to
dissolution
of the
soul
the approach of death
from
of
the
its
supposed
to
the
was received with calm joy,
instead of cowardly apprehension. is
body was
earthly trammels,
This event, which
have ended Sakya's
trials
in
this
mortal body, took place in the month of Astirh, or *
Tumour's Extracts
in Prinsep's Journal, p. 811.
f I have purposely retained the mention of these trees, because the Sanchi bas-reliefs, which exhibit the adoration of trees, may be best explained by the knowledge that certain
Sakya had
sat,
were held sacred.
\
Supreme wisdom.
$
Namuchi-Mara,
the
Demon
of Death.
trees,
under which
LIFE OF SAKYA. June, 588 B.
moon
full
A
c.
25
few days afterwards, on the
of Asdrh, or 1st July, 588 B. c, Sakya,
clad in his ascetic dress,
and with
his begging- pot
in his hand, proceeded to the Isipatana
On
Benares.
and who were
was recognised by
his approach, he
who had formerly
the five Bhikshus
resolute not to
still
Vihdra at
deserted him,
pay him reverence,
but under the influence of his benign
spirit
they
bowed down to him with every mark of adoration. Sakya then explained to them that he had attained Buddhahood, and preached to them on the supremacy of Dharmma. 18. From this time Sakya travelled over the greater part of North-West India, continually inculcating the
reward of the
of
efficacy
Nirvana
(or
Dharmma, and final
In
emancipation).
year of his ministry he
first
the vast
is
said
to
have
assembled a synod of no less than twelve hundred
and were
fifty
sanctified
disciples;
of
whom
Sariputra and Mangalyana, and
the
the
chief
three
Kdsyapas. 19.
The various
acts of Sakya, during
his
long
ministry of forty-five years, are too numerous to detail,
and are too much mixed up with the fond exaggerations of his followers to admit of any satisfactory selection
from them.
rally as so
many
But they may be taken gene-
illustrations of the peculiar tenets
which Sakya inculcated
—amongst which
are charity,
abstinence, and the prohibition against taking
any kind.
life
of
:
THE BHILSA TOPES.
26 20.
Buddha took place January 543 B. a, when he was
The death of
Kvsindra, in
at
this mortal
On
eighty years of age.
addressed his followers
his
he thus
death-bed
" Bhikshus ! should there
:
be anything- doubtful or incomprehensible regarding
Buddho, Dhammo, Sangho, Maggo, or Pati-padd* inquire (now)."
preme,
i. e.
Three times did Bhagawd [the Su-
Sakya] address them in the same words;
but they were
all silent.
Among
the five hundred
Bhikshus present, there was not one who doubted,
who
or
Bhagawd again spoke
did not understand.
" Bhikshus ! I now exhort you transitory
things
perishable
are
qualif}r yourselves (for Nirvana)." last
the last time
for
without
;
delay
These were the
words of Tathdgata.^
21.
The lower orders of Bhikshus, and
Mallians of Kusinara, lamented
aloud
all
with
the dis-
" Too soon has Bhagawd died too soon has Sugato died too soon has the Eye (chakku) closed on the world!" But those Bhikshus, who had attained the state of Arahat, comforted themselves with the last words of the sage, that all " transitory things are perishhevelled hair and uplifted arms, saying, !
*
!
Tumour's Extracts inPrinsep's Jour.
Dharma, and Sangha,
are the persons
Maggo, the Sanskrit Mdrga,
WT,
the lower stages of initiation in the the
Sanskrit
Pratipada,
was
vol. vii. p.
of the
1007. Buddha,
Buddhist Triad.
" road," " way," was one of
way of Buddhism.
the
first
or
lowest
Patipadd, stage
Buddhism. f Tumour's Extracts in Prinsep's Journal,
vol. vii. p.
1008.
of
LIFE OF SAKYA. This very scene
able."
is,
27
I believe, represented in
one of the compartments of the eastern gateway at Sdnchi.
Three figures are seated in a boat
— one
—
in
rower, one
and one
steersman,
passenger
all
On
the shore are
four figures, also in religious garb;
one with dis-
the dress of the religious class.
hevelled
and
hair
who wear
caps, with hands clasped together in atti-
The passenger
tudes of devotion.
Muni,
arms, and the others,
uplifted
who
represented
is
after
is,
I think, Sakya
Nirvdna on
his
passage over the waters which are said to surround
The
on the shore Bhikshu of the lower grade bewailing the departure of Sakya with dishevelled hair and uplifted this
world.*
transitory
figures
are a
arms, which, from the description given above, would
seem to have been the customary manner of ex-
The
pressing grief. f
who had Arahat, and who com-
others are Bhikshus
attained the higher grade of
forted themselves with the reflection that sitory things are perishable." is
known by
the
The
prevails
Tibet,
in
tran-
all
difference of rank
bare head of the mourner
the capped heads of the others still
"
—
a distinction
and
which
where the lower grades of
Qe-thsul and Chhos-pa invariably go bare-headed; whilst
all
the
Ldmas
(or
higher
grades),
includ-
* Hodgson's Literature and Religion of the Buddhists, p. 151. " The world is surrounded by water," " Le tourbillon d'eau qui
—
embrasse
les
mondes."
f See Tumour, in Prinsep's Journal, vol. vii. pp. 1009, 1011, for See also Plate XI. of this volume. these instances.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
28 ing
Lama
Grand
the
himself,
have their heads
covered.
The corpse of the Great Teacher was escorted hy the Mallians of Kusindra with music, singing-, and dancing, to the east side of the city. It was 22.
wrapped in a new
wound about with floss cotton, and again wrapped in numerous other cloths. Thus prepared, the corpse was laid in a metal oil vessel, covered by another, and placed upon a funeral pile of sandal wood. At this moment the venerable Maha Kdssapo, having arrived from Pdwd, first
cloth, then
approached the funeral
bare (the right), and, with
performed times
j
the
With one shoulder
pile.
hands, having
clasped
padakhindn
(perambulation)
three
and, after opening the pile at the end, he
reverentially
The
five
pile
was
bowed down
at the feet of
Bhagawd*
hundred Ehikshus did the same; and the When the body was consumed, the
lighted.
metal vessel was escorted back to the town; where, with music, song, and dance, and with garlands of sweet flowers, the people their reverence
for
seven days showed
and devotion to Bhagawd's mortal
remains. 23. After this, the burnt bones were divided into
eight portions by the *
Tumour's Extracts
act of
Kasyapa I
Buddha's old, as
feet.
Brahman Dono
in Prinsep's Journal, vol.
(Drona), and
vii. p.
1012.
This
believe to have been the origin of the worship of
The reverence shown
to the feet is
undoubtedly
the feet are represented on the central architrave of the
Eastern Gateway at Sanchi, in a procession.
*
LIFE OF SAKYA.
29
amongst those who applied
distributed
for
Eight Stupas or Topes were erected over the
—
them. relics
at the following places : 1
At Rajagriha,
1st.
Magadha, by Ajata-
in
satta.
At Visali, by the IAohawi family. 3rd. At Kapilavastu, by the Sdkyas. 4th. At Allakappo, by the Balayas. 5th. At Ramagrama, by the Kausalas. 6th. At Wetthadipo, by the Brahmans. 7th. At Paw a, by the Malliyans. 8th. At Kusinara, by the Malliyans. The Moriyans of Pipphaliwano having applied 2nd.
a share of the
too late
for
charcoal
from
the
relics,
pile,
received
over
At Pipphaliwano
9th.
which they
;
Tumour's Extracts in Prinsep's Journal,
1013.
vol. vii. p.
whole of these places, including Allakappo, although been
some
Stupa the
built
*
funeral
were situated
identified,
in Tirhut
and Bahar.
it
—
1,
The
has not
Raja-
griha was the ancient capital of Magadha, or Bahar Proper. 2. The ruins of Visixi still exist at Bassahr, to the north of Patna. 3. Kapilavastu was somewhere between Ayodhya and Gorakhpur.
Gorakhpur
Ramagrama was
5. :
it
Sri-JRdmpura.
was most 6.
Piwi
8.
Kusinara was about
or
'in
in
the
neighbourhood
probably Bettiya.
to the west of Visali, on the high road to Kusinara.
equi-distant between Benares and Visali,
the position of Kusia on the Little Gandak.
wano,
or the place of tbe Charcoal Tope,
and Kusinara. Ptolemy.
of
Selampura of Ptolemy, or
Wetthadipo was most
7.
was
likely the
The people of
Visali
9.
Pipphali-
was between Kapilavastu are
called
Passalm by
THE BHILSA TOPES.
30
and
Brahman Dono,
the
lastly
the
over
(kumbha) in which he had measured the
vessel
relics, built
the
10th Stupa. 24. fire
The
relics
which remained uninjured
b}'
the
were the four canine teeth, two collar bones,
and one frontal bone with a hair attached which was therefore called the renhisa, or hair
to
it,
relic.
was ultimately enshrined in Gandhara, the country on the lower Kabul river around Peshawur; a second in Kaling'a, at Dantapura, or
One
of the teeth
" tooth-town
;"
and the others are said
have been
to
worshipped by the Devas and Nagas. 25.
But within twenty years
Sakya, his
relics
were
all
after the
death of
brought together, excepting
by Ajatasatta, King of Magadha, through the influence of Maha Kdsyapa, the portion at Hajagrdma,
the patriarch or head of the Buddhist religion, and
a great Stupa was erected over them to the southeast of Rajagriha.*
26.
King
In the reign of Priyadarsi or Dharmmasoka, Magadha, about 250 B. c, these relics were
of
again distributed over the whole of India. *
Tumour's Extracts
in
See also the Mahawanso, at Bhojpur,
we
teeth, all in
good
Prinsep's Journal, vol. p. 185.
vii.
p.
1014.
In one of the Topes opened
found, amongst numerous fragments of bone, four order.
;
FAITH OF SAKYA.
CHAPTER
31
III.
FAITH OF SAKYA. 1.
In the infancy of the world, when
left to his
own unaided
Man
was
reason to solve the mysteries
of nature, and the destiny of his race, the most casual
observer must have seen that nothing of this earth 1
is
lasting-
;
that the loftiest tree, the loveliest flower,
the strongest animal, the hardest rock, are to decay
;
nay, that
man
himself
is
all subject
nought but dust,
and that to dust does he return.
Closer observers
would have been struck with the perpetual recurrence of seasons
;
the ever-changing yet unchanged
the continued production of plants
with the never-failing stream of 2.
;
human
discrimination of the various elements
and
and
to the doctrine
And
air;
all,
life.
Such observations would naturally lead
fire,
moon
and, above
to the
— earth, water,
to a belief in the eternity of matter,
of the transmigration of souls.
thus the material elements, or Nature, with her
supposed inherent power of combination and repro-
became the Deity of this world. But even the most thoughtless man must at times have felt
duction,
THE BHILSA TOPES.
32
conscious that he possessed within himself an unseen
power
which controlled
Hence
arose
which was at
the
a belief in
actions
the
of
existence
body.
his
of Spirit,
made only an inherent power of
first
Nature, but was afterwards preferred before her;
and was eventually raised
to the position of the
Great
First Cause and Creator of all thing's.
Such is the course which the human mind most probably went through both in India and in Greece. In process of time the more commanding spirits, who ruled the passions of their fellow-men by the ascendancy of genius, and by unbending firmness of will, 3.
-
were held to be mortal emanations or avatars of the
Supreme Being
;
and, after death, were exalted to
the rank of demig'ods.
Thus, in both countries, hero-
worship had prevailed from remote antiquity;
and
the tombs of the mighty had become objects of reve-
In India, the Topes or Tumuli of Krakuchanda, Kanaka, and Kasyapa, existed before the preaching of Sakya and the ancient elemental deities rence.
-,
of the Vedas preceded the worship of
Dharma, or
concrete Nature.
The religious systems of India are all deeply imbued with metaphysical speculations ; and the close 4.
agreement between these and the philosophical systems of Greece would be an interesting subject to the
classical
scholar.
A
strict
analysis and
com-
parison of the systems of both countries would most
probably tend to mutual elucidation.
The Indians
have the advantage in point of time; and I
feel
FAITH OF SAKYA. satisfied
83
Greeks borrowed much of their
that the
The most perfect system of the Ionics, as developed by Anaxagoras,* is the same as the Sankhya school of India; and
philosophy from the East.
the famous doctrines
Buddhistical.
of Pythagoras are intensely
The transmigration of
souls
is
Egyp-
tian as well as Indian: but the prohibition against
eating animal food
Women
altogether Buddhist.
is
were admitted as members both by Sakya and by Pythagoras ; and there were grades in the brother-
hood of Pythagoreans, as munity of Buddhists.
in the
Sangha, or Com-
These coincidences between
the two systems seem too strong to be accidental. 5.
Pythagoras
there
are
is
said to have visited India;
and
some curious verbal coincidences which
seem to countenance the story. Pythagoras married Theano (Sanskrit, Dhy&na, " devout con-
really
templation") ; and by her had a daughter
whom
he
Dharmma, " virtue, or practical morality"), and who became a most learned Pythagorean. He was the first who assumed the title of
i\oaoog (Sanskrit, Buddha Mitra), the lover of wisdom, or Budha. His own name is perhaps named Darno
(Sanskrit,
only a compound of *
irvOag,
or Buddha, and ayopevw,
Anaxagoras held that Novr, Mind
or Intellect,
creator of all things, hut only the artist existent matter. particles,
to pre-
According to him, matter consisted of various
which were put
homogeneous
was not the
who gave form
particles
in
motion by the action of Mind
were blended together into
an
variety of forms, and the heterogeneous were separated.
D
;
the
infinite
THE BHILSA TOPES.
34 to
and the names of two of his and Pythias (or Dharmma and
expound or announce
Damon
followers,
j
Buddha), have become celebrated for terested
All
friendship.
scarcely be
accidental
these
their
can
may
and though we
;
disin-
coincidences
be able to trace the actual progress of
not
Buddhism
from India to Greece, yet the evidence in favour of
its
transmission
6.
The system of
has been
tersely
Hodgson
as
is
much faith
too strong to be doubted.
taught by Sakya
" monastic asceticism in morals, and
philosophical scepticism in religion."
case with
cially the
sophical
Muni
and truly characterized by Mr.
sj-stems,
the
the
This
is
espe-
two more ancient philo-
Swdbhdvika and Aismdrika,
which he has made known to us from the Sanskrit
The former, Mr. Hodgson thinks, was that of primitive Buddhism but as the Swdbhdvika was essentially a doctrine of materialism, books of Nepal.
;
it
must have been closely
allied to
the Nirismara
Sdnkhya school of Kapila. In this system* Pradhan, or MaM-Pradhdn, or " supreme nature," was held to be the Mula-Prakriti, or "plastic origin" of all
Budhi, or " intelligence," was this is the very system which
things, from which
produced.
Now
Sakya had
rejected, after six years' study at
jagriha.
RaThe supremacy of Naturef taught by the
Srvdbhdvikas
is
also
• Colebrooke, Trans.
at
variance
with the
Roy. As. Soc.
+ Hodgson, pp. 33, 77. rialists.
utterly
The Swabhavikas were simple
mate-:
FAITH OF SAKYA. solemn address made by his death-bed
Sakya
35
to his disciples
from
under the Sdl tree at Kusinagara*
" Bhikshusl" said the dying- teacher, "if any points
seem doubtful or incomprehensible to you regarding
Buddho, Dhammo, Sangho, &c, inquire now." In this address, which was three times repeated, Buddha, or " supreme intelligence," is placed before Dharma,
" material nature," as the first person of the Triad. The system of faith taught by Sakya must, or
therefore, have been that of the Theistical Triad of
Buddha,\ beyond
Dharma, and Sangha. doubt by the edict of
all
lished
after
Synod
in
the
This
is
placed
Priyadersi, pub-
meeting of the 3rd Buddhistical
B. C. 247, at which the orthodox doctrines of Sakya were upheld.^ In this edict, the names of the orthodox Buddhist Triad are distinctly mentioned as istence
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
of the
Buddhist Triad at that
further proved
period,
is
names
as Budha-P&lita,
The exparticular
by the occurrence of such Dharma Rakshita, and
Sangha-Mitra, among the colonnade inscriptions of
No. 2 Tope 7.
he
at Sanchi.
When Salya Muni
first
tried the
began
system of the Samddhikas, who
placed the attainment of
continued *
Tumour,
practice
his religious career,
of
everlasting bliss in
Samddhi, or
in Prinsep's Journal, vol.
vii. p.
of
deep
the
and
1007.
f Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, are the Sanskrit names ; the others are Pali. t
See Jour. As. Soc. Bengal,
vol. ix. p. 619,
names of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, " Buddhist faith."
where the three
are improperly translated
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
36 devout
Dissatisfied with
abstraction.*
this
belief,
he next tried that of the Prddhdnikas, or worshippers of "universal nature" as the sole First Cause of This atheistical doctrine he also abandoned ; and, in its stead, either invented or adopted the theistical Triad of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, things.
all
Buddha, or "supreme intelligence," " In the transcendental is the Creator of all things. and philosophical sense, Buddha means Mind ;
in which Triad
and Sangha, the concretion of the two former in the sensible or phenomenal
Dharmma, Matter world.
;
In a practical or
Buddha
religious sense,
means the mortal author of this religion (Sdkya) Dharmma, his law ; and Sangha, the congregation of the faithful."!
But though the early Buddhists admitted existence of a Supreme Being, they denied 8.
providence, in the
and
solely
Dhyan,
by
full
their
of
efforts
Tapas % and
or Abstinence and Abstraction, they could
for themselves the " everlasting bliss"
win
his
without his aid,
belief that
own
the
(Moksha)
of absorption into the Divine Spirit.§ *
So complete was the power of abstraction held to be, that the
author of the
Mahawanso
262) —" This Raja (Dhdtusena), (p.
gravely relates the following;
was improving Kalawapi tank, observed a certain priest absorbed in the Samddhi meditation and, not being able to rouse him from that abstraction, had him buried under the embankment (of the tank)
story
:
at the time he
the
;
by heaping earth over him." The I Hodgson, page 35. not
penance,
or
self-inflicted
Brahmans, but a perfect rittika).
f Hodgson, p. 89. Tapas of the Buddhists was bodily
pain,
rejection of all §
like
that
of
the
outward things (prav-
Hodgson,
p. 37.
J
FAITH OF SAKYA. 9.
One
belief
common
of Nirvritti and
The
to
Buddhism
37 is
the doctrine
Pravritti, or Eest and
latter state is that of
Action.*
man, and the former that Buddha
of the celestial, self-existent Being, whether
Dharma. According' to. the Aiswarikas, the Supreme Being- Adi Buddha, or Iswara, though
or
formless
as
a cypher or mathematical point, and
separate from all things (in Nirvritti),
is infinite
form, pervading
Pravritti).f
all,
and one with
His proper and lasting
state
is
all (in
in
that of Nirvritti,
but for the sake of creation, he spontaneously roused himself into activity {Pravritti), and by means of his five
five
spiritual faculties (Panchqjny&na),
and by
exertions of mental reflection (Panchadhydna),
he created the Pancha-Bhyani-Buddha, or celestial
"
five
Buddhas," together with the " five elements,"
the "five senses," and the five "objects of sense," in the following order:
1
THE BHILSA TOPES.
38
10. These five celestial
Buddhas appear
personifications of the five elements,
to be simple
and their
in-
sion,
or, to use Mr, Hodgson's expres; " of the active and intellectual powers of nature."
The
five
herent properties
Bodhisatwas, as well as the
Lokeswaras,
five
or inferior celestials, likewise possessed Saktis. 11.
I omit the
formed no engrafted
Bodhisatwas, Lokes-
long* train of
waras, and Buddhasaktis, as part
of original
when
afterwards
I believe that they
Buddhism,
the
of
religion
had become firmly established, and when
were
but
its
Sakya votaries
took more delight in the indolent enjoyment of metaphysical
speculations than in the active
exertions
I believe also that, as Buddhism
of propagandism.
gradually obtained an ascendancy over men's minds, the whole of the Brahmanical schools, by an easy
change
of phraseology, accommodated
their
own
doctrines so as not to clash with those of the domi-
At
nant party.
least
it
is
only by a supposition of
this kind that
I can account for the great similarity
which
between the philosophical systems of
exists
Buddhism and those of the Brahmanical Sankhj'as. This similarity, which Colebrooke,* difficult to
is,
has already been noticed by
indeed, so
great
as
to
render
it
discriminate the doctrines of the one from
The phraseology
those of the other. ideas are the
same
varies, but the
so that there is a distinction, but
;
without a difference. * Colebrooke, Trans.
Boy. As. Society,
Philosophy of the Hindus.
vol.
i.
p.
19
— On
the
FAITH OF SAKYA. 12. There yas,
however, one doctrine of the Sdnkh-
is,
and clearly distinguishes them
which neatly
from the Buddhists matter, as well
The Sankhyas
—a
belief in
the eternity of
as in the immortality of the soul.
asserted that nothing can be produced
which does not already
exist;
educts and not products.*
and that
This
is
effects are
the old classical
of ex nihilo nil Jit, " from nothing, nothing
dogma
The
can come."f
stately tree
sprang from a seed;
the costly jar was formed from
There might be
and
before,
the potter's clay.
of form and ever-varying
infinities
combinations of substance
;
but the materials existed
the difference consisted only in the shape
and mixture, and not 13.
39
in the matter.
The orthodox Buddhists, on the
every thing was the creation of the
believed that
Adi Buddha, who
self-existent
contrary,
willed
and
it,
it
was.
The Sdnkhya
14.
teachers,
whose doctrines cor-
respond with those of the primitive Buddhists, are
Kapila and Patanjali.
The
owed
Mula-Prahriti, or Radical
origin
their
Nature, in
to
first
held that
all
things
which Purusha, or Soul, was inherent,
and from which Budhi, or Intelligence (in a female and inferior form), was brought forth. His system • Colebrooke, Trans.
Roy. As. Society,
vol.
i.
p.
38
— On
the
Philosophy of the Hindus.
f This
is
ex nihilo, in nihilum can be produced
;
nil
posse reverti.
—
Rerum Natura Nil fieri " From nonentity nothing
the doctrine of Lucretius, de
and entity cannot be reduced to nothing."
—
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
40
was
Niriswara Sankhya*
called
or
"
atheistical
Sankhya/' because he denied the existence of an as
crifice,
away 15.
of
Kapila also prohibited sa-
Providence.
all-ruling
its
was attended with the taking
practice
life.
The
followers of Patanjali were called
wara Sdnkhyas,^ or " a
they recognised
Ses-
Sankhyas," because
theistical
Supreme Being who was the
ruler of the world, infinite
and
eternal.
The Brahmanical Niriswara system agrees very nearly with that of the Buddhistical SwabMva, in which Dharma is made the first person of the Triad, as Mah£-Prajna,% or " supreme nature," 16.
which tity,
is
Sroabhava (or self-existent), the sole
from
which
things
all
proceeded
in
enthis
order§: 17.
From
„ „
„ „
Y R V
„ „
„
L
„
S Mount
the mystic root of the letter
air fire
water earth
Sumeru.
In *
Swabhavaka
the
JSfir,
and
without,
Triad,
Isrvara,
God
Dharma
is
— that
Godless
is,
repreor
Atheistical.
t Sa, with
;
Iswara, God.
I
Hodgson,
p. 77.
§
Hodgson,
p.
va, la,
109.
which signify
Sumeru proceeded
all
These are the Sanskrit air,
fire,
trees
radicals,
water, and earth.
ya, ra,
From Mount
and vegetables, and from the earth
proceeded the Dhdtwdtmika, or bases of
all
the metals.
:
FAITH OF SiKYA. sented as a female, with
and Sangha on the 18.
41
Buddha on
the right hand,
left.
The Sesward school of the Br ah mans agrees
very closely with that of the Aiswdriha Buddhists.
Both take their names from the recognition of a Supreme Being (Ismard), whom the Buddhist considers as the first Intellectual Essence, the AdiBuddha, by whom all things were created. In the Aiswarika Triad, Buddha holds the
Dharma, who
first
place,
and
represented as a female, the second
is
place on his right hand, while Sangha occupies the left
hand.
19.
All these
schools,
Buddhistical, whether they
Brahmanical
both deify
intellectual
or material nature, agree in considering that is
the united production of both
man
— a compound of mind
and matter, or soul and body. Aiswarikas, the
and spirit
human body,
According to the
as well as
the
ma-
was compounded of the five elements The soul, which earth, water, fire, air, and ether.* animates it, was an emanation from the self-existent Godi Man was, therefore, emphatically the " Union"
terial universe,
(Sangha) of " material essence" (Dharma) with a portion of the " divine intelligence" (Buddha).-\
20.
parted
But
these metaphysical speculations were im-
only
to
Bhihshus, who
Bodhisatwa.
the initiated,
or highest class
of
had attained the rank of Arahat, or
For Sakya had divided * •f-
Hodgson,
p. 112.
Hodgson,
p.
127.
his doctrines
THE BHILSA TOPES-
42
into three distinct classes, adapted to the capabilities
of his hearers.*
addressed
discipline,"
ditors/'
1st,
who were
The Vindya, or " to
" auof the Bauddha
Srdwaka,
the
the lowest class
religious
or
community ; 2nd, The Sutra, " aphorisms," or Principles of Faith, addressed to the
who formed
tinct intelligences,"
Pratyekas or "
dis-
the middle class of
monks; and 3rd, the Abhidharma, or " supreme law,"
Transcendental Principles of Paith, im-
or
parted only to the Bodhisatwas, or " true gences,"
who were
the highest class of the
intelli-
Bauddha
community. 21. These three classes of doctrine are collectively called the
Tri-Pitaka, or "three repositories;" and
the Tri Yaniharf or " three-means-of-progression;"
known as the Lowest, the Middle, and the Highest means of Advancement. These terms are of common ocand separately they are
generally
currence in the Buddhist writings,
and especially
whom
in the works, of the Chinese travellers; from
we
learn
that
the
pastoral
nations
of the
Nor-
thern Hiils, accustomed to active habits, were content with
Lowest-means-of-Advancement,
the
while the more intellectual and contemplative people
of India generally strove for the attainment of the superior
degrees of Madhyima-Ydnika, and
* Fo-krve-ki, c. 2, note.
Csoma de Koros, —Analysis of the
Tibetan Works, in Prinsep's Journal,
f Ydna means advance
is
vol. vii. p.
a vehicle of any kind,
obtained.
Mahd-
145.
by which progress or
;
FAITH OF SAKYA.
43
Ydnika, or "
Midble and Highest Means-ofAdvancement." 22.
The Tri-Pitaka were compiled immediately by three of his
after Sakya's death, in B. c. 543,
chief disciples, with the
assistance of five
hundred
The Abhidhaema was the work of
learned monks.
Kdsyapa, the head of the Bauddha fraternity; the
Sutea of Andnda, Sakya's favourite disciple; and the Vinaya of Updli* The language in which these works was written, has been the subject of much dispute
;
but the account given by the Tibetansf
so probable,
and at the same time so natural, that
is it
ought, as James Prinsep has observed, to set the
matter at
Their account
rest.
in general, that
proper, were
is,
first
is
that the Sittbas
the Vinaya, as well as the Sutr&
written in the
Sindhu language
but that the whole of the Sher-chin,$ that is, the Prajnd Pdramitd, or " transcendental wisdom,"
and the whole of the Oyud, that is, the Tantras, or " religious mysticism," were composed in Sanskrit. This appears to be the only conclusion that anyone can come to who examines the subject attentively. For the Vinaya and Sutra, which were addressed to the people
at large, as well as to the
Srdwakas
and Pratyekas, must necessarily have been published in the vernacular language of the country; while * Prinsep's
Journal, vol.
i.
p.
2;
and Transactions As. Soc.
Bengal, vol. xx. p. 42.
p.
Journal, vol. vi. t Csoma's Index to the Kahgyur, in Prinsep's vi. p. 503. 688. \ See Csoma, in Prinsep's Journal, vol.
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
44
philosophy
and metaphysical
the abstruse
Abhidharma, which learned, that
is,
to
was addressed
solely
of the to
the
the Brdhmans and Bodhisatrvas,
would, without doubt, have been enunciated in Sansimple reason that
skrit, for the
its
refined elegance
and delicate shades of meaning-, could not
of ideas,
be adequately expressed in any of the vernacular*
The Tantras
languages.
much
are of
later
date;
but the same reasoning holds equally good for them as the esoteric mysticism of their doctrines could only
In a few words Buddhism were ex-
have been expressed in Sanskrit. the
speculative
pounded
and
principles of
recorded
in
Sanskrit,*
while
the
practical system of belief, deduced from those principles,
was spread abroad and propagated by means
of the vernacular Prakrit. 23.
In the JRupasiddhi, which
grammar now
is
the oldest Pali
extant, and which the author
Buddha-
priya compiled f from the ancient work of KachMyana, a quotation from the latter is given, appaoriginal words.
rently in the
According to
this
Kachhayana was one of the principal of Sakya, by whom he was selected for the
account, disciples
important
office
of compiling the
first
Pali
grammar
the rules of which are said to have been propounded
by Tath&gata probable *
;
himself.
This statement seems highly
for the teacher
must have soon found the
See also Hodgson's opinion on this point.
Prinsep's Journal
vol. vi. p. 683.
f Tumour's Introduction to the Mahawanso,
p. 26.
;
FAITH OF SAKYA. making himself
difficulty of
1
45
clearly understood
when
each petty district had a provincial dialect of
own,
unsettled
both in
its
and
spelling'
its
its
pro-
nunciation.
A
24.
difficulty of this
come by the publication speech, which should fix and loose orthography This was accomplished
kind could only be over-
of some established rules of
the wavering pronunciation
of
a
common
language.
by the Pali Grammar
KachMyana, compiled under Sakya's and the language, thus firmly
of
instructions
established,
was used
throughout India by the Buddhist teachers, for the promulgation and extension of the practical doctrines of their faith.
In
25.
guage of
is
the Buddhist works of Ceylon, this lan-
expressly called Mdgadhi, or the
Magadha ; and
scene
of
Sakya's
as this district labours,
as
was the
well
selection of
Mdgadhi
principal
the
as
country of himself and of his principal
speech
native
disciples, the
for the publication of his doc-
It is true, was both natural and obvious. remarked,* Wilson has that H. as Professor H.
trines
there are several differences between the language of
Mdgadhi of
existing Buddhist inscriptions and the
Pali as
Grammars
;
but these differences are not such
to render them unintelligible
Pkiyadabsi addressed
in his
to
Pillar
those
edicts in
middle of the third century before Christ.
* Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol.
whom the
The Pro-
sii. p.
238.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
46
was most likely selected by Pri}'adarsi, " that they might be
fessor admits that the Pali
for his
edicts
people ;" but he
intelligible to the
language
the
of
common tongue
of opinion that
is
the inscriptions
was rather
of the inhabitants of
Upper India
than a form of speech peculiar to a class of gionists
the
reli-
and he argues that the use of the Pali
',
language in the inscription
not a conclusive proof
is
of their Buddhistical origin.
The conclusion which I have come to is exactly the reverse ; for it is a well known fact, that the Brahmans have never used any language but 26.
Sanskrit for
their
stigmatised the
low tribes.*
In
writings,
religious
Mdgadhi their
and
as the speech of
dramas
have
men
also the heroes
of
and
Brahmans always speak Sanskrit, while the use of Magadhi is confined to the attendants of royalty. Professor Wilson has, however, identified the Mdgadhi the
with Prdkrit, the use of which, though more honourable,
was
characters
still ;
but
confined
the
to
the extensive
principal female
employment, in the
dramatic works of the Brahmans, of various dialects, all
derived from one
common
stock, seems to
me
to
prove that they were the vernacular language of the people.
In
this vernacular
language, whatever
it
was, whether the high Prakrit of the Saurasenas, or the low Prakrit of the Mdgadhas,
we know
certainly
that the Vinaya and Sutra, or the practical doctrines * Colebrooke, in Trans. As.
Wilson's Hindu Theatre,
vol.
i.
Soc.
Bengal,
p. lxiii. iv.
vol.
vii.
p.
199.
—
FAITH OF SAKYA. of Sakya, were
compiled, and
47
therefore
also
pro-
mulgated.*
In the opinion of Turnour, the
27.
scholar, the Pali is a "rich
which had already attained
celebrated
and poetical language,
its
present refinement at
Gotama Buddha's advent"
the time of
According" to Sir William Jones, f
it
is
(b. c.
"
little
588).
more
than the language of the Brahmans, melted down
by a delicate articulation to the softness of Italian." To me it seems to bear the same relation to Sanskrit does to
Italian
that
Latin,
and a much nearer
one than modern English does to Anglo-Saxon.
The nasal sounds
are melted
down
;
the
compounds
are softened to double and even single consonants;
and the open vowels are more numerous. the opinion of
language skrit
;
scholai's that the
is
Pali
derived almost entirely from the San-
is
and
European
all
It
in this opinion
I fully coincide.
Messrs.
Burnouf and Lassen, who jointly formed a Pali Grammar, state, as the result of their labours, that Pali
is
almost identical with Sanskrit; J and Pro-
* Csoma, in Prinsep's Journal,
Prdkrit as comprehending; of Northern India. in
contradistinction
all
vol. vi. p.
503.
I use the term
the written and cultivated dialects
Prdkrit means " common" or " natural," or " refined " Santo the " artificial "
skrit.
t Preface to Sakuntala. X
"
II
Essai sur
le
Pali
;
par E. Burnouf et Chr. Lassen, p. 187,
en est resulte qu'elle etait presque identique a l'idiome sacr6
des Brahmanes."
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
48
fessor Lassen, at a later date,*
when more conversant
with the Pali books, states authoritatively, that the
whole of the Prakrit language
Tumour f
Sanskrit.
also
is
derived from the
declares
conviction
his
that all researches tend to prove the greater antiquity
of Sanskrit.
Professor Wilson J and
James Prin-
sep§ are likewise of the same opinion.
seems to
clusion
tendency in
me
self evident
spoken languages
all
similar consonants,
j
This con-
for
to
there
suppress dis-
and to soften hard ones
:
as in the
Camillus for the Tuscan Cadmihs, and the
Latin
English farthing for the Anglo-Saxon feorthling ;
"
as in the Pali assa,
and
a
is
the
madhya.
away
Pali majha, " middle,"
There
is
or,
a horse," for the Sanskrit asrva, for
the
Sanskrit
also a natural inclination to clear
the semi-vowels and weaker consonants ; as in
the English King, for the Anglo-Saxon Kyning, or
" the seen" (i. e. Buddha), for the Sanskrit Avalakita ; and in the Pali Ujeniya, a as in the Pali Olakita,
"man
of Ujain," for the Sanskrit Ujjayaniya.
It
always therefore easy to determine between any
is
written languages, that resemble each other, which
of the two
is
the original, and which the borrowed
• Institutiones Linguae Prakriticae ki'iticam
f
;
Chr. Lassen, p. 6,
j
— " Pra-
linguam derivatam esse totam a Sanskritica."
Tumour
results of
all
Mahawanso,
Introduction, p.
xiii.
The general
researches tend to prove the greater antiquity of the
Sanskrit. t
Hindu Theatre,
§
Prinsep's Journal, vol.
vol.
i.
p. lxiii. vi. p.
688.
FAITH OF SAKYA.
49
because letters and syllables are never added, but, on the contrary, are always suppressed or curtailed in the process of time.
The Pali
therefore, without
is,
doubt, derived from the Sanskrit, and must, moreover, have been a spoken
language
for
many
cen-
turies.
For the publication of
28.
esoteric theories
his
regarding the origin of the world, and the creation
Sakya made use of the Sanskrit lanBut the perfect language of our day,
of mankind,
guage
only.
perhaps, owes
much
of
its
refinement to the care
and sagacity of that Great Reformer; highly probable that
and
lawgiver
who
Panini's Sanskrit
Katyayana, the
corrected
grammar,*
KachbayanoJ" who
on Panini, called Vdrtikas,
Sanskrit
others.
" These
grammar were formed
same as the
Katyayana's annorestrict his
rules, enlarge his limited ones, and
exceptions to
of
Pali grammar
compiled the
during the life-time of Sakya. tations
inaccuracies
the
is
for it seems
the inspired saint
amended into
vague
mark numerous rules
of
memorial verses
by Bhartrihari, whose metrical aphorisms,
entitled
Kdrika, have almost equal authority with the precepts of Panini, and emendations of Katyayana.
According
to popular
tradition,^
Bhartrihari was
the brother of Vikramaditya, the author of the * Colebrooke, Trans. As. Soc. Bengal,
vii.
Hindu
199.
form of the Sanskrit Kdtydf Kachhayano is only the Pali changed to chha. invariably being latter yana; the tya of the X
Colebrooke, Trans. As. Soc. Bengal,
vii.
204.
E
THE BHILSA TOPES.
50
Samvat, which dates from
K&tyayana
is
unknown
The age of
B. c. 57.
but as he flourished between
;
the date of Panini, in about 1100 B. a, and that of Bhartrihari, in 67 B. a, in
there
is
every probability
favour of the opinion that he was one of the
disciples of
29.
But
Buddha. this
of
identification
two greatest
the
grammarians of the Sanskrit and Pali languages
upon other grounds besides those mentioned above. Colebrooke, Wilson, and Lassen, have all
rests
identified
on Panini with Vara" Prakrit Grammar," called
the commentator
ruchi, the author of the
Prakrita-prakdsa,
Of
Chandrika.
or
Vararuchi
known than that his work is the grammar extant, and that his body includes all that had been laid down by
nothing more
is
oldest Prakrit
of rules earlier
grammarians
regarding
the
vernacular
dialects.
more strikingly conthat Kachhayano is not a name
30. This identification
firmed by the fact
is still
but only a patronymic,* which signifies the son of
Kachho, and was himself.
first
If, therefore,
assumed by the grammarian Vararuchi Katydyana is not
the same person as Kachhdyano, he to
him and of the same
family.
must be
We
posterior
shall thus
have
* Tumour's Mahawanso, Introduction, p. xxvi. where the original
passage of the Bupasiddhi
is
in Prinsep's Journal,
144, where the fact
vii. p.
given.
the Tibetans call the Grammarian of
KAtya.
See also
Csoma de Koros, is
confirmed; as
K&ty&hi-bu— that
is,
the son
FAITH OF SAKYA.
51
two Katyayanas of the same family living* much about the same time, each of whom compiled a Pali
or
Prakrit grammar;
much more improbable than
a conclusion which
is
that the two were one
and the same person. 31. I have been thus particular in stating all the
evidences in favour of this supposition, as the probable identity of the two great grammarians seems to
me
to offer
an additional reason
for considering*
Sakya Muni as one of the chief benefactors of his For I believe that we must not look upon S&kya Muni simply as the founder of a new religious
country.
system, but as a great social reformer
preach the perfect equality of
all
who dared
to
mankind, and the
consequent abolition of caste, in spite of the menaces of the most powerful and arrogant priesthood in the
We
world.
must regard him
also
as
a
patriot,
who, in spite of tyrannical kings and princes, had courage to incite his countrymen to
the
forcible abduction of their wives
great men.*
To him
resist the
and daughters by
the Indians were indebted for
a code of pure and practical morality, which inculcharity
cated
and
chastity,
works, and abstinence from to
all
living things.
performance of good
evil,
To him
and general kindness also
I believe they
owe the early refinement and systematic arrangement of their language in the selection of the learned * See the fifth of the " Seven Imperishable Precepts, imparted
by Sakya vii. p.
to the people of Vaisali."
991.
—Turnour
in Prinsep's Journal,
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
52
Katyayana as the compiler of the Sanskrit and Pali grammars. 32. As the champion of religious liberty and social Stikya
equality,
their weakest
Muni
Brahmans
the
attacked
in
and most vulnerable points; in
their
mediation between
man
impious assumption of
all
and his Maker, and
in their arrogant claims to here-
ditary priesthood.
But
was
his boldness
successful;
and before the end of
his long career he had seen and successfully promulgated Brahman disciples Sariputra, Mangalyana,
his principles zealously
by
his
Ananda, and Kasyapa, as well as by the Vaisya Katyayana and the Sudra Up all At his death, in B.C.
543, his doctrines had been firmly estab-
lished
and the divinity of
;
his
mission was fully
recognized by the eager claims preferred by kings
and rulers
for relics
His
of their divine teacher.
ashes were distributed amongst eight cities
;
and the
charcoal from the funeral pile was given to a ninth is more clearly shown by the mention of the numerous cities where he lived and preached. Amongst these are Champa and
but the spread of his influence
Rajagriha on the
*
Sakya began
and died announced
east,
Sravasti and
In the short space of
the west.
at
Kausambi on
forty-five years,*
his public career at thirty-five years
eighty.
Mahomed was
his mission in
born
in
of age,
569 a. d.
he 609 at forty years of age, and died in :
when he was seventv-five. In a. r>. 640, or in thirty-one years from the announcement of his mission, the arms and the religion of Mahomed had spread over the ancient empires of Egypt, 644,
Syria, and Persia.
FAITH OF SAKYA. wonderful
this
own
man
53
succeeded in establishing
1
his
peculiar doctrines over the fairest districts of the
Ganges; from the Delta
Agra and Cawnpore. much due to the early own
neighbourhood of
This success was perhaps as corrupt state of Brahmanism,
as to the greater purity
of his
to the
and more practical wisdom
But, rapid as was the progress
system.
Buddhism, the gentle but steady swell of its current shrinks into nothing before the sweeping of
flood of
Mahomedanism, which,
in a
few years, had
spread over one half of the civilized world, from the sands of the Nile to the 33.
The two most
swampy
fens of the Oxus.
successful religious impostures
which the world has yet seen, are Buddhism and
Mahomedanism.
Each
creed owed
its
origin to the
individual, and each was numbers of zealous followers. by rapidly propagated
enthusiasm
of a single
But here the parallel ends for homed was addressed wholly to ;
the
Koran
of
Ma-
the " passions" of
mankind, by the promised gratification of human
and
desires both in this world
Dharma "
of Sakya
intellect,"
Muni was
transitoriness
of
all
;
while the
addressed wholly to the
wean mankind from the of this life by pointing to the
and sought
pleasures and vanities
in the next
to
Mahomed
human enjoyment.
achieved his success by the offer of material or bodily pleasures in the next
life,
while
Sakya succeeded by
the promise of eternal deliverance of the soul from the fetters of mortality.
The former propagated
ligion by the merciless edge of the sword
;
his re-
the latter
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
54
by the persuasive voice of the missionary. The sanguinary career of the Islamite was lighted by the lurid flames of burning- cities; the peaceful progress
by the
of the Buddhist was illuminated
cheerful faces
by the happy Dharmsdlas by the
of the sick in monastic hospitals,* and smiles of travellers reposing in
The one was the personification of bodily and material enjoyment; the other was the
road-side. activity
genius of corporeal abstinence, and intellectual contemplation, f *
Mahawanso,
p. 249.
Upatisso, son of
hospitals for cripples, for pregnant
Dhatusena
diseased. sick.
(p.
Buddha Das,
women, and
builds
for the blind
and
256) builds hospitals for cripples and
Buddha Das himself
(p.
245) ordained a physician for
every ten villages on the high road, and built asylums for the crippled, deformed,
f There
is
and
destitute.
a curious coincidence also in the manner of death of
the two teachers.
According to the Buddhists, Maro, the Angel of
Death, waited upon Sakya to learn when to die.
The Musulmans
assert the
it
would
be his pleasure
same of Muhammad.
the Angel of Death, entered the chamber of the
sick
Azrail,
man
to
announce that " he was enjoined not to interfere with the soul
of God's prophet, without an See Price's
Muhammadan
entire acquiescence
History, vol.
i.
p. 16.
on his part."
FIRST SYNOD.
CHAPTEE
55
IV.
FIEST SYNOD. 1.
The whole Bauddha community,
or all
who had
taken the vows of asceticism, were known by the general
name
of Sangha, or the
t(
congregation."
The same term, with the addition of the local name, was used to distinguish any one of the numerous Buddhist fraternities ; as Magadhe- Sangham, the fraternity of Magadha Santi Sangham, the fraternity of Santi, or Sdnchi* It was also employed to denote the general assemblies f of monks, which were held at stated periods; as well as the Grand ;
Assemblies, which occasions. called
* See the ;
this
volume.
only
on
particular
the
First,
Second,
and
were held at different periods, Bhabra
the other
first
place
Three of these extraordinary assemblies,
respectively
Synods, J
took
is
inscription,
for
the
Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, for the
used in the Sanchi
pillar inscription,
published in
f MeyaXrjv awolov is the expression of Megasthenes annual assembly held at Palibothra. t
Third
for the
PrathamS, Droitaye, and Tritaye Sangham, or Sangiti.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
56
suppression of heresy, and the solemn affirmation of
orthodoxy.
The
2.
first
of these assemblies
was convoked
after
the death of Sakya, in the middle of the year 543 B.
a, by the great Kasyapa, on hearing
ones "
in-
" Revered
aged Subhadra* said the dotard, " mourn no more
sidious address of the !
the
1
We
!
are happily released from the control of the great
Srdmana (Buddha)
:
we
shall
no more be worried
c
is allowable/ and that is not allowable;' we can now do what we wish, and can leave undone what we do not desire." Kasyapa reflected that
with 'this
the present was the most fitting time to
summon a Dharma
general assembly for the solemn rehearsal of
and Vinaya, according to the injunction of Sakya.
"Ananda,"
said the
dying sage, "let the
Dharma
and Vinaya, which I have preached and explained to thee, stand in
death."
Reflecting' on
imperishable
meetings," shus.f
the place of a teacher after
precepts,
my
this,
and on the
"
hold frequent religious
to
first
of the
K&syapa addressed the assembled Bhik-
" Beloved
!
let
us hold a rehearsal both of
of the Vinaya" " Lord," replied " they, do thou select the Sthdviras and JBhikshus." Kasyapa therefore selected five hundred holy mendicant
the
Dharma and
monks who had mastered the
Tripitaka, or Three
By them it was decided that the First Synod should be held at Rajagriha during the rainy
Repositories.
*
Tumour,
in Prinsep's Journal, vii. 512.
+
Tumour,
in Prinsep's Journal, vii. 518.
FIRST SYNOD.
when
season,
57
the regular pilgrimages of the Buddhist
monks were suspended. 3. At the full moon of the month of Asarh (1st July, 543 B. c), the five hundred monks having assembled
month
at
Rajagriha, spent the whole of that
in the repairs of their Vihars, lest the heretics
should taunt them,* saying, "the disciples of
Gotama
kept up their Vihars while their teacher was
alive,
hut they have forsaken them since his death."
With
the assistance of Ajdtasatra, Raja of
Vihars were renewed for the
j
Magadha, the
and a splendid hall was built
assembly of the First Synod, at the mouth
of the Sattapanni Cave, on the side of the
for
the
Webhara
Five hundred carpets were spread around
Mountain.
monks; one throne was prepared
abbot on the south
side,
for
the
the north, f and
facing*
another throne was erected in the middle, facing the east, "
fit
for the holy
Buddha
himself."
Placing
this throne, the Raja sent a message saying, u Lords, my task is perassembly, to the
an ivory fan on
formed." 4.
On
the
moon (first week monks, having made their meal, and
fifth
of August), the
of the increasing
having laid aside their refection dishes and extra •
Tumour,
in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
516.
" seat" of the Sthavira. In the t Sthavirdsan, the dsan or this throne is exactly reversed. position of the Mahawanso, p. 12,
Dharmdsan, " throne of Dharma," was placed in See Tumour, in Prinsep's Journal, the middle of the Assembly.
The
pulpit, or
—
vii.
517.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
58
Dharma
robes, assembled in the hall of the
with their
rig-lit
shoulders bare.
Synod,
They ranged them-
according to their rank, each in his appro-
selves
1
priate place
;
hall "glittered with the yellow
and the
robes" of the monks. 5.
The Synod was opened with the rehearsal of
whom Buddha
the Vinaya, superintended by Upali,
himself had pointed out as the most learned of
Up61i mounted
followers in "religious discipline."
Dharmasan, and with the ivory fan *
the
answered
all
the questions of
Kasyapa
Vinaya, in which there was nothing
During
omitted.
this
all his
in his
hand,
regarding- the
to be
added or
examination, the whole of the
assembled monks chanted the passage,
beginning with
Weranja dwells."
Vinaya, passage by " The holy Buddha in
This ended, Upali laid aside the
ivory fan, and descended from the
with a
sumed
reverential his
own
seat.
Dharmdsan ;
and,
bow to the senior monks, reThus ended the rehearsal of
Vinaya.
For the rehearsal of Dharma, the assembled (the nephew and companion of Buddha) f who, with his right shoulder bare, and 6.
Bhikshus selected Ananda
the ivory fan in his hand, took his seat on the pulpit *
The " jewelled
tioned in chiefs
of
fan,"
as
a symbol
the Mahareanso, p. 189; religious
fraternities
in
and
of authority, it is still
Ceylon,
on
all
is
men-
used by the state
occa-
sions.
t According to some, he was the son of Dotodana, the younger brother of Suddhodan, the father of Sakya.
—
!
FIRST SYNOD.
59
He
was then interrogated by Kasyapa on Dharma, beginning with the first words of S&kya,
of religion.
after his attainment to
tree at
Bodhi-Gaya.
These words are called
Hymn
'f
Buddha's
7.
Buddhahood, under the Bodhiof
Joy :"*
" Through a long course of almost endless beings
Have
Now
sorrow, sought the Great Creator.
I, in
thou art found,
Henceforth
And
from
my
its
8.
The
over
House of Sin,
ruins the glad Spirit shall spring,
Free from the
And
Great Artificer
soul shall quit this
fetters of all
mortal births,
all desires victorious."
Buddha's
examination ended with
last
injunction to his disciples, given under the Sal tree at Kusinara. " Bhikshus
Are 9.
!
I
now
transitory
conjure you
—seek
—earthly things
eternal rest."
These rehearsals of Vinaya and
Dharma
lasted
and were concluded at the beginning of March, 542 B. c, when it was announced that the religion of the "ten-power-gifted Deity"
for seven months,
This synod
should endure for five thousand years.f
was known by
different
names; as the Prathama-
Sangham, or First Synod, the Pancha-Satika-San*
the
Tumour,
in
Prinsep's
Supreme Being
builder"
—that
is,
is
Journal,
twice called
vi.
In
523.
this
hymn
GaMk&raka, the " house-
the artificer or creator of the
human
house, or
body. t See Tumour, in ruanso, p. 11.
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
The " gifted with ten powers."
527
;
and Maha-
f
THE BHILSA TOPES.
60
gham, or Synod of Five Hundred, and the Sthdviraka
Sangham, or Saints'-Synod, because all belonged to the higher grade of monks.* 10.
From
this time until the
its
members
end of the long reign
of Ajatasatra, 519 B. a, the creed of
Buddha
ad-
This success was partly
vanced slowly, but surely.
politic admission of women, who, even in
due to the
the East, have always possessed
much
though
secret,
not apparent, influence over mankind. To most of them the words of Buddha preached comfort in this life, and hope in the next. To the young widow,
and the cast-off mistress, the
the neglected wife,
Buddhist teachers nuns.
offered
an honourable career as
Instead of the daily indignities to which
they were subjected
by grasping
and
cherous husbands,
faithless
miserable of the sex could
now
relatives,
trea-
the
most
lords,
share, although
still
humble way, with the general respect accorded who had taken the vows. The Bhikshunis were indebted to Ananda's intercession with Sakya in a
to all
for their admission into the ranks of the
community
;
paying their devotions principally to * See Fo-lime-hi, chap. xxv. note 11 p.
20
;
Bauddha
and they showed their gratitude by
and Tumour,
in
Prinsep's
;
his relics.
and Mahamanso, chap.
Journal,
vi.
527.
Csoma's Analysis of the Dulva, Trans. As. Soc. Bengal,
v.
See also vol. xx.
p. 92.
f See Csoma's Analysis of the Dulva, Res. As. Soc. Bengal, also Fo-hme-ki, chap. xvi. p. 101. vol. xx. p. 90; The Pikhieu-ni, or Bhikshunis, at Mathura, paid their devotions chiefly
FIEST SYNOD.
The
11.
61
was the same both
dress of the Ascetics
for males
and females.
ments,
all
of which were yellow
or
fastened round the waist and reaching to the
kilt,
knees
It consisted of three gar;
The Sanghdti,
1st,
1
2nd, The TIttar a- Sanghdti, a mantle, or cape,
;
which was worn over the
and under the
left shoulder,
right, so as to leave the right shoulder bare
3rd,
;
The Antara-vdsaha, an under vest or shirt for sleeping in.* The first and second garments are represented in many of the Sanchi bas-reliefs. They are the Stupa of
to
Buddha ascetic
A-nan (Ananda), because he had besought women the liberty of embracing
that he would grant to
The observances
life.
found in note 23, chap.
required from the nuns
The female
xvi. of the Fo-kwe-ki.
even of 100 years of age was bound to respect a first
*
monk
be
ascetic
even in the
year of bis ordination. Fo-kwe-ki, chap.
xiii.
Csoma, Res. As. Soc. Bengal,
note 14.
Analysis of the Dulva, states that these three pieces of
p. 70,
clothing were of a dark red colour
where mentioned the outward it is
may
;
but yellow
distinctions of the
is
the colour every-
These two colours are
in the Pali annals.
Buddhists of Tibet
;
may have been dark
probable that the Buddhist dress
Sakya's time, and yellow during the reigns of
still
and therefore red in
Asoka and Milindu.
According to the Chinese {Fo-kwe-ki, xiii. 10), the Sangkdti of seven pieces ; the Uttara - Sanghdti, of seven
consisted pieces is
;
and the Vdsaka of
five pieces
:
but the number of pieces
stated differently in another place (Fo-kwe-ki,
nine,
seven, and
five.
The
dress also
is
colours ; while in the Buddhist annals as yellow.
Ladies of wealth in
c. viii. p.
5) as
said to have been of divers it
is
Ladak have
invariably mentioned
their petticoats
formed
of numerous perpendicular strips of cloth, of different colours, but generally red, blue, and yellow. these dresses.
See Plate XI. of this volume
for
THE BHILSA TOPES.
62 all
barred perpendicularly to represent their formaof separate
tion
times, the
number of
In
sewn together.
pieces
pieces
after
denoted the particular
The
school or sect to which the wearer belonged.
mantle or cape was scarcely deep enough to hide the right breasts of the nuns
sented in the bas-reliefs
baring
—
at
least
so repre-
is
it
but as the same custom of
arm and shoulder
the right
amongst the
;
prevails
still
females of Middle Kan&war, on
any exposure of the
Sutlej, without
breasts,
the
I pre-
sume that their representation by the sculptor at Sinchi was only the result of his own clumsiness, as he could not otherwise show the difference of sex.
12.
When
as fetching'
the
monks
engaged in common occupation, such water, felling wood, and carrying loads,* always
are
At
mantles or capes.
represented
without
religious meetings, as
their
we have
seen at the First Synod, and as they are represented
throughout the Sanchi robes.
But during
bas-reliefs,
they wore
their contemplative
all their
abstraction
in the woods, the devotees are represented
naked to upper garments being hung up inside These devotees are, no their leaf-roofed houses. the waist, their
doubt, the Tvfivr)TT)Q
Tvfivtirai
of Kleitarchos
;
for
Yv/ivris
* All these acts are represented in the Sanchi bas-reliefs. first is
found on the
left pillar
partment, inner face.
ment of the same
or
mean a naked man, but only a
does not
The
pillar.
The
of the eastern gateway, second com-
others are
shown
in the third
compart-
FIRST SYNOD. lightly-clad
was applied
man; to
and
with
63
this
signification
These same devotees are, most probably, the aofiarai hists
of
were
it
the light-armed soldier of Greece.
other
Greek writers
positively
for
;
the
from
prohibited
Fvfivo-
Budd-
appearing
naked.*
members of the Bauddha community, who life, were called Sramana, or Sramanera. They who begged their food from motives of humility were dignified with the title of Bhikshu and Bhikshuni, or male and female mendicants. The Srdmanas are, beyond all doubt, the Tap/iavai (or Garmanes) of Megasthenes, and the Ilpafivai (or Pramnts) of Kleitarchos ;f while the Bhihshus are they who went about "begging both in villages and 13. All
led an ascetic
in towns." J
Megasthenes divides the Garmanes or Srdmanas into three classes, of which the most honourThese are clearly able were called BTylobii, "YXoj3ioi. 14.
the Bodhisatwas or Arhatas, the superior grade of
monks, who, having repressed •See
Fo-kwe-hi,
chap.
viii.
n.
all
8;
human
and chap.
passions, xvii.
n.
21.
See also Csoma's Analysis of the Dulva, Trans. A9. Soc. Bengal, vol. xx. p. 70,
where Sagama presents cotton cloths to the
monks and nuns, because she
had
heard
that
they
lathed
The Buddhist belief of the Tap/iavai, f Strabo, xv. of Megasthenes, is proved by his mention Iarpuoi, and 'YXojiwi, were allowed to join some of them. women of the fact that Ev/MpiXosofeiv S'evloie Kal yvvaiKag. J
Strabo, XV.
JL-n-aiTovvras Kal
Kara
Kuyjias
Kal iroKsis.
64
THE BHILSA TOPES.
were named Alobhiya* or " without desires."
.
They
woods upon leaves and wild fruits. Several scenes of ascetic life in the woods are repre-
lived
the
in
On
sented in the Sanchi bas-reliefs.
the lowermost
gateway (inside), there is a very lively scene of monks and nuns, who are occupied in various acts. Elephants and lions appear architrave of the northern
amongst the
and the king on horseback
trees,
approaching to pay them a 15.
The second
larpiKoi,
Iatriki,
which
word
name name
Megasthenes
is
doubt that
little
Pachhe, which seems
The Pali
fully as far
from the original as the Greek term. class, or
the
a corrupted transcript of Pratyeka, the
is
of the middle class of Buddhists. is
are
a pure Greek word, sig-
But I have
nifying physicians. this
visit.
of
class
is
removed
The
third
Srdwaka, are represented by the mendicants
before described. 16.
According
classes of
the
Kleitarchos,'f"
or
Naked;
Ilpoayupioi, or
Greek names
:
but
it
is
the
IloXn-i/coi,
Rural.
^5RnfH^T>
fr°
or
Townsmen;
All these are pure
not unlikely that Oreinos
only a transcript of the Pali * Sanskrit,
there were four
Pramnce: the Opivoi, or Mountaineers;
rv/iviirai,
and the
to
ma
>
Aran\
(Sanskrit
without, and lobh, desire.
pare the old latin lubedo, and the
name
is
ArCom-
of Queen Lab, of the
Arabian nights. f Strabo, |
On
title is
lib.
xv.
the stone box, extracted from No. 2
twice written >j
|*,
Aran; but
Tope
at Sanchi, this
in the inscriptions generally
FIRST SYNOD.
which was a
hanta),
first class
title
As
of monks.
65
of the Bodhisatwas, or
the Arhans, however, dwelt
chiefly in caves cut out of the living rock, the
of " hill-men"
perhaps, a marked one.
is,
name
Gumnetes,
or " lig'ht-clad," was, as I have already shown, only
another
name
for the
his fits of musing*,
Arkan, or hermit, who^ during
wore nothing but the
class, Politikos,
reaching
The name given
from his waist to his knees. next
kilt,
to the
seems only a copy, and a very
near one, of the Sanskrit
But
title
Pratyeka, or " single
may, perhaps, be descriptive of the duty of the Pratyeka; who, while he sought deliverance for himself, was not to understanding."
the Greek term
be heedless of that of others.* lead
him
As
to mingle with the people,
this
duty would
and chiefly with " townsman"
those of the towns, the appellation of
seems intended to distinguish the Pratyeka from the " hill-monk" or Arhan of the rock-cut caves.
The name of the
" rural ;" as the former
ArahantA.
may
or Arahata.
Tumour's
In
Arhanta.
513), the
vi.
Araha
written either
*"*fif«TT,
I
slightly
npo
has,
changed; and I would prefer Ilpoae^iplovQ, the " listeners," instead of
think, been
reading
last class of Kleitarchos
Stkdoiras who It
possible
is
The
Annals
is
the literal
Sanskrit
(Prinsep's
word
is
Journal,
held the First Synod are called that the Greek
name
of Opeivos
be derived from the Sanskrit Aranyaka, a desert place,
because the Bhikshus were directed to dwell in such a place.
See Fo-Jtwe-M, chap. is
viii.
note 5, where the Chinese term A-lafl-yo
used for Aranyaka. *
See Fo-kwe-M,
c. ii.
n. 4.
66
THE BHILSA
TOPES.
Sanskrit Srdwaka, a " hearer,"
translation of the
which was the designation of the lowest class of Buddhist monks. These identifications of the different classes of
Pramnce with those of the Srdmanas
are of
the highest importance to the history of the Buddhist
For Kleitarchos was one of the companions ; and his distinct mention of these four of the Bauddha community proves that the
religion.
of Alexander classes
religion of in the
Sdkya Mwni had already been
Panjab
established
at the period of Alexander's invasion.
The worship of the Bodhi tree is also mentioned by " Deos putant, quidquid colere Curtius, who says eoeperunt ; arbores maxime, quas violare capital est." " They hold as gods whatever they have been :
—
accustomed to worship it is
;
but principally trees, which
death to injure." *
17.
The
old Buddhists
neatly distinguished the
monks by the types of sheep, deer, The Sheep, when in flight, never looks
different grades of
and oxen.f
back, and, like the Srdwaka, cares only for self-pre-
The Deer turns
servation.
to
look back on the-
following herd, and, like the Pratyeha, others while he seeketh his
own
is
mindful of
deliverance.
The
Ox, which beareth whatever burden is put upon him, is typical of the Bodhisatwa, who, regardless of himself,
careth only for the salvation of others.
last type
is
less
deer; for the Bodhisatwa,
*
Curtius,
viii.
9.
But the
happy than that of the sheep and
who
is
supposed to have
f Fo-kwe-M,
e. ii. n.
4.
FIRST SYNOD. earned his
own
any anxiety
deliverance,* could not possibly have
for himself,
— whereas
The Bodhisatwa
is
the most patient
own
of laden oxen must yearn for his 18.
67
freedom.
the highest grade of mortal
being; for on his attaining Buddhahood he can no
He
more be regenerated.
into the Divine Spirit,
individuality
has then become absorbed
and has altogether
or separate existence.
his
lost
The Christian
believes in the distinct immortality of each sentient
being;
and that each soul
will for ever
while
he admits the immortality
of- the
believes that its individuality will have that, after it has
unknown but last it
retain its
But the Buddhist,
personality in the world to come.
an end
been linked to a mortal body
finite
number of
existences,
yet
soul,
it
;
and
for
an
will at
be absorbed into the Divine Essence from which
sprang;
like as waters
clouds, return to ticles
it
of sand, borne
bottom of the
wafted from the ocean in
again in streams; or as the par-
away from the mountains
sea, are
to the
again imbedded together and
consolidated into rock. 19. There has been
some misapprehension regarding
the Buddhas and Bodhisatwas; the regeneration of the Grand Lama being" considered as an exceptional case of a
Buddha returning* amongst mankind.f But
Therefore in Tibet called Chmgchhub, " the perfect."
SVcb
3?",
Byang-chhvb
or
\ Mr. Hodgson, pp. 137, 138, truly calls the " divine Lamas" of Tibet, Arhantas ; but he believes " that a very gross superstition
has wrested the just notion of the character to its own use," and so created the " immortal mortals, or present palpable divinities of Tibet."
THE BHILSA TOPES.
68
the explanation which I received in Ladak, which
is
by Fra Orazio* in Lhasa, simple and convincing. The Grand Lama is only
the same as that obtained is
a regenerated Bodhisatwa,
who
from accept-
refrains
Buddhahood, that he may continue to be born again and again for the benefit of mankind. For a
ing-
Buddha cannot
possibly be regenerated; and hence
the famous epithets of
Tathagata, " thus gone/'
and Sugata, " well gone/' completely gone, or gone for ever.
20.
The monk who
aspired to the rank of Bhikshu,
or Mendicant, was obliged to beg his daily food;
which,
when
portions
and
obtained, was to be divided into three
—one for the hungry, the second for the birds
beasts,
and the third
for himself;
and even
this
was not allowed to eat after noon.f He was forbidden to ask for gold and silver he was to prefer old and tattered raiment ; and to eschew orna-
portion he
;
ments of
all kinds.
He was
to dwell in the wilder-
ness (Aranydkd)) or amongst the tombs (sm&sdnika),
where the daily sight of birds of prey, and of funeral pyres, would show him the instability of all earthly things,
and the utter nothingness of the human body,
Nouv. Jour. Asiat. t. xiv. p. 408. " II Lama sempre sara coll' istessa anima del medesimo Oiang-c'iub, oppure in altri corpi." *
Rerausat was not aware of this fact when he stated " Les Lamas
du Tibet
se considerent
eux memes comme autant de divinites
(Bouddhas) incarnees pour
le
salut des
hommes."
Journal des
Savantes, Mai, 1831, p. 263. -(
See the twelve observances, in the Fo-hrve-M,
c. viii. n. 5.
FIRST SYNOD.
which endures but for a
away
little
69
time,
into the five elements of which
21.
and then passeth it is
composed.
The equipments or indispensable
necessaries
of a Bhikshu, or Mendicant, consisted of (1) an " alms-dish " (pdtra), or vessel for collecting- the food
which he begged ; (uda pdtra);
(3)
(2)
a stick or staff (pinda);
a sewing needle
(5)
dish
an ewer, or " water-vessel"
and
;
was of common
(4)
a razor;
The alms-
(6) a waistband.
material, such as earthenware
or iron.
According- to the Chinese it was a shallow narrow at top and broader at bottom; but the vessel which was shown to me in Ladak as the exact vessel,*
copy of Shaky a-Thubba's alms-dish was just the reverse, being broad at top and narrow at bottom
;
of a para-
and of red earthenware coloured black.
bolic form,
The shape was exactly the same
as that of the large
from the Sonari and Andher Topes, f The colour was most probably black, because Fa
steatite vases
HianJ
Kha
states that the
kingdom of Kie-chha
chan-pa, " Snow-land," or Ladak
§)
(that
is
possessed a
stone bowl of the same colour as the alms-dish of
Buddha.
The
thin earthenware bowls which have
been found in the Topes of Bhojpur and Andher, are also
black; those of the latter being of a glossy
metallic lustre. *
See Fo-kwe-ki,
f See Plate volume.
The shapes of these c. xii. n. 8.
XXIV.
Fig'.
\
See Fo-kwe-ki, chap.
§
Ladak
is still
vessels would, of
called
3— and
Plate
XXIX.
Fig-. 8,
v.
Kha-chan-pa, or " Snow-land."
of this
?0
THE BHILSA TOPES.
course, vary dishes,
No.
7,
Nos.
;
but I have
4, 5, PI.
little
doubt that the Bhojpur
XXVII.,* and
PL XXVIII.,
the
Andher
dish,
are the actual alms-dishes, or
monks whose relics were deposited there. And I am the more inclined to this belief because
pdtras, of the
the
bowls which were inside these dishes seem to
answer exactly as water vessels or ewers. with his staff 11,
is
A
represented on the leaden coin
PL XXXII.)
monk (Fig-.
which was found in the Ganges at
Patna, the ancient Pdtaliputra or Palibothra. * See
also
Plate
XXVI.
for
the black earthenware vessels,
extracted from No. 4 Tope, D., Bhojpur.
CHRONOLOGY.
CHAPTER
71
V-
CHRONOLOGY. 1.
During the
first
century after Sakya's death,
the Buddhist religion was perpetuated, if not extended,
by a succession of learned monks. Of these great Arhans but little is related, and even that little is contradictory. During this period the great preceptors of the Buddhist Faith are so variously named, that
it is
tinuous.
cessions*
clear the recorded succession cannot be con-
Even Buddhaghoso gives two down to the third convocation.
different suc-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
72
Mahawanso, gives the succession agreeably to the first, and makes each acharya the disciple of his predecessor.* In the second list the places of the names have been completely changed, for we know that Mogaliputra 2.
Mahanamo,
the author of the
should be the last, as he conducted the proceedings
We know
of the Third Synod.
also that
the leader of the Second Synod. called
that
therefore,
teachers
of the longer
faith.
list is
It seems likely,
contains the names of
it
while the
;
first list
the
all
gives only those of the
By
a new arrangement of the names
list,
the succession becomes complete
most famous.
3.
The other
by Buddhaghoso, the " unbroken succession of
Sthdviras" or elders of the
and
Bewato was
satisfactory.
But there
is still
for, in the assertion
one
that
all
synod had seen Buddha.
difficulty to
be accounted
the leaders of the second
This assertion, however,
own denial with it ; for both Buddhaghoso and Mah&namo agree in stating that six of these carries its
leaders were
the
disciples
of Ananda.-f
Now
the
companion of Buddha did not qualify himself as an Arahat, or holy teacher, until after the death of his
None
patron.
of his disciples could, therefore, have
In the following amended
seen Buddha.
be remembered before *
Buddha
Mahawanso,
f Mahawanso, nal, vi. 730.
that
Sariputra died
himself;
and that
a
list it
must
few years
Upali, the
com-
pp. 28, 29. p.
19
;
and Tumour's Annals, in Prinsep's Jour-
CHRONOLOGY. piler
of the
Vinaya, was one of the disciples of
Buddha. SIriptjtra. b.c. 543.
73
Upali and Kasyapa.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
74
the period of ihe Third Synod, says that the religion
was perpetuated from Upali
to Mogaliputra,
ever the interval might be."*
" what-
This expression clearly
shows that there was a difference of opinion even in his
day
420) regarding- the exact date of the
(a. d.
But
Buddha.
death of
Buddhaghoso was
as
Magadha Brahman, he must have known
a
the Indian
date of Sakya's nirv&na, and as this date coincides
with that of the Burmese and Ceylonese chronicles,
I do not well see how
it
can be set
It
aside.
is
a
curious fact also that the mean of the dates, obtained by Hwan-Thsang, agrees within one year of the Burmese and Ceylonese dates. Thus the average interval which elapsed from Sakya's death to
Thsang's
visit, is
636, the
mean
obtain B.
c.
cidence
remarkable.
5.
is
In
this
Hwan-Thsang's the death of Buddha.
period of
544
for
appears to
it
sufficiently well established.
In adopting
am aware
travels,
The
we
coin-
work I have made use of the generally
received date of B. c. 543, as
I
Hwan-
1,180 years, from which, deducting*
me
to be
this date,
that a correction will be necessary for
the Buddhistical date of Asoka's succession in the 2.18th
year after the Nirvana.
amount of
this correction
But
as
the exact
can be obtained from a
source independent of the Buddhist annals, I think that every reliance
may
be placed upon
its
accuracy.
Both Buddhaghoso and Mahanamo agree in making the accession of Nanda, King of Magadha, in the *
Tumour's Annals,
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 727.
CHBONOLOGY.
75
118th year after the Nirvana, or in b. c. 425 j and they assign to him, and to his successors, the nine
Nandas, a joint period of only forty-four years. Now all the Brahmanical Puranas, in their accounts of the king's of Magadha,
agree in stating that the
Nandas reigned one hundred years. By using this amount as the correct one, we ohtain Anno Buddhce 218, or B. c. 325, as the date of Chandra Gupta's accession ; thus making him a contemporary of Alexander the Great and Seleukos Nikator
;
a fact which
has long since heen proved by several passages from
The happy
the Greek historians.
identification of
Chandra Gupta with the Sandrocottos, or Sandrokuptos* of the Greeks was Jones, and
admitted
:
its
for
much upon
first
made by
Sir
William
accuracy has since been generally the
depends fully
identification
as
the similarity of their personal histories
as
upon the positive identity of their names. 6. It would be difficult, and, perhaps, impossible,
to
ascertain the real origin of this error of sixty-
six years in the
Buddhist annals
;
but I
may
hazard
a guess that the pious and enthusiastic Buddhists of
Asoka's age
may
in the first instance
have adopted
the date of his conversion as that of the true foun-
dation of the
Mauryan Dynasty, by omitting
Brahmanical reigns of as well as the his
first
his father
the
and grandfather,
own reign before Buddhism. Under this sup-
four years of his
acknowledgment of
position, his inauguration
would have been antedated
* SavSpoKVTTTos is the spelling of Athenseus.
76
by
THE BHILSA TOPES. sixty-six years,
difference
which
is
the exact
amount of
between the Buddhist and Brahmanical
lengths of reigns, as well as the precise amount of correction required to
make
the Buddhist chronology
harmonise with that of the Greeks.
when Buddhaghoso composed
In
after times,
his commentaries
on
the Singhalese Annals, I suppose that the date of
Asoka's inauguration was assumed to be correct, and that the duration of his father's and grandfather's reigns,
and the
first
four years of his
own
reign,
were deducted from the one hundred years of the Nandas. This supposition is rendered more probable
by the valuable opinion of Mr. Tumour,* the learned translator of the Mahawanso, who points to the difference between the Brahmanical and Buddhistical authorities, and more particularly to " some confusion in
the durations assigned to the reigns of the ten
Nandas," as the most likely causes of
error.
He was
unable to account for the error himself; but he did
" not despair of seeing the discrepancy accounted for in due course of time." He adopted the same fixed I have done ; namely, the Buddhist era of Sakya's death, in B. c. 543 j and the Greek age of Sandrocottos, about 325 B. C. ; but he was in-
points, as
clined to believe that the anachronism
of design and not of accident. *
See Prinaep's Journal,
vi.
725.
was the
result
—
SECOND SYNOD.
CHAPTEE
77
VI.
SECOND SYNOD. 1.
Having- thus adjusted the chronology, I can
proceed with confidence to the historical account of the progress of Buddhism. I have already given the
proceedings
of the First Synod, and
details of the
manner of
life
the different grades of the
and
strict
some
brief
observances of
Bauddha community.
But
these observances, which the early Buddhists practised
with enthusiastic
of their successors. after
were found irksome by many
zeal,
At
the end of the
Sakya's death, a numerous
first
century
fraternity of
at Vaisdli asserted the lawfulness of the
monks
following
indulgences*: 1st.
" The preservation of
period
is
lawful,"
instead
salt in
of
the
horn for any seven days
allowed by Sakya.
2nd. "
The
allowance of two inches in length
of the shadow of the declining sun, to partake
Sakya had
of food," which
prohibited
after
midday. *
See Mahawanso,
p.
15
sep's Journal, vi. 728, 729.
;
and Tumour's
Pftli
Annals, in Prin-
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
78
" In
3rd.
villages it is allowable to partake of
indulgences" forbidden in the monasteries.
" Ceremonies
4th.
by the
performed
in their
own houses may be
monks/' instead of in the
public hall.
" Obtaining subsequent consent
5th.
able for the performance of
any
consent should always precede
is allow-
act ;" whereas,
it.
" Conformity to example is allowable," that is, they might act as their superiors did whereas no example was admitted as an excuse 6th.
if
the act was forbidden. e<
7th. after
The drinking of whey
is
allowable
midday/' which whey, as a component part
of milk, had hitherto been forbidden.
" The drinking of toddy
8th.
because
it
is
allowable
looks like water:" whereas all fer-
mented beverages were forbidden. 9th. " Cloth-covered seats are allowable." 10th.
" Gold and
silver
may
be accepted
in
alms:" whereas the very use of the precious metals was prohibited
begging 2.
When
reached
the
for
;
and more especially the
money.
the tidings of
revered
formidable heresy
this
Yasa,
son
of
Kakandaka,
he repaired to Vaisali; and, in the midst of the assembled
money
monks, he
as unlawful.
various indignities
whose
vengeance
denounced
On
this
by
the
he
escaped
the
asking
for
he was subjected to
schismatic
with
monks, from difficulty
to
f
SECOND SYNOD. Kausambi.*
Thence,
79
despatching-
messengers
to
Patheya and Ujain, he collected a small body of orthodox monks, who with him waited upon the Soreyan teacher Bewato, the most famous in his day for depth of knowledge and holiness of character.
The schismatics
tried to influence
but failing in
sents,
who was
this,
Eewato with
they petitioned the
preking-,
at first inclined to favour them.
But the king's intentions were changed by a dream, and he proceeded to Vaisali in person, where, having heard both parties, he decided in favour of the orthodox, and directed
them
of religion 3.
A
;
to take steps for the due maintenance
after
which he departed
for his capital.
stormy discussion then arose between the
assembled monks, which was only quieted by the proclamation of the Ubbdhika rules for preserving order at religious assemblies.
Eight of the most
learned teachers, four from the eastern fraternities
and four from the western, were selected by Eewato examine into the lawfulness of the indulgences now claimed. These monks retired to a quiet spot to
to consider the matter; and, after
much
questioning-
amongst themselves, they decided upon rejecting the heresy.
They accordingly returned
to the assembly,
and denounced the ten indulgences as unlawful; on which the penalty of " degradation" was awarded to the schismatic monks. * See Maharvanso, p. 16.
f The sentence of degradation was Sakya's punishment for all caused dissensions amongst the Bauddha community. See
who
80
THE BHILSA TOPES.
was afterwards confirmed by the Second Synod, which was composed of seven hundred monks selected by the learned Bewato. The synod 4. This sentence
was held
at the
Balukarama Vihara
at Vaisali,
under
Magadha. The proceeding's, which were conducted by question and answer in the same manner as at the First Synod, occupied eight months. The Vinaya and Dharma
the protection of Kalasoka, King- of
were again rehearsed; and the suppression of the ten indulgences was pronounced. called the
Dwitiye Sangiti or Second Synod, and the
Synod of Seven Hundred.
Saptasatika, or 5.
This meeting was
The English reader
will
s
be struck with the
resemblance which this synod bears to that of a
by
jury, in
trial
which we have the hearing" of both
parties
;
the retirement of the jury to consider their
verdict
;
and the
last sentence of the judge.
Csoma's Analysis of the Dulva, Researches As. Soc. Bengal, xx. 80.
See Plate
monk. The " degraded."
XXVII.
inscription
is
Fig. 4, for a memorial of a degraded
simply patito (Sanskrit patitah), the
BUDDHIST SCHISMS.
CHAPTER
81
VII.
BUDDHIST SCHISMS. The sentence of degradation which could be carried out against an individual, was powerless when pronounced against a multitude. The bod}^ of schismatic monks who had been degraded amounted to ten thousand they were refractory, and would not submit and their secession originated the Mahasanghika heresy, or schism of the " Great Union."* In the Tibetan books, the origin 1.
:
;
of this sect disciples of
wanso
is
the great
referred
is
Buddha
too
to
Kasyapa,t one of the
but the account of the Maha-
;
circumstantial,
Kasyapa
is
admission of such an origin. heretical
and the orthodoxy of
too well established, for the
There
is
indeed an
Kasyapa, whom the Chinese call Fu-lan" who repudiated ?),
na-Kia-she (Purana Kasyapa all
law
— who
recognised neither prince nor subject,
neither father nor son *
Mahawanso,
c.
— and who considered void space
xx.
t Csoma de Koros, in Prinsep's Journal, bable that his followers
may have
vii.
143.
It
is
pro-
been the originators of the
Mahd-Sdnghika heresy.
G
82
THE BHILSA TOPES.
Supreme Being-."* But, as it would appear that this Kdsyapa was a follower of the Brahmanical Sankhya philosopher Kapila, it is scarcely possible as the
that he could have been the leader of the
Maha-
Sanghika Buddhists. 2.
According to the Tibetans, the
earliest systems
Buddhism were the Vaibhdshika and the Sautrantika, both of which were dogmatical.^ The followers of
of the former believed in everything written in the Scriptures, and
would not dispute
;
those of the latter
" proved everything on the authority of Scripture, and by argument." 3. The Vaibhdshikas were divided into four principal classes, which bore the names of four of Sakya's disciples
But
it
:
Hdhula, Kasyapa, Kdtydyana, and Updli.
seems scarcely possible that these celebrated
Buddhist leaders, the companions of Sakya, would
The more
have originated any schisms themselves. probable conclusion
that they established schools,
is,
own individual disciples, but all teaching one common doctrine. That these schools, each instructing his
though
all
professing the same belief at
after the lapse of time, differ from
a natural result
common
to all
first,
should,
each other,
human
is
beliefs.
but
In
this view there seems nothing extraordinary in the *
Fo-Jtme-ki,
c. xvii. n.
21.
f Csoma, as quoted above.
from
f%, vi, certainty,
matics.
and
The Vaibhashikas were named
W^T,
bhdsM, speech
The Sautrantihas adhered
Scriptures, from
which they obtained
strictly to
their
name.
;
i. e.
the
the dog-
Sutras, or
—
BUDDHIST SCHISMS. principal sects of
83
Buddhism being named 1
after four
of Sakya's chief disciples. 4.
The four schools of the Vaibhashikas were
The
Sdhula, son of Sakya, a Kshatriya,
1st.
They
Rahulakas were divided into four sects. istence
re-
Sutras in Sanskrit, and affirmed the ex-
cited the
of
all
Their
thing's.
garb was
religious
formed of from nine to twenty-nine narrow strips of Their distinctive mark was a " water-lilycloth. jewel" (utpala-padma) and a tree-leaf, put together like a
nosegay.*
His followers, who were divided into six sects, were called " the great They recited the community" (Mahasanghika). dialect their religious garb was corrupt ; in a Sutras 2nd. Kdsyapa, a Brahman.
formed of from three to twenty-three strips of cloth
and they carried a
shell as the distinctive
;
mark of
their school.
His followers were Kdtydydna, a Vaisya. divided into three sects ; and they recited the Sutras Their religious garb was in the vulgar dialect. 3rd.
formed of from
five
to twenty-one strips of cloth;
and they wore the figure of a wheel as a
mark of
their school.
distinctive
They were styled " the
class
that have a fixed habitation" (query Sthdpitaka). His followers were divided 4th. Updlij a Sudra. into three sects,
Pisanhika
five
recited the Sutra in the
Their
language.
formed of from * See
and they
religious
to twenty-one
Csoma de Koros
garb
was
strips of cloth;
in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
143.
"
THE BHILSA TOPES.
84
and bore a sortsika flower as a mark of their school. They were styled " the class honoured by many (query
wanso
the ;*
Sabbattha
schismatics
of
the
Maha-
perhaps from sambhram, reverence, respect,
and atishay, much.)
The Sautrantikas were divided the names of which are not given. 5.
6.
two
into
sects,
Altogether, according* to the Tibetans, there
were eighteen sects of Buddhists; a number which agrees exactly with that of the Mahawanso. this
But
agreement extends farther than the mere coin-
two out of three names are the same as those of the Mahawanso. cidence of numbers
The
;
for
1st schism of the
Mahawanso
is
that which
followed the silly speech of Subliadra to the as-
sembled Bhikshus, shortly after the death of Buddha. It was immediately suppressed by
Maha-Kasyapa
at
Synod ; but, as it was listened to by the Sthaviras, it is named the Sthavira, or Thera schism. The 2nd schism is that of the Mahasanghika, which
the First
was the object of the Second Synod to suppress. The 3rd schism was that of the Gokulika, and the 4th was the Ekabbyoharika. it
The Gokulika schismatics gave * is
Mahawanso,
p. 21.
The
derivation of the term Sabbattha
uncertain; but the most probable etymology of
Sanskrit Sarvva, "
all."
was most probably the
the (5th)
rise to
The name original
'
is
Sabba
appellation of the
the it
Samarkand
River, which the Greeks translated by IloXi/ri^j/rof " the
honoured."
is
of some importance, as
much-
"
BUDDHIST SCHISMS.
85
Pannatti; the (6th) B&hulika ; and the (7th) Chetiya heresies. The last no doubt originated at the great monastic establishment of Chetiyagiri, or Sanchi, near Bhilsa.
From
these again proceeded the (8th) Sabbattha
and the (9th) Dhammaguttika schisms (which arose simultaneously) and from the Sabbattha proceeded ;
the (10th)
Kassapiya schism.
Sankantika priesthood gave
Lastly the (11th)
rise to the
Sutta schism.
Six other schisms arose in India during the second
century after the death of Buddha
;
namely the (13th)
JTemdwanta; the (14th) Majagiriya ; the (15th) Siddhatiki ; the (16th) Eastern and the (17th) "Western Seliya; and lastly the (18th) Wddariyd schism.
" Thus there were eighteen inveterate schisms (including the Thera schism, which was suppressed at the First Synod), of which seventeen arose in the
second century after Buddha, or between B.
and 343.
I have been thus particular
these different secessions
c.
443
in enumerating-
from the Buddhist
faith,
because the very names are of value in pointing out the geographical extension of the religion to the
Hemawanta, or Himalayan
region, and to Chetiya,
or the present district of Bhilsa. 7.
The gradual spread of
the Buddhist faith
At
is
Sakya's
thus 'clearly and naturally developed. death in 543 B. c, the influence of his religion was
confined to the central provinces of the Ganges, from the neighbourhood of Cawnpore and Agra to the
head of the Delta.
One hundred years
later, at the
THE BHILSA TOPES.
86
period of the Second Synod, the
Dharma
of
Buddha
had been preached throughout Malwa, from Chetiya (or Bhilsa)* to Avanti (or Ujain), and to the undefined
Patheya,
or
Of
"Western" country.
the
farther progress of the Buddhist religion, nothing
certainly
known
until Alexander's invasion
;
is
at which
time Brahmans and Sr&manas would appear to have
been held in about equal honour by the princes of the land. •
This identification of Chetiya or Chetiyagiri with the modern
Bhilsa
is
proved by parallel passages in
Mahanamo and Buddha-
ghoso, in which the former gives Chetiya and Chetiyagiri, where
the latter gives Wessanagara, which city of Besnagar,
two miles
to the
is
no doubt the old ruined
northward of Bhilsa.
f
PEOGRESS OF BUDDHISM.
CHAPTER
87
VIII.
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM. Chandra Gupta, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty of Magadha, was the illegitimate son of the last Nanda by the beautiful, but low caste, Murd, from whom he obtained the name of Maurya. In 1.
the jMudra Rakshasa, a Sanskrit elevation,
Chandra Gupta
drama
frequently
is
shala, a term said to be equivalent to
Nanda himself was can be
little
detailing his
named Vri-
Sudra ; and as woman, there
the son of a Sudra
doubt that the celebrated Maurya family
In the early part of his Chandra Gupta led a wandering life in the Panjab j* and was, most probably, engaged with were of Sudra extraction. career,
his fellow-countrymen in opposing Alexander.
chief adviser, the
Brahman Chanakya, was a
His
native of
Western that country that Chandra
Takshasila, or Taxila, the capital of the
Panjab j and
it
Gupta
established
first
was
in
himself
expulsion of the Greek troops *
left
by
the
complete
by Alexander.
See Tumour, Introduction to the Mahawan&o,
p. xli., quoting'
the Tika or Commentary.
f Justin, xv.
4.
— " Auctor
libertatis
Sandrocottus fuerat."
88
THE BHILSA TOPES, 2.
It would appear that the Greek colonists in the
Panjab had civil
been placed under, Philip ; while the
first
administration of the country remained in the
hands of its native princes, Taxiles and Poms. After wards, on the murder of Philip by the mercenary
Alexander* directed Eudemos and Taxiles govern the country until he should send another
soldiers,
to
deputy.
It
probable, however, that they continued
is
to retain the charge b. c. 323,
Eudemos
j
for after Alexander's death in
contrived to
make himself master
of the country by the treacherous assassination of
Some few years
king Porus.f he marched
to the assistance
later, in
B. C.
317,
of Eumenes, with 3,000
infantry and 5,000 cavalry, and no less than 120
With
elephants. vice at the
he performed good ser-
this force
battle of Gabiene.
But
his continued
absence gave the Indians an opportunity not to be neglected
;
and
their liberty
was
by
fully asserted
the expulsion of the Greek troops and the slaughter
Chandra Gupta was the leader of national movement, which ended in his own
of their this
chiefs.;}:
elevation to the sovereignty of the Panjab.
Justin
attributes his success to the assistance of banditti
; §
but in this I think he has been misled by a very natural mistake
;
* Arrian, Anabasis, % Justin, xv. 4.
—"
for the
vi.
27.
Arattas,
who were
the
f Diodorus, xix. 5. again, " Molienti
Praefectos ejus occiderat;'
:
deinde bellum adversus praefectos Alexandri." § Justin,
regni
xv. 4.
solicits vit.''
— " Contractus
latronibus Indos ad novitatem
;
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM.
89
dominant people of the Eastern Panjab, are never mentioned in the Mahabharata without being called 1
They were the republican defenders of
robbers.*
Sangala, or Sakala, a fact which points to their Sanskrit
though
name
their
of Arashtra,
or "king-less."
power was then confined
to the
But
Eastern
Panjab, the people themselves had once spread over
They were known by the names of Bahika, Jdrttika, and Takka; of
whole
the
several
which the
country. f
would appear
last
appellation
;
for
known
Takka-sila, was
their
power
is
capital
of
to the Greeks of
and the people themselves
numbers in the Panjab
have been their true
to
old
their
still
Taxila,
or
Alexander
exist in considerable
The ancient extent of
hills.
proved by the present prevalence of
which ; under the name
their alphabetical characters^
now used by all the Hindus Kashmir and the northern mountains^ from Simla On these and Subathu to Kabul and Bamiyan. identify the to banditti of Justin grounds I venture
of Tdkri, or T&kni, are of
with
the
Takkas,
or original inhabitants of the
Panjab; and to assign to them the honour of delivering their native land from the thraldom of a foreign yoke. *
Lassen, Pentapot. Indica.
" Bahici latrones." less,"
which
is
The
— " Aratti
Sanskrit
name
profecto latrones," and is
Arashtra, the " king-
preserved in the Adraistse of Arrian,
them on the Eavi. 1 " Ubi fluvii illi
quini
^Lassen Pentapot
Indica, from the Mahabharat.
;
*
*
*
ibi
who
places
sedes sunt Arattorum."
—
—
90
THE BHILSA TOPES. This
3.
event
most
occurred
probably
about
march of Eudemos to the assistance of Eumenes. It was followed immediately by the conquest of Gangetic India;* and in 315 B. a, the rule of Chandra Gupta was acknow316
B. c.j or shortly after the
ledged over the whole northern peninsula, from the
Indus to the mouths of the Ganges. differ as
The
authorities
Chandra Gupta's reign,
to the length of
which some make thirty-four years, and others only twenty-four.^
This difference may, perhaps, have
originated in two distinct reckonings of the date of his accession
;
the one party counting from the death
Nanda Mahapadma,
of
in b. c.
325 ; and the other
party from the conquest of India, in B. assumption cile
c.
315.
Some
of this kind is clearly necessary to recon-
the different authorities
;
unless, indeed,
we
take
the only alternative of adopting the one and of rejecting the other. 4.
At
this period the capital of
or Palibothra,
putra
India was Pdtali-
which was situated on the
Ganges, at the junction of the Erranaboas or Alaos
The former name has already been idenwith the Sanskrit Hiranyab&hu, an epithet
River. % tified
* Justin, xv. 4. -f-
the
—" Indiana
The Mahawanso
Vayu Pur&na
possidebat."
gives thirty-four years, the Dipawanso and
give only twenty-four years.
gives the Erranaboas ; and Strabo, xv., uses J Arrian, Indica, x., k
A
to A,
km
tov AXaov wora/iov.
The Greek
text has tov
The change and not
tov.
is
very slight from
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM.
91
which has been applied both to the Gandak and to the Son. But the latter name can only refer to the Hi-le-an of the Chinese travellers, which was to the north
Ganges, and was therefore un-
of the
doubtedly the Gandak. the is,
Indeed, this river
Ganges immediately opposite " the city," or metropolis, as
still
joins
to
Patna
—that
its
proper
name
(patana) implies, while the junction of the Son
is
some nine or ten miles above Patna. But as there is good reason for believing that the Son once joined the
Ganges
Bakipur or Bankipur, immediately
at
above Patna,
quite possible that the
it is
may have been Alaos
for the
intended
Gandak.
Son, and the
the
for
According
Erranaboas
Megasthenes,
to
Palibothra was eighty stadia, or nearly nine miles in length
;
and
It was surrounded with a deep
thirds, in breadth.
ditch
and was
;
with
pierced
one mile and two-
fifteen stadia, or
enclosed
loop
-
holes
by
lofty
wooden walls, discharge
the
for
of
arrows.*
Towards the close of the 4th century before our era, when Alexander's successors were at peace 5.
with each other, the great Seleukos, having consolidated his
own
dominions, turned his arms towards
the East, with the intention of recovering the Indian
provinces of Alexander. 6.
But
the plains
of Northern
India were no
longer divided amongst a set of petty * Arrian, Indica, x., and Strabo, xv. thenes.
Strabo has IvKivov
TrepifioXov.
;
chiefs,
whose
both quoting- Megas-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
9'3
gallant but useless resistance had scarcely checked
For the Mauryan
the great Macedonian's advance. prince,
who now
could bring
wielded the sceptre of the East,
into
1
the field that vast
army of
six
hundred thousand men,* whose very numbers had before daunted even the stout hearts of the soldiers of
Alexander.
The main
object of this expedition
Where
therefore impossible.
was
a successful advance
cannot be made, an honourable retreat becomes a
and
decided advantage;
by yielding
himself,
Seleukos secured for
allegiance of the provinces to the west
ful
Indus
for
elephants.f at
this
Chandra Gupta the doubt-
to
the
a
present
valuable
of
five
of the
hundred
These friendly relations were cemented
time by a matrimonial alliance, and were
afterwards continued by the embassy of Megasthenes to the Indian court at Palibothra.
Chandra Gupta died in 291 B. c, and was succeeded by his son Vindusdra or Bimbisdra ; 7.
whose court a second Greek embassy was sent either by Seleukos, or by his son Antiochus Soter.
to
Nothing
is
known
of the object or results of this
embassy ; but the ambassador, DaimacJios, was considered by Strabo to be the most " lying" of all the
Greek historians of India.J Allitrochades,
or
He
Amitrochates,
calls
which
the king
Professor
Lassen supposes to be the Sanskrit Amitraghdta, * Plutarch, Life of Alexander,
f Strabo, xv. |
;
and Plutarch.
Strabo, xv., \pevSo\oyos.
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM. or " foe-killer."
name
The
93
difference between the
Greek
of Amitrochates and the native one of Bin-
dusara, proves nothing- more than that the
Hindu
princes delighted in a variety of names.
For; though
Buddhist authorities agree with
the Vishnu
the
Purana
in calling this king Bindusara, yet each of
him a different name. Thus he is called Bhadrasdra in the Vdyu, Vdrisdra in the Bhagavata, and apparently Vriliadratha in the Motsya Purana. If we might read Varisdra, the " foe-killing arrow/' instead of Vdrisdra, then the name of Amitraghata, or " arrow to his enemies/' the other Purans gives
might be considered as the Vayu Purana. 8.
But
S3r nonymous
with that of
in spite of the difference of names, there
can be no doubt of the identity of the persons; for Amitrochates
Strabo particularly states that the son of Sandrokottos. is
mentioned by
sador
Pliny ,*
A
who
third
states
Dionysius was deputed
was
Greek embassy that the ambas-
by Ptolemy Phila-
delphus, and that he remained for some time at the
Indian court
;
but as the
name
of the king
is
not
given, and as Ptolemy's long reign extended from B. C.
285
to
246, we are
left
in
doubt whether
Dionysius paid his respects to Bindusara or to his son Asoka.
About the middle of his reign (b. c. 280), Bindusara deputed his son Asoka to quell a serious 9.
* Pliny, Hist. Nat.
vi.
17.
—" Dionysius a Philadelpho missus."
94
THE BHILSA TOPES. The people came
revolt in the district of Taxila.*
forth to
meet him with
that they were not
offerings,
and
displeased with
to assure
him
the
king, but
with the minister who oppressed them;
on which
Asoka made his entry into the town with great pomp. He then conquered the kingdom of the Swasas, or Khasas, who were most probably the people of Kashmir.f For the Khasas were the early inhabitants of Persia and of Northern India before the Arian
immigration, which
from the plains to the
hills,
them
drove
where they
still
exist
and now form a considerable part
in great numbers,
of the population of that vast chain of mountains
which stretches from the banks of the Helm and to
In Manu's Hindu Code they are coupled with the Daradas or JDards ; and in
the
Brahmaputra.
* Burnouf, Introd. a Y Hist, du Buddhisme Indien, pp. 361, 362.
t The difference between the Khasas and Kasas, is about the same as that between the " men of Kent" and the " Kentish
men."
The Kdsmiri
Khasas, and even
so
pandits repudiate
cestor the Lavandier. influence of
all
connection with the
might an English Lander deny
The
difference of spelling only
his an-
shows the
Brahmanism, or rather of Hinduism, which changed
the Khasas of Kha-che (the Tibetan
The
name
for
Kashmir) into de-
connection between the
names is shown by the story which makes Kdsyapa and Khasd the parents of the Imps and Goblins. As well might the Oggs and Hogges repudiate their real ancestors the swineherds, and claim descent scendants from Kdsyapa.
from the King of Basan. for
King Og was an
Muni (according men.
But even
this
would be more probable,
actual historical personage, whereas
to the
Kdsyapa
Brahmans) was the father of gods and
PROGRESS OF BUDDHISM. Mahabharat they are
the
Arattas, and
dhtiras,
95
with
classed
Odn-
the
Sindhu-Sauviras.
Professor
Lassen has doubted the accuracy of Professor H. H. Wilson's reading of Khasa in the Mahabharat; but
reading-
this
observes,
Khasas
by
is
supported,
above mention of the Swasas or
the
as neighbours of the Taxilans
confirmed by a copy of possession of a 10.
Shortly
Brahman after
the
274
charge
On
B. c.
his
and
fully
is
Mahabharat
the
in
at Thanesar.
Asoka was appointed of Ujain, the capital of Malwa. assume
;
the reduction of Taxila, the
successful
to
M. Burnouf
as
of
his
way he
government
to the
Asoka
government
forth
set
in
about
some time
tarried
at
Chaityagiri or Baisnagara,* situated at the junction
of the Besali River with the Betwa, two miles to the northward of Bhilsa.
Here
he gained
the
daughter of the Sreshti " A year afterwards chief man" of the place. or she bore him a son named Mahendra, and one
affections of Devi, the lovely
year
later
a
daughter
whom became
of
called
celebrated
Sanghdmitra, both in
after
* See Tumour's Pali Annals, Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
times
930, where
Buddhaghoso calls the city We&sanagara, which
Mahanamo
Chetiya and Chetiyagiri (Mahawanso,
The
same
in both authors
;
p. 76).
as
story
calls
is
the
and as the ruins of the old city of Bais-
nagar, or Besnagar, two miles to the north of Bhilsa, are situated
on the high road between Pataliputra and Ujain, there can be no Wessanagara was the city ; Chetiyadoubt of the identification. giri
was the
hill
of the great Chaitya at Sanchi, about four miles
to the south of the city.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
96 the
introducers
of
the
Buddhist
religion
into
Ceylon.
Of Asoka's
11.
administration of Ujain
little is
known, save the establishment of a celebrated place of punishment, which was significantly
named Hell*
because criminals were therein subjected to the same tprtures in this
as have been generally accorded
life,
to the wicked in the next.
During Asoka's govern1
ment of Ujain, the people of Taxila again against
Bindus&ra,
Susima
to reduce
who deputed
grievously sick, and directed
Prince Asoka
to Taxila,
to court, that he
the
eldest
son
them ; but the prince was unDuring his absence the king fell
successful, f
But
his
revolted
and
his
ministers to send
to recall Prince
Susima
might establish him on the throne.
ministers,
who were
friendly
to
Asoka,
deceived the king by a false report of his illness,
and at the same time informed the young prince Asoka inthat his father was on his death-bed. stantly hurried from Ujain to his father's palace at
but
Pataliputra;
the
appearance
sudden
younger son showed the king that he deceived
;
and
in
the midst of a
burst a blood-vessel and died. in the year
263
B.
fit
of
his
had been
of passion, he
This event happened
c, when Bindusara had reigned
twenty-eight years. * Fo-hme-ki,
Hwan Thsang's
c. 82, for Fa Hian's mention, and p. 393, for account of " Hell."
t Burnouf, Buddhisme Indien, p. 363.
;;;
REIGN OF ASOKA.
CHAPTER
97
IX.
REIGN OF ASOKA. Immediately on
1.
his father's death
Asoka
seized
the government, and gave orders for the slaughter
of
all
of the
his
brothers,
save
same mother.
Tishya,
His
eldest
who was born brother,
Prince
Susima, who had marched against him from Taxila, was cut off by an artifice; and the Mauryan dynasty was thus reduced to the single family of Asoka
who, finding himself safe from the usual jealousies
and intrigues of relatives, gave up
his whole energies
to the achievement of military glory.
In the short
space of four years he succeeded in reducing the
whole of Northern India, from the mountains of
Kashmir to the banks of the Narbadda, and from the mouth of the Indus to the Bay of Bengal ;* and *
Nepdl was probably included
in the conquests of
Asoka
;
for
the kings of Tibet trace their origin to the Lichhavis of Vaisali
and Xhri-tsanpo, the Tibet about 350 b.
first
c.
king,
—that
Csoma's List of Tibetan Kings
and
also Fo-htve-ki,
is,
is
said to have taken refuge in
in
the reign of Asoka.
in Prinsep's Useful Tables, p.
c. xxiii. n. 6.
U
See
131
08
THE BHILSA TOPES.
India, perhaps for the
the
first
time,
was brought under
vigorous and consolidated go-
control of one
vernment.
During the first three years of his reign, the mind of Asoka was fully occupied with views of 2.
worldly ambition and personal aggrandizement
when
in the fourth year, restless activity
all
but
;
India was at peace, his
found a more pleasing occupation,
and a more lasting employment, the Buddhist faith.
in the acquisition of
Like his father Bindusara, he
had been brought up as a worshipper of Agni and Surya, of Indra and Vayu ; and, like him, he showed
Brahmans by feeding sixty thousand of them daily.* But Asoka was of a passionate and impulsive temperament; and when he became a his respect for the
convert to the Buddhist faith, he embraced the fervid zeal of his ardent nature; like
Alexander, he
worlds were that he had difficult,
may
left for still
it
with
all
and though,
once have wept that no more
him
to conquer,
himself to subdue.
he
The
now found
task,
though
seemed not impossible; and the royal con-
vert, who had before been called Chand-Asoka, or " Asoka the Furious," now submitted himself to the
outward discipline of the Buddhist
faith,
and at
last
became so distinguished a follower of Dharma, that he acquired the more honourable title of DharmAsoka, or " Asoka the Virtuous." •
Mahawanso,
c.
23
;
but Buddhaghoso has the more moderate
number of eight thousand. sep's Journal, vi. 731.
— See
Tumour's
Pali
Annals in Prin-
REIGN OF ASOKA.
99
proof which Asoka gave of his conBuddhism was the dismissal of the sixty thousand Brahmans, in whose stead an equal number 3.
The
first
version to
of Srdmanas, or Buddhist ascetics, were daily fed.
His next act was the distribution of the relics of Sakya to all the chief cities of India. These relics had been collected by Ajatasatra, at the instance of Kasyapa, and were deposited
one large
tog-ether in
Stupa at Rajagriha. But the king had now determined to manifest his zeal for the faith of Buddha, by the erection of eighty-four thousand Vihdrs, or monasteries, in honour of the eighty-four thousand discourses of Buddha.* As this precise number has always been deemed a fortunate one both by Brah-
mans and Buddhists,
common
it
expression for
may
be looked upon as the
any very large number, f
These Vihars are said to have been erected in eightyfour thousand different cities.
thousands, and read
I would reject the
simply eighty-four
cities
and
Asoka is eighty-four Vihars. The fully confirmed by the Chinese pilgrim Hwan-Thsang, building zeal of
who
travelled through India in the middle of the 7th
century of our era.
At
different places
on his route,
from Anderab, beyond the sources of the Kabul River, to Conjeveram, in the south of India, and from Pitoshilo, in
mouth *
the delta of the Indus, to Tamluk, at the
of the Ganges, this pilgrim saw upwards of
Mdhawanso,
p.
26.
f See Sir H. M. Elliott's Supplementary Glossary of Indian Terms for a number of proofs.
100
THE BHILSA TOPES. large Topes, besides numerous Vihars,
fifty
which were attributed
to
all
of
This account agrees
Asoka.
with the statements of the Mahawanso, which ascribe
Asoka the building of splendid Chaityas on all the spots rendered memorable by the acts of Buddha.*
to
All these
buildings
were
completed within three
years.
This great king was not, however, content with
4.
the erection of stately buildings for the service of his religion, but, like a true Buddhist, while he sought
the achievement of his
own
salvation, he wished for
With
the eternal happiness of others.
have promulgated eighty-four thousand
said to
is
view he
this
royal edictsf for the extension of Dharma.
Numbers
of these edicts, engraved on massive rocks, and on stone pillars,
still
remain in different parts of India
to attest the general accuracy of the Buddhist annals.
The
oldest edicts are contained in the rock inscrip-
tions,
which have been found
at Girnar in
war.
As
at
Dhauli in Kuttack,
Gujrat, and at Kapurdigiri near Pesha-
these three places were the most distant
points in Asoka's dominions, they
were no doubt
specially selected as the fittest positions for the inscription of these important religious ordinances.
In all these edicts the promulgator names him" Peiyadarsi, the beloved-of-the-Devas." This
5.
self
appellation, •
which
Mahawanso,
is
evidently only a
has led
p. 34.
f Burnouf, Buddhisme Indieh,
Avad&na.
title,
p.
403, quoting
the
Asoka
REIGN OF ASOKA.
H. H. Wilson
Professor
to
101
doubt the generally
accepted identification of Asoka with the Priyadarsi
who
published the edicts.*
rests his scepticism it is
The learned
professor
on the following grounds, which
necessary to examine in detail, out of respect for
one who has rendered such distinguished services in every branch of Indian literature. 1st. " It is doubtful whether the edicts of Priyadarsi have
any connection with Buddhism, the mean-
ing of the inscriptions, to say the
Again, " There
vocal."
promulgated that
is
is
least,
being equi-
nothing in the injunctions
decidedly and exclusively charac-
Buddhism "j" 2nd. The total omission of any allusion to Buddha himself by any of his appellations, Sugata, Tathdgata, Gautama, or S&kya.^ 3rd. The identification (of Asoka with Priyadarsi) rests upon a passage in the Dipawanso, " a work of rather doubtful character," which is besides a comteristic
of
position of the fourth century of our era. J 4th.
the
" It seems very
inscriptions
his
inexplicable,
own
why
in
none of
Asoka, or
appellation
Dharmasoka, should ever be mentioned."^ 5th. Chronological difficulties of which
easy to dispose.
||
* Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
t
Ibid. p. 288.
t
Ibid. p. 241.
\
Ibid. p. 243.
|j
Ibid
p..
244.
xii.
236.
it
is
not
102
THE BHILSA TOPES.
6. The upon the
first
translation
which, as
me
objection appears to
of a single
James Prinsep
to rest entirely
Dharma,
word,
truly
observed,
is
the
" keystone" of all the edicts. By translating- Dhav ma, wherever it occurs, sometimes as "piety," or " religion," and sometimes as " morality," or " virtue," the whole scope and purport of the edicts of Priyadarsi are entirely lost sight of. all
These ordinances, on
the pillars, and on the rocks, both at Girnar and
at Kapurdigiri, are styled b}^ the king himself, dhamalipi, or " edicts-on-Dharma." James Prinsep
fessor
simply
Wilson omits calls
edict 5"
word as "religious
translates this
the
dharma, and " an edict ;" but to and meaning of the term, it mention of
all
inscription
obtain the full force
should be rendered as I have given or ordinance on
and Pro-
Dharma"
that
is
it
above, " edict
on the " religious
law" of Buddha. If the word Dharma had occurred but once or twice in these inscriptions,
it
might have
been rendered by any one of the ordinary meanings given above less
;
but in the rock inscriptions
than thirty-seven times
with other terms which prove phatically Buddhistical.
it
occurs no
;
and
it
to be wholly
in
combinations
and em-
Thus, in the 5th Tablet, we
have Dhamma-vddhiya, which Prinsep translates " increase of religion," and Professor Wilson, " augmentation of virtue," but which ought to be rendered
—
" advancement of Dharma" that of the Religious Law of Buddha. clearly
shown
in the
is,
the propagation
This
is still
more
opening of the 11th Tablet, in
—
;
REIGN OF ASOKA. which Dharma
has
been
103
by both as
translated
" virtue."* " Devdnampiyo Piyadasi rdja evam dha ndsti et&risam
:
da nam ydrisam Dltamma-dunam
Dhammasanstavo va Dhammasam vibhago va
" Thus
Dhammasam bandho saith
Devas:— There whether
it
And
King Priyadarsi, the beloved is
no
gift like the gift of
of the
Dharma
be knowledge of Dharma, or inheritance
Dharma,
of
va."
or close union with
Dharma."
towards the end of the same Tablet
:
" idam sddhu, idam katavyam sotaihd karni
—lohavasa drddka
hoti
parato vu anantam punam bhavati tena Dhammaddnena."
" This him) who world
by
;
is
well
this
should be done
doeth thus, there
:
(and for
happiness
is
and everlasting holiness hereafter
this gift of 7.
:
is
in
this
obtained
Dharma."
Other passages
might be quoted
of
at length
similar ;
but
it
force
and value
will be sufficient
mention that the whole of Priyadarsi's edicts
to
are
dedicated
the
to
attainment
one
of
object,
Dharma-varddhana, the " advancement of Dharma." For this purpose he directed that " men learned in Dharma" should be appointed to " establishments of
Dharma"
to preach
* Journal of
" sermons on
Eoval Asiatic Society,
Dharma"
xii. p.
213.
to
104
THE BHILSA TOPES. " people united
the
of
Dharma
of
Dharma."*
These doctors
mix with high and low,
the unbelievers, to poor,
in
were also directed to penetrate amongst
hermits
and worldly men,
purpose
the
for
them in the perfect
instructing
and
rich
observance
of
Dharma.^ 8. Throughout all these edicts, both on the pillars and on the rocks, Priyadarsi announces his own adherence to Dharma (or the law of Buddha), and
his belief that the love of
Dharma (Dhammakdma)
would continue to increase.
He
Dharma
observance of moral
consists in the
duties, in the
strict
performance of pious
entire subjection of the passions
that
Dharma
will
;
in fact the only
shows that adherent of
and
in the
be advanced by the prohibition
Dharma
life.§
key by which the meaning of
these inscriptions can be unlocked
and emphatic use,
acts,
that
J and he declares
{ahinsa or avihinsa) against taking is
inculcates
;
and
its
frequent
throughout these royal
edicts,
promulgator was a firm and zealous
their
Dharma,
Asoka
or the law of Buddha.
was the same; for which reason the people called him Dharmasoka. * Prinsep's Journal, vi. 602.
men, or doctors of
Dharma."
ments-for-Dharma."
Dharma."
Dhamma-maMmatd, " Dhamma-thabavi, "
Janam-DfommayuHm, "
learned
establish-
people-joined-by-
Dhamma-sdvdndni, " lectures-on-Dharma."
+ Dhamm6pad&na, perfect observance of well-doing, or complete performance. J
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
582.
^
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
608.
Dharma ; from apaddn
REIGN OF ASOKA.
may
I
9.
observe here
that
105
Mr. Tumour,
the
Annals of Ceylon, appears to force and meaning of Dharma,
translator of the Pali
have
the full
felt
which he always gives in
Had
he translated
it
its Pali form of Dhammo. simply as " religion/' the true
many passages would have been utterly But he was living in a Buddhist country, and
sense
of
lost.
Buddhist monks, and he
in daily intercourse with
therefore
knew and
ficance of the term
Dharma
appreciated the peculiar signi;
which stamps the follower of
an undoubted Buddhist, or observer of the " Religious Law" of Buddha. as
second objection
Professor Wilson's
10.
is
the
Buddha himself, by any well-known appellations. But this is met frequent and emphatic use of Dharma, the
omission of any mention of of his
by the
name
of the second person of the orthodox Buddhist
Triad.
Bhagavdn
is
also
twice mentioned in the
13th Tablet of the Kapurdigiri inscription title, is
although very commonly used by
but this
only an epithet for the Supreme Being, and might
therefore have been used
by the Brahmans of those
days as well as by the Buddhists.
Brahmanical
term, however,
believe that the use of to
;
the Buddhists,
the
Buddhists.
is
The common
Bhagavat, and I
Bhagavan is almost peculiar But though the omission of
Buddha's own name in these inscriptions cannot, perhaps, be
now
of Priyardarsi
mention of
explained, yet the Buddhistical faith is
placed
beyond
all
doubt by his
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
the three
106
THE BHILSA TOPES.
members of the orthodox Buddhist Triad,
in the short
rock inscription found at Bhabra, near Jay pur.* Professor
11.
asserted
Wilson's
identification
third
objection
of Asoka
with
the
is
Priyadarsi,
which rests upon a passage in the Dipawanso, "a work of doubtful character and of comparatively modern date." Regarding- the authenticity of the Dipawanso, I hold an opinion entirely
different to
Professor "Wilson's.
genuineness
His doubts of
its
were, I presume, based on the statement of
Maha-
namo, which Mr. Tumour has brought prominently forward,! that " the Pdli Pittakattaya and its atthakathd
(or
Commentaries), had been orally perpetuated"
previous true,
to
it is
B. c.
If this statement were
88-76.
clear that all events recorded previous to
that date could only be regarded as so ditions.
It
quite possible that the
is
many
tra-
monks may
have made a mystery of their learning to increase
by asserting that
the reverence of the people,
all
doctrines which they taught had been handed orally
;
grown nobody
and into
this
a belief which
But
disputed.
the assertion
assertion
is
it
is
the
down
might have gradually
Mahanamo's time
in
much more
likely that
a mere error of the text; for
it
is
fully contradicted by another statement of Mahanamo,J which has every appearance of truth to recommend it to our implicit belief. According to
most
* Jour.
As. Soc. Bengal,
ix.
t Maharvanso,
c.
33, p.
Maharvanso,
c.
37, p. 251.
I
207.
618.
REIGN OP ASOKA. this statement, the Singhalese
107
Atthakatha were com-
posed by Mahendra (the son of Asoka), who had previously
consulted
the
discourses
of
Buddha,
and
the dissertations and arguments of Sdriputra and others.
But, in addition to this counter statement,
we have
the testimony of Buddhaghoso,*
who
trans-
lated the Singhalese Atthakatha into Pali, between A. D.
He
410~— 432.
own work he had which Tiad been
states distinctly, that for his
availed himself of the Atthakatha,
in the first instance authenticated
by
the five hundred Arahanta at the First Synod, and
subsequently at the succeeding synods; and which
were afterwards brought to Sihala (or Ceylon) by the holy Mahendra, and " translated into the Sihala
language
for the benefit of the people."
12. This account is older by
some seventy
r
3
ears
than that of Mahanamo, the author of the Maha-
and as Buddhaghoso was a Magadha Brahman, he must have known that the Buddhist scriptures had been compiled by the disciples of Buddha,
wanso
;
immediately after the meeting of the First Synod.
A is
Pali version of the Atthakatha, or Commentaries, mentioned as having been studied by Tisso Mo-
galiputra, while
he was a Samanera, in the early
part of the third century before our era.f 13.
There
is,
evidence in the *
besides, the
most convincing internal
Mahawanso
of the correctness of the
Tumour's Pali Annals,
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 510.
t Buddhaghoso, quoted by Tumour 731.
in
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
108
THE BHILSA TOPES.
above statement of Buddhaghoso, in the fact, that no mention whatever is made of Indian affairs after the
advent
Mahendra.
of
This proves, in
my
knowledge of Indian history which the Singhalese possessed had been derived from Mahendra : a conclusion which is supported by
opinion, that all the
the direct testimony of Buddhagoso.
The fourth
by Professor Wilson against the identity of Asoka and Priyadarsi, is the non-occurrence of the name of Asoka or Dharmasoka in any of the inscriptions. The same objection might be offered to the identity of Prince Salim and Jahangir, and of Prince Kurram 14.
and Shah-Jehan. in the
East
objection,
In
common practice assume a new name upon and such we know was
fact, it is
for a prince to
his accession to the throne
the custom in Asoka's
urged
a
;
own
His grandfather name, which is not
family.
—
had three names, 1st, a birth given, but which was perhaps Vrishala ; 2nd, a local name, Palibrothes, or lord of Pdtaliputra ; and 3rd, a royal name, Chandra Gupta, which he assumed on
his
accession to the throne.*
Asoka's brother,
named Vitdsoka, was also called Tishya ; his son Kundla had a second name, Dharma-Varddhana ;f and his daughter, Sanghamitrd, was also named At that period it was therefore the Sumitra.\.
common
custom, for a prince at least, to have two * Megasthenes in Strabo, xv.
f Burnouf s Buddhisme Indien. |
Mahawanso,
p.
121.
;
REIGN OF ASOKA.
names; and states,
if
109
Asoka, as the Dipawanso
bore also the
title
of Priyadarsi,
that the inscriptions which gave him this
omit
all
explicitly
it is
evident
would
title
mention of his original name of Asoka.
the edicts promulgated
by
In
himself, he is mentioned
by the name which he had assumed but in the annals written by others he is called by that name which he had always borne, and by which he was best known to the people. An almost similar case is that of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus, or Bassianus, who assumed the name of Antoninus, by which he is always mentioned on coins and ;
inscriptions
;
while the historians and annalists in-
variably call him Elagabalus.
But the statement of the Dipawanso is most happily confirmed by the Bhabra edict, from which we learn that Priyadarsi, the worshipper of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, was the Raja of Magadha 16.
at the period of the
Third Synod.*
from the Buddhist annals, that
this
Now we
know,
synod took place
Asoka Maurya, the Buddhist King of Magadha. The statement is further confirmed by a fact mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hian
in the reign of
• Jour. As. Soc.
Bengal,
ix.
618.
The opening words
are
" Piyadasi-rdja Magadha-sangham abhivdde-mdnam, cha," or " Raja Priyadarsi, saluting the Synod of Magadha, declareth." This most valuahle document should he translated critically ; for the version already puhlished renders the above passage as follows
:
« Piadasa Raja, unto the multitude assembled saluting him, speaks (thus).
in
Magadha
—
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
110 who, writing
in a.d. 400,
attributes the erection of
Lion- pillar at Samkissa to Asoka.*
a
(Ayu his
or Asoka) felt sensible of a great increase of
He
and veneration.
faith
caused therefore a
Behind the chapel
chapel to be built
was
" The king
a pillar,
erected
30 cubits high
The
Thereon was placed a Lion
interior
and the exterior were polished and resplendent as
Now,
crystal."
it
is
remarkable that the
which bear Priyadarsi's inscriptions have shafts,
all
pillars
polished
about 30 cubits in height, of which some are
The chain of evidence is therefore complete and there can no longer be any doubt of the identity of Asoka Maurya with the still
surmounted by Lions. ;
Priyadarsi of the inscriptions.
The minor
16.
form Professor Wilson's disposed
for
of;
of chronology, which
difficulties
last
objection,
they seem to
me
to
are
easily
have arisen
solely from the erroneous assumption that Priyadarsi must have been a contemporary of Antiochus the
In the Girnar and Kapurdigiri rock inKing Priyadarsi mentions the names of Greek princes who were contemporary with
Great.
scriptions, five
himself.
tainty
Of
these, four
have been read with cer-
—Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and Magas
and the
fifth
has been conjectured to be Alexander.
James Prinsep, who first read these names, assigned them to the following princes :
* Fo-kwe-ki,
c. xiii.
REIGN OF ASOKA. Antiochus
Ptolemy
II.
II.
Antigonus.
Ill
Tlieos of Syria.
b. c. 262, 247.
Philadelphia of Egypt.
b. c.
Gonatas of Macedon.
b. c. 276, 243.
Magas.
Cyrene.
and with these
285, 246.
258.
b. c.
identifications the learned of
Europe
have generally agreed. 17. The fifth
name has heen read by Mr. Norris as if this reading is correct, we may
Alexander; and
identify this prince with Alexander II. of Epeiros,
who
B. c. 272-254. But the two name, published by Mr. Norris, from
reigned from
copies
of this
fac similes
by Masson and Court, appear
read Alibhasunari,*
which
may
be
Ariobarzanes III., King of Pontus,
from B.C. 266-240.
But
to
me
intended
to
for
who reigned
in either case the date of
Priyadarsi's inscription will be about B. c. 260-258,
shortly preceding the death of 18.
map
As
Magas.
the last-fitting pieces of a child's puzzle-
test the
accuracy of the previous arrangements,
so do these identifications prove the correctness of
happy conjecture of the identity of Chandra Gupta and Sandrakottos. The facts are undeniable. Asoka, or Priyadarsi, the Indian King of Magadha, was the contemporary of five Creek princes, Sir William Jones's
all
of
whom began
to reign a little before the middle
The nature of the relaC. established with these princes, has Asoka tions which been lost by the abrasion of the rock-inscription ; but of the third century B.
* See Plate of Inscription in Journal
Roy. As. Soc.
xii.
112
THE BHILSA TOPES.
we may
conjecture that the chief point
was the pro-
pagation of the Buddhist religion, and the toleration
To some
of Buddhist missionaries. difficult to
understand
how any
it
may seem
relations should exist
between the Indian Asoka and the Greek princes of
Europe and Africa
;
me
but to
it
appears natural and
Asoka's kingdom on the west was bounded by that of Antiochus; his father, Bindusara, had received missions from Antiochus, Soter, and Ptolemy obvious.
Philadelphus ; and as Asoka was forty-five years of
age when he was inaugurated,
in b. c. 259, he
might
have conversed with both of the Greek ambassadors,
Daimachos and Dionysios. of Ujain for
many
He
had been governor
years in the lifetime of his father,
during which the Egyptian
had anchored an-
fleet
nually at Barygaza^ while the merchants proceeded to the viceroy's court at Ozene, with choice specimens
of their valuables
female slaves.
—wines,
gold and silver plate, and
Asoka had known
the Greeks before
he became king ; he had seen their ambassadors and their merchants; and he knew that his grandfather
had given five hundred elephants to Seleukos Nikator in exchange for a barren and mountainous territory, and a Grecian 19.
wife.
But there
is
another fatal objection to Pro-
Antiochus the Great
fessor Wilson's identification of
with the Antiochus of Priyadarsi's inscriptions, in the omission of any of the Greek princes of Kabul and of the native princes of Parthia
Artabanus
I.
;
for
and Euthydemus were
we know
that
the contampo-
EEIGN OF ASOKA. raries of the Syrian prince,
113
who, after an unsuccessful
attempt to reduce them, was obliged to recognize
them both as independent kings. 20. The ordinances of Asoka,
Priyadarsi,
or
were issued at different periods of his reign.
Those
of the 10th and 12th years are found on the rocks
of Kapurdigiri,
Dhauli
Much
the
of his
has been written about the confused
dates of the different pillar-edicts, in clear
while
;
are all dated in the 27th year
pillar-edicts
reign.
and
Girnar,
of the
spite
and decisive language of the ordinances themwhich shows that they were all published
selves; in the
refers
27th year.
dinance,
is
true that the Eastern tablet
an edict of the 12th year, but
to
Priyadarsi
Eastern
It
states,
tablet, is
had
been
this,
and
abrogated,
as
the
which mentions the abolished or-
itself dated in the
27th year.*
The words
of the inscription referring to the edict of the 12th
year are dhamma-lipi likhapita, " an ordinance on
Dharma was
published;" whereas each of the edicts
of the 27th year
" at it
this ordinance
is
described as it/am dhamma-lipi,
on Dharma."
Bhabra, near Jaypur,
is
rock-inscription
of uncertain date
mentions the Third Synod,
241
The
it
must be
but, as
;
posterior to
B. c.
21.
The
pillar inscriptions, therefore, contain the
latest edicts published
by Asoka,
as they date nine
years posterior to the assembly of the Third Synod.
The precepts inculcated
in
them
* Prinsep'a Journal,
are, however, generally
vi.
596, 597. I
114
THE BHILSA TOPES.
the same as those of the 12th year
derness
is
expressed for animal
prehensive view
towards king-
all
is
;
but a greater ten-
life,
and a more com-
taken of the moral duties of charity
mankind, and of the sacred duty of a This difference shows the
towards his subjects.
advance made by Asoka in his acquirement of the faith, which is essentially one of good and toleration towards all men.
Buddhist 22.
But
the sincerity of Asoka's belief
is
will
further
proved by the zealous earnestness with which he
sought to propagate his new faith over provinces of his bouring*
own
kingdoms of
all
the distant
empire, as well as in the neigh-
His own family had His wife Asandhimitra was a brother Tishya took the vows
his allies.
been early converted. zealous Buddhist; his
Kunala became celebrated for and after attachment to the faith while his children Mahendra and Sanghamitra, who were initiated at twenty years of age, immortalized themselves by converting the people of Ceylon. of an ascetic his
;
his son
early misfortunes •
Their mission formed part of the great scheme for the
propagation
of
Buddhism,
between Asoka and
the
which
principal
was arranged Arhat Mogali-
putra at the meeting of the Third Synod, in B. in the 18th year after Asoka's inauguration.
c.
241,
THIRD SYNOD.
CHAPTER
115
X.
THIRD SYNOD. 1.
The Third Synod was composed
holy arhats, selected by Tishya,
Brahman Mudgala, from whom he
of one thousand
son of the
the
received the patro-
nymic of Maudgalaputra (Pali, Mogaliputa), by which he is generally known.* This Synod was assembled, at the express desire of Asoka, for the
purpose of discovering and expelling- the multitude of 1
heretics,
who had
-
}"
insinuated themselves
into
the
monasteries, by shaving their heads, and by assuming
Each
the yellow dress of the Buddhist ascetics. professed
*
own
its
creed,
saying, " This
The assumption of patronymics became
to a partial fondness for particular names.
is
quite necessary,
other Tishyas, besides the leader of the Third Synod
bassador of the Ceylonese king. is called
Tishya
t Tithaya;
:
King Of
Dharma ; owing
Thus, there were four
the brother of Asoka; 2nd, Tishya, the Arhata, ulcer in his foot ; 3rd, Tishya, the
sect
of Ceylon
:
—
1st, Tishya,
who ;
died of an
4th, the
am-
these, Asoka's brother alone
the others have additional names.
that
is,
Tumour's Pali Annals,
the
Tirihahas,
or
Tirthakaras.
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 732.
See
116 this
THE BHILSA TOPES. is
Vinaya ;"
and the Buddhist
Vihdrs were
by the presence of worshippers of Fire and
defiled
adorers of the Sun.* 2.
The Bhikshus and
ascetics of all descriptions
who attended the Third Synod, were assembled in the Asqkarama Vihar, at Pataliputra, by the King in 1
person, accompanied by the venerable
Arhat Mogali-
putra, then seventy-two years of age.
The Bhikshus
professing- different faiths were
to their sects
"What said,
faith
;
and did
its
own
faith ;" belief.
ferent sects, all of which
by
his
own knowledge
heretics, sixty
was put the question,
to each sect
Buddha profess?"
" The Sussata
according to
separated according
and
The Sussata
each
answered
There were eight
Asoka
dif-
readily distinguished
of the true doctrines.
These
thousand in number, were then stripped
of their yellow robes, supplied with white dresses, and expelled from the Assembly, f 3. After the expulsion of the heretics, the
were
occupied for nine
Vinaya and Dharma,
months
in the
in
Synod
rehearsing the
same manner as had
been done at the First and Second Synods
by the number of Arhats who composed it, this Assembly was called the SaJiasrika Sangiti, or " Synod of one Thousand." 4. At the conclusion of this Synod in b. c. 241, Great Kdsyapa, and
Yasa.
From
the
several missions were despatched to foreign countries
* -f-
Tumour,
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 833.
Tumour's Pali Annals,
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 736, 737.
•THIRD SYNOD. for the propagation of the
missionaries,
who were
117
Buddhist religion.*
selected
The
by Mogaliputra, were
the principal Sthdviras, or leaders of Buddhism,
who had acquired
spected for superior sanctity.
names of
the
men
the rank of arhat, and were re-
The following*
list
gives
the missionaries, and of the scenes of
their labours.
Majjhantiko, or Madhyantika, was deputed to
1st.
Kasmira and Gandhara, where he
whom first
said to
is
or
Kashmir and Peshawar ,
have ordained 100,000 persons, of
He
80,000 attained superior grades. t
was
at
opposed by the Naga, King of the Aravalo or
Wular
lake
but the
;
Naga was
finally converted, to-
gether with 84,000 of his subjects, and " the land glittered with the yellow robes" of the
monks.
2nd. Mahadeva was deputed to This country where he converted 80,000 persons. it may be Maheswara, on the is not known
Mahisamandala,
:
Narbada. 3rd.
Rakkhito
nawasi, which River,
is
or the
or Bakshita
was deputed
to
Wa-
probably the country on the Bands
modern Mewar and Bundi.
60,000
persons are said to have attained sanctification, and
37,000 to have been ordained monks in
five
hundred
monasteries. 4th.
Yona, Dhammarakkhito, or
Rakshita was deputed
(the to
Greek,
Ya van a Dharma
— Preserver
Aparantaka
(the
where 70,000 persons were converted. *
Mahawanso,
p. 71.
of
Dharma)
western country), This country
f Mahawanso, pp. 71, 73.
THE BHIL8A TOPES.
118 is
probably the Apanchha, or Northern Sind of
Hwan
Thsang". 5th.
Maha Dharma Rakshita was
deputed to the
Maharatta country, where 97,000 persons were converted.
Mahaeakshita was
6th.
Yavana country, that
either to the
is,
Alasadda* or
countries.
bable
Greek province
;
for the
The former, however, seems the more
— 180,000
or
name of the capiAlexandria, was common to both
of Kabul, or to Arachosia tal,
Yona
deputed to the
pro-
persons are said to have been con-
verted, but only 10,000 ordained.
Majjhimo, or Madhyama, was deputed to the
7th.
Himawanta,
or country of the
Himalayas
along-
;
with four other Sthdviras, named Kassapo (or Kas-
y apa), Mulikadevo, Dhandabinasso, Sahasadevo. These five
Sthdviras are said to have converted 80 kotis of
people in the five divisions of the Himalayas.
Relics
of Majjhima and of Kassapa were discovered in No.
2 Tope at Sanchi.
Sono and Uttaro were deputed
8th.
bhumi, or " golden land." the sea-coast, the
may
it
Aurea Begio,
sonesus.
or
As
this
to
Suvarna-
country was on
be identified either with Ava, with Siam, the
Aurea Cher-
Six millions of people are said to have
been converted, of
whom
25,000 men became monks,
and 1,500 women became nuns.f 9th.
Maha Mahendra
other Sthdviras, *
named
Maharvanso,
p.
171.
the son of Asoka, with four Ittiyo, JJttiyO,
Sambalo, and
f Maharvanso, p. 74.
—
THIRD SYNOD.
119
Bhaddasalo,
were deputed to Lanka, or Ceylon, where they converted the king Devanampriya-TisJiya, 1
and the whole of
his court.
The narrative of these missions
5.
is
one of the
most curious and interesting passages in the ancient 1
history of India.
It
is
preserved entire in both the
Dipawanso and and the mission of Mahendra to Ceylon
sacred books of the Singalese, the
Mahawanso is
;
recorded in
But
sacred
the
books of the Burmese.
the authenticity of the narrative has been most
and satisfactorily established by the discovery
fully
of the relics of some of these missionaries, with the
names of the countries
which they were deputed.
to
According to the MaMwanso, the Sthavira Kassapo, or
Kasyapa accompanied
Madhyama Thus united
to the
Himawanta
relics
or
Majjhima
Himalayan
or
region.
were not separated after
in life, they
death, and their
the holy
were found enshrined together
No. 2 Tope at Sanchi. This casket bears three inscriptions, each mentioning a difThe legend on the top of the lid is ferent name.* in the
same casket
in
Sapurisasa, Kasapa-gotasa, savahemamtachariyasa
" (Relics) of the emancipated Kasapa-gota, the to the whole Hemawanta."
On
the inside of the lid Sapurisa
is this
(sa)
legend
spiritual teacher
:—
Majhimasa
" (Relics) of the emancipated Majhima." *
See Plate
XX.
for these inscriptions.
— 120
THE BHILSA TOPES.
And on
the bottom of the casket
is this
inscription
:
Sapurisasa hAritI-putasa. " (Relics) of the emancipated hAritI-putra." 6.
In the
first
styled the achariya
inscription
that
;
is,
Kasapa
is
distinctly
the spiritual teacher or
missionary to the HSmawanta.
The
perfect agree-
ment between this inscription and the record of the Mahawanso, in the names both of the missionary and of the scene of his labours,
is
too remarkable to be
the result of any combination of chances.
But
the
two persons is rendered positively by the discovery of the relics of Majhima, the companion of Kasapa, in the same casket, and identity of the
certain
great Mogaliputra in another
of the relics of the
casket which was found in the same stone box. 7. is
In the
text of the
Mahawanso Majjhimo
alone
mentioned, but the other names are given in the
commentary ; and Mr. Tumour has therefore inIt is probable, thereserted them in his translation. senior monk or head Majhima was the fore, that of the mission, and that cessful missionary.
manner
Kasapa was
the most suc-
I infer this from the significant u Missionary to the is styled
in which he
whole Hemawanta ;"
a
cannot be accidental,
as
marked it
is
distinction,
which
repeated on a second
casket containing- his relics which was found in No.
2 Tope at Sonari.* * See Plate
This inscription
XXIV.
is
the
Inscription on No. 3 Box.
same
—
THIRD SYNOD.
121
as that of the Sanchi casket, but with the important
addition of the
name of the
missionary's father.
Sapurisasa Koti-putasa, KAsapa-gotasa, savahemavatachariyasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated son of Koti, Kasapa-gota, the spiritual teacher of the
whole Hematvanta."
From
this inscription we learn that Kdsapa was known by the patronymic of Koti-putra. 8. But there was another missionary companion of Majhima and Kasapa whose labours in the Hema-
also
wanta region are recorded on a crystal casket which was found in No. 2 Tope at Sonari.* The legend is
Sapurisasa Goti-putasi Hemavatasa Dadabhisarasa ddyddasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated Goti-putra, the [of the faith]
relation
amongst the Daddbhisaras of the Hemawanta."
D&rdabhisara
is
banks of the Indus,
the hilly country lying on both to the west of
Kashmir.
Dardu
was on the right bank, and Abhisdra (the present Hazara) on the left bank of the river. The meaning of ddydda (literally son, offspring, relative) is best illustrated li
by the following anecdote from the Ma-
awanso.t 9.
and
When Asoka
had dedicated
daughter Sanghamitrd
his
*
See Plate
XXIV.
f Maharvanso,
p. 36.
his son to
the
Mahendra religion
Inscription on No. 1 Box.
of
!
THE BHILSA TOPES.
122
Buddha,
he
inquired from
whose acts of pious bounty
arhats
the to the
—" Lords
Buddhist religion
have been the greatest?" The crafty Mogaliputra answered with ready wit, " Ruler of Men a greater !
benefactor to the faith than thou art can only be called a benefactor, but he
who
daughter
our religion, that person
is
to the ministry of
more than a
'
dedicates a son or
benefactor' (ddyako), he
is
a
e
rela-
Goti-putra had thereof ddydda, or " relation of the
tion (ddydda) of the faith.' " fore earned the title
by the ordination of one of his children
faith"
Buddhist
to the
religion.
10. It seems strange that Gotiputra,
famous amongst
who was
so
his contemporaries for the success of
his missionary labours, should not be mentioned in
Mahawanso. But I have a suspicion that both himself and the scene of his labours are mentioned in the
the Commentary.
Mr. Tumour gives Kassapo, Mu-
Ukadewo, Dhandhabinasso, and Sahassadewo, as the
name
who accompanied Hemawanta country. One of these,
of the four theros or sthdviras
Majjhima
to the
therefore,
must be the missionary
to Abhisara, unless
the patronymic Gotiputra has been omitted as superfluous; for I propose to
read the barbarous
Dhan-
dhabinasso as Dardabhisdra, and to insert Gotiputra as the
name
that country.
of the missionary
who was deputed
I should be inclined to identify Goti-
putra either with Mulihddewo, or with
were
it
to
not that the text of the
Sahasadewo,
Mahawanso particularly
mentions four theros (chatuhi therehi) as the com-
f
THIRD SYNOD. panion9 of Majjhimo.
It
is
123
indeed possible to read
Dadabhisara as the missionary's name; but as the
name
of the country, Hemavata,
Gotiputra and Dardabhisara, probable that the latter
is
it
is
placed between
seems much more
intended for the
name
Dardu and Abhisara. The name of the other Arhats, whose relics have been found in company with those of Majjhima,
of the well-known country of 11.
Kasapa, and Gotiputra,
will be
found in the account of
made in the Topes at Sanchi and Sonari.* 12. The proselytizing zeal of Asoka is the more worthy of record, as it anticipated by nearly three the discoveries
1
centuries one of the most characteristic institutions
of the early Christian Church.
Though
his notions
of a Supreme Being were of a less lofty and of a
more
indistinct nature than those of the Christian,
yet the Buddhist Prince was imbued with the same zealous
wish for the propagation of his
faith,
and
with the same good will and brotherly love towards all mankind. He was especially desirous that all men should be brought into the right way; but he was content to propagate his own faith by persuasion and
by argument, and fered from him in
to pray for all
religion, with the
example might perhaps induce some their
own
those
who
dif-
hope that his to
labour for
everlasting salvation.
13. Like the great Constantine, the Indian
King
was doomed to learn the guilty passion of his Queen * See Plates
XX. and XXIV.
t Eastern inscription of Delhi Pillar.
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
124
more
fortu-
Roman Emperor, Asoka was
saved
most promising- of
for the
nate than the
his sons
;
but,
from the pain of condemning- his own
The
child.
Queen, Tishya Rahshita, was enraged by the beautiful-eyed
Kundla's rejection of her overtures, and
meditated revenge.
by the
An
opportunity soon occurred
Kunala to Taxila to quell Through the Queen's influence (but
deputation of
another revolt.
unknown
to the King), a royal order, sealed with the
King's signet, was sent to the Taxilans to put out those
beautiful eyes which
love for
had excited the Queen's
The people
Kunala.
and the unfortunate Kunala, guided by wife,
Kanchanamala, took
beloved
anger was
his
his faithful
way When Asoka dreary
to the
inflamed
against the
his
King's court at Pataliputra. son,
obeyed
hesitated, but
saAv his
Queen, and in spite of Kunala' s entreaties for mercy, she was death.
made Such
relate of their
over to the torturers to be burned to the legend
is
king and
which the Buddhists
his favourite son ;* but as
they add that Kunala
was restored
account of his piety, we
may
the Queen's evil intentions were not
222
died in the year
B. c.
to
sight
on
perhaps conclude that
Asoka
fulfilled.
after a long and pros-
perous reign of forty-one years, including the four years that elapsed between his accession and his inauguration.
As
he was forty-five years old
he was crowned in
B. c. 259, he lived to the
age of fourscore and two years. * Burnouf's
Buddhisme Indien,
pp. 409-413.
when
good old
RISE
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
CHAPTER
XI.
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
RISE
].
125
After
the death of Asoka, the wide dominions
Maruyas were divided amongst several of descendants. The whole of Central India, with
of the
royal metropolis of P&taliputra, or, according- to others, to
fell
his
the
to his son Sujasas,
Sampadi, the son of Ku-
Kashmir was seized by Jaloka, another son who reverted to the Brahmanical faith;
nala.*
of Asoka,
Kunala
established himself
whom
in
the Panj&b
;
and a
Burmese call JRahanman, beAva.f But though India was thus politically dismembered, it was strongly united in the bands of one common faith. The large monastic establishments instituted by Asoka, possessed all the fourth son,
came
learning and
much
of the wealth of the land.
was everywhere superior
influence
king;
the
king* of
to the
and the people deposed and
monarchs *
at the bidding of the
Bumouf's Buddhisme
power of the
accepted
monks.J
Their
their
The power
Indien, p. 430.
f Prinsep's Useful Tables. for several instances, I See the Maharvanso,
120
THE BHILSA TOPES.
of the Mauryas was overthrown by Pushpamitra, who encountered the Greeks on the Indus during* the
reign of Menander.
whom
he had chosen
By
the advice of a
Brahman,
for his family priest,
Pushpa-
mitra persecuted the Buddhists throughout India.*
At
Pataliputra on the Ganges, and at Sakala in the
Panjab, the monks were massacred, and their monasteries
were overturned.
strongly rooted in the
soil
But Buddhism was too to be thrown down by the
passing whirlwind of a single king's persecution;
more than a century grew more flourishing than
and in it
little
fostering care of the holy
later
we know
before,
that
under the
Ndgdrjuna and Milindu,
Raja of Sakala. 2.
During
this
period
the
Greek sovereigns of
Bactria extended their dominions to
the south of
the Indian Caucasus; and as they were gradually dispossed of their Turanian territories
by the Scy-
thian Tochari, they took from the weaker Indians
the whole of the Kabul valley and western districts
Menander even is said to have pushed his conquests as far as the Isamus or Isan, a small stream which flows between the Jumna and Ganges. of the Panjab.
The Buddhist
faith of
Menander's subjects
is
proved
by the contention of eight different cities for portions of his relics, over erected. f
been
This story
already
which Tombs (or Topes) were is
similar to
related regarding
that which has
Buddha's remains,
* Burnouf, p. 431.
f Bayer,
Historia Reg-ni Grsecorum Bactriani, p. 77.
*
EISE
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
137
which were divided amongst the claimants of eight different cities.
It
may
also serve to illustrate the
when we remember the injunction of Buddha that his own remains were to be treated exactly in the same manner as those of a Chakravartti Mqja. Menander therefore must have been a Chakravartti, or supreme monarch ; whose power was sufficient to render himself entirely independent of all his neighbours. In another work* I have shown from the monogrammatic names of cities, extent of Menander's rule,
in
which
his coins
were minted, that Menander's rule
extended over the whole of the Kabul valley, the
Panjab and Sindh, including the capital city of Minnagara on the Lower Indus. His reign lasted from about 165 to 130 B.
c.
Menander was succeeded in his northern dominions by the Greek Princes Strato and Hippoand in Sindh by the Scythian Mauas. stratus 3.
;
This chief expelled the Greeks from the Panj&b, and
modern districts of Kabul and Jelalabad. About 126 B. c. Hermseus, the last Greek Prince of India, became a mere puppet in the
confined their power to the
hands of the Scythian Kadphises
(or
Kadaphes) of
the KJiordn, tribe. 4.
Mauas was
succeeded in the
Panjab and
in
Sindh by the Scythian Azas, who extended his dominions beyond Jelalabad, while the Kabulian king-
dom •
of the Scythian Kadphizes, was subverted by the
Monograms on the Grecian
lished in the
coins of Ariana
Numismatic Chronicle of London.
and India, pub-
128
THE BHILSA TOPES.
Parthian Princes Vonones, Spalygis, and Spalirisas during- the reign
;
and perhaps with the assistance of
the Arsacidan king-, Mithridates the Great.
But it was wrested from them hy the Scythian Azilisas, the successor of Azas and about 80 B. c, the whole of ;
Khorasan, Afghanistan, Sindh, and the Panjab, were united under the dominion of some nameless king of the Sakas, or Sacse Scythians.* 5.
A few
years later the Sakas were dispossessed
of their conquests in Afghanistan and the Western
Panjab by the
Yuchi or Tochdri Scythians, who,
with their leader Kadphises,
of the Hieu-mi tribe,
were at once converted to Buddhism. sions of the Sakas
The
by the Ujain Prince, Vikramaditya, who conquest assumed the Sakas.
By
title
of Sdkdri,
or foe-of-the-
parts of Khorasan; which, after
them, was called Sakasthan still
after his
these losses the Sakas were confined to
the south-western
which
posses-
on the Lower Indus were seized
exists in the
(or Sacastene), a
modern
name
Sistan.
6. The Hieumi Prince, Kadphises, was followed by Kanishka of the EJioran^ tribe, who is celebrated
* All these details of the Greek princes of Kabul and the coins. They will be forthcoming work of " Alexander's,
Panjab have been derived principally from treated at full length in
my
Successors in the East."
t The name of Khorasan
is
most probably due
tion of the country by the Khoran tribe
would be the country of the Khor
was that of the Sakas.
:
Khorasdn
tribe, as
to the occupa-
or
Xhorastdn
Sacassene or Sdhastan
RISE
AND PALL OP THE
IN DO-SCYTHIANS.
129
as one of the most eminent patrons of Buddhism,
His coins, which are now discovered in very great numbers over the whole of Afghanistan and the Panjab, attest the wide spread of his dominions their
common
;
and
occurrence in Rajputana and the North
Western Provinces of India perhaps shows the extent of his conquests. He subdued the valley of Kashmir, and there founded a town named after himself which is
called
still
honour of
Kampur
his religion
Kanikpur. *
or
of which the most magnificent
For the
numerous Topes,
he erected
is still
standing in the
Khaibur Pass beyond Peshawar.j Another of his Topes at Manikyala was opened by General Court j -
and
its
deposits form one of the most interesting dis-
coveries that have yet been
of India.
At
ten feet
made
in the archaeology
the ground
above
level,
General Court obtained a stone box covered with a flat slab,
tion
which on
under surface bore an inscrip-
its
of nine lines in the Ariano-Pali character.^
The published copy kindness
is
very corrupt
of Professor
Lassen
I
;
but through the possess
a more
correct transcript, from which I have been able to
read with certainty the of the Cfushang tribe.
name of Maharaja Kanishka The second line contains a
figured date which I have not yet been able to read,
but which looks like either 520 or 120. *
Raja Tarangini,
t
Hwan
\
p.
i.
168.
Thsang, in the Appendix
See the account of
Inside the
to the Fo-ltrve-M.
this disoovery in Prinsep's Journal, vol.
558.
K
iii.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
130
box were found three cylindrical caskets of
stone
copper, silver, and gold, each containing- a certain
number of coins
On
The copper casket held eight
coins.
copper coins
casket held
the silver
;
and the gold casket held four gold
;
the lid of the stone
The gold
copper coins.
coins.
box also there were four coins
and
excepting three, belong to
ones,
seven silver
all
copper
the
Kanerki or Ka-
nishka himself; two of the copper coins are of his predecessor Kadphises Hieumi, and the third
The seven
Kadphizes or Kadaphes Khoran. coins
belong to the last years of the
all
Republic, from B, the
establish
c.
silver
Roman
73 to 33, * and they serve
period
latter end of the
of
is
of
first
Kanishka's
reign
century before
the
to
the
in
Christian
era. 7.
At
this
time the Eastern Panjab was governed
by Milindu, Eaja of Sakala or Sangala, one of the most learned disputants in India. He had challenged the Buddhist Arhats of Sakala to argue with him, and had silenced them
monks the
retired to
Hemawanta
region
difficult
whom
t
The discomfited
Rahkhita-talo or Rakshita-Tal in
years they were joined
Nagarjuna,
all.
where
;
after a lapse of twelve
by the youthful Nagasena
or
they persuaded to undertake the
task of coping with Kaja Milindu in argu-
* Journal
des Savans,
Actium was fought
Fevrier,
1836, p.
74.
The
battle of
in B.C. 31.
t Tumour's Pali Annals, in Prinsep's Journal, Colonel Low. Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, xvii. 616.
v.
533
;
also
RISE AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
131
The challenge was accepted by Nagasena, and the whole body of monks returned to Sdgala which once more " glittered with the yellow robes" of the Buddhist fraternities. The disputation, which was held in the king's palace in the presence of ten ment.
selected Sthaviras, ended in the immediate conversion
of Milindu to Buddhism, and in his ultimate ordination as a
monk.
The teaching of Nagarjuna extended through the reigns of Milindu of Sakala, and of Kanishka of 8.
By
Kashmir.*
his influence five
hundred Kashmir-
Arhans were deputed to Tibet for the propagation of Buddhism, and to the enthusiasm created by his example must be attributed the contemporary ex-
ian
tension
of the Buddhist religion to the island of
when twenty thousand families arrived from India.f The conversion of the Javanese to the faith of Sakya is Java
at the beginning of the
attested exist
still
9.
Christian era,
by the numerous Buddhist remains, which on the
island.
About twenty years
later,
when the
sophist
Apollonius visited India, the dominion of the Parthian Bardanes extended to the banks of the Indus.J *
Csoma, Tibetan Grammar,
p.
182, states that Nagarjuna was
The Eaja Tarangini places him 500 years after the death of Buddha, and makes him a contemporary of the Indoborn in B.C. 93.
Scythian Kanishka. Tables, places this event between f Klaproth, in Prinsep's Useful Java ii. 69, places it in a.d. 10. Baffles, 24 a.d. 57, the years
—
The J
few years. Tacitus, Ann. 18.
difference is only a
Philostratus,
ii.
xi.
10.
;
132
THE BHILSA TOPES.
A
petty chief named Phraortes reigned at Taxila and a more powerful but nameless sovereign possessed all the country between the Hyphasis and the
Ganges.
The whole story of
so full of fables that
believe
and what
difficult to
it is
it
know what
to
;
but from the agreement
may
be inferred that both of
to reject
of several passages,
this sophist's travels is
the Indian king's were Buddhists.
The Gangetic prince abstained from animal food, * and his Sages (that is
wise men, or Bauddhas)
wore white mitres on save short tunics.
let their
is
grow
long,
and had no clothing
their heads,
This
hair
an exact description of
the Bodhisatwa, or upper class of Buddhist monks,
who throughout
the
Sanchi
bas-reliefs
are
repre-
sented seated in abstract meditation with long hair,
covered by a low conical cap or mitre, and with no clothing save the kilt or sanghati.
For the next four centuries the history of India almost a blank ; and for this dark period we must 10.
is
be guided by the feeble glimmer of a few slight notices preserved
by the Chinese.
From them we
learn that the Yuchi or Scythian Tochdri retained their
power
in
Northern India
of the third century of our era.f
until the beginning
They abstained
from,
wine and from animal food, and practised the law of
The prevalence of Buddhism at this period attested by several classical authors, of whom
Buddha. is
also
* Philostratus,
iii.
f Until A. r. 222. Journal,
vi.
63.
15-26.
See Chinese account of India, in Prinsep's
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIAN8.
RISE
Klemens of Alexandria flourished from
180
133
He
the most precise.
is
230
when the power of the Yuchi was already on the decline. The Brahmans are said
Pan
;
to
to
a.d.,
have been worshippers of Herakles and
while the Se^voi (Sramanas or Monks) and the
(Srdmands or Nuns) were distinguished by the worship of certain pyramids which they believed to Sejuvoi
contain the bones of some God.*
This
is
a most
accurate description of the Buddhist fraternities, with their adoration for
tained
relics
eminent disciples 11.
Topes or Chaityas, which con-
Buddha, or of some of and followers.
of
About a century
later (a. d.
learned Porphyrius divided
the
his
more
270-303), the
Gymnosophists
(or
half-naked philosophers of India) into two classes, the
Brachmanes and 8amancei
:
the former being a family 1
or tribe, the latter a mixture of all classes.f
Samanesi or
The
Sramanas shaved
their heads, wore nothing but a stole or tunic, abandoned their families and property, and lived together in colleges outside
Their time was spent in holy conver-
the city walls. sation,
and at the sound of a
prayers
;
for the
bell
they assembled for
monks no longer begged
their daily
bread, but each received his dish of rice from the
* "Ltfjovat Tiva irvpafuSav^rjv
oarta tivos Qeou.
f E'£ kvus yap irarpos kcu filas juj/rpos iravres Siuyovai ; that is, Brahmans but of the Sramanas, he says, "Zafiavatui B£ ovk elel
the tov
—
yivovs avT&v,
ctXX'
kipa/xty, trvveiXeyfievoi.
in
iravros
rov
tUv
'IvEuiv
tdvovs,
wo
184
THE BHILSA TOPES. Colonel Sykes*
king-.
close
of
agreement of
the
through of
Chinese
India
has already remarked the
this description
one century
just
Porphyrius.
But
with the account
Fa Hian, who
pilgrim
after
travelled
death
the
given by
Por-
phyrius become the more valuable, when we
know
that his
own
religion
the
details
and philosophical principles
were almost the same as those of the Indian Budd-
He believed in one Supreme Being ; and held " that Reason " or Intellect (Buddha) was superior to " Nature " (Dharma) ; for by reason we are uplifted hists.
towards the Deity, while we are only degraded by our natural appetites and material desires.
Man's
chief object therefore should be to free himself from all
outward and sensual influences.
With
this
view
Porphyrius rejected animal food, and refrained from
making material because
all
offerings
to the Supreme
material objects are unclean.
Being,
Like the
Buddhist also Porphyrius recognized four degrees or classes of virtue, of virtue, or the
which the lowest was political
moral goodness acquired by temperance
and moderation of the passions. purifying virtue, in which all
human
man
The next grade was
has entirely conquered
In the third grade man is by Reason, and more and more
affections.
wholly influenced
resembles the Deity, until at last he has acquired
such perfection that he becomes " one with the one
*
Notes on Ancient India,
Society.
in
Journal of the Royal
Asiatic
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHlANS.
RISE
Supreme Being-."* in
common
135
These principles have so much
we
with the doctrines of Buddhism, that
can only account for the coincidence by supposing" that Porphyrius must have possessed the most ample
and correct
details of the religious beliefs
and philo-
sophical speculations which then prevailed in India.
We
need therefore
no longer wonder at the ac-
curacy with which he has described the daily
and outward observances of the
cipline
The learned Pagan was
monks.
in fact a
dis-
Buddhist
European
Buddhist.
The
12.
travels of Palladius
and of the Thebsean
Scholastikos only preceded the pilgrimage of
The former,
by a few years. India
it is
true, did not reach
but he could have obtained
;
Fa Hian
much
information
regarding the Indians from the merchants of Egypt
and of Persia
;
and he gives at some length the
account of Scholastikos, who was detained for six years as a prisoner in the pepper districts of Malabar.
The
result of his information
is
given in some imagi-
nary conversations between Alexander the Great and the Indian Sage Dandamis; in which the Indian declares that
no
man
;
"God,
the great king, causes injury to
but gives light, peace, and
body and soul only Lord."
;
and that God was
life,
a
human
his master
and
This sage Dandimis was therefore
a
might be inferred evidently a compound of
monotheistic Buddhist, as indeed
from his name which *
C.
P.
Mason:
is
Article' Porphyrius,
Biographical Dictionary.
in
Dr. Smith's New-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
136
Dharma
Dhama ;
in the Pali form of
perhaps
Dha-
madhdni, the " receptacle of Dharma."
The prevalence of Buddhism about this period is further proved by several passages in the Brahmanical Dramas and in the Institutes of Manu. The 13.
uncertain date of these compositions, however, some-
what
The Hindu Drama now
lessens their value as precise authorities.
Mrichhakati, which
the oldest
is
"not only absolute
extant, exhibits
kind of public recognition" * of the
toleration, but a
Bauddha
faith,
by
the appointment of a Buddhist ascetic as chief of all
That virtuous
Vihars of Ujain.
the
" tolerate even
of later date than the
is
of an animal."
the death
in the &th act quotes
city could not
Hindu
Manu f
code, for the
and as
;
This play
Manu
Judge himself
mentions nuns, or " female anchorites of an heretical religion,";]; it is certain still
was
honoured and flourishing when these works were
There
composed.
Manu
of
that the Buddhist faith
is
is
internal evidence that the code
Ramayana and
posterior to the
Ma-
the
habharata in the mention of " heroic poems/'§ which should be read at the celebration of obsequial rites in
honour of ancestors ; and worship,
*
||
which
is
in the allusions to
not mentioned either in the
Wilson's Hindu Theatre, vol.
p.
i.
i.
act. viii.
140.
t
Haughton's Laws of Manu,
viii.
§
Haughton's Laws of Manu,
iii.
Ra-
viii.
f The Mrichhakati, or " Toy-cart," Theatre,
image-
363.
232.
| Wilson. Preface to Vishnu Puvan, p. xiiL
Wilson's
Hindu
RISE
mayana mayana
AND FALL OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.
or Mahabharata.
Bentley assigned the Kato the fourth century of our era, and the
Mahabharata
But
the
to the eighth century or even later.
date
latter
War is
Great
137
is
certainly too low;
for the
mentioned in a copper plate inscription
of a date not later than the
first
half * of the sixth
century, along with the names of Vyasa, Parasara,
and Yudhishtara. is in fact
much
too
Bentley's method of compression like the
Prokrustean bed of Da-
mastes, into which the large were squeezed, and the
small were stretched until they tion of the
The composi-
fitted.
Mahabharata cannot therefore be dated beginning- of the fifth century, and it
later than the
should no doubt be placed even earlier A. D.
200
pilation, filled
tions
;
The code of Manu
to 300.
but in
present state
may
* This valuable inscription
dasa
date
is
thus stated
— " written
:
it is
is
a mere com-
certainly later than
be dated about A. D. 400. is
the property of Captain Ellis
Idkhitam samvatsara satadwaye chatur-
in the year
As
two hundred and fourteen."
characters are similar to those of the is
perhaps about
with the most contradictory injunc-
its
the great epics, and
The
;
most probably of the Gupta
era, or
of the Saka era, the date will be 78
Gupta 319
+
+
214
the
inscriptions, the date
214 == 533,
= 292, a.
d.
a. d. ;.
If
but the
characters are not so old as those of the early Gupta inscriptions of A. D. 400.
138
THE BHILSA TOPES.
CHAPTER
XII.
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.—DECLINE AND FALL OF BUDDHISM.
At
1.
the period of
Fa
Hian's pilgrimage, the Gupta
dynasty occupied the throne of Magadha.
Nepal
extended from
dominions
to
the
Their
Western
Ghats,* and from the Indus to the mouths of the
The family was
Ganges.
established
by Maharaja
Gupta, in 319 a. d., which became the first year of the Gupta era. This epoch is not mentioned in the Allahabad inscription of Samudra Gupta but it ;
used in the Sanchi and Udayagiri inscriptions of
is
Chandra Gupta ;
in the
Skanda Gupta; and of
Budha Gupta.
by Abu
Eran
in the is
Pillar inscription of Pillar inscription
besides especially mentioned
Bihan,f who, in his account of Indian eras,
Gcpta-kal,
the
identifies
Ballaba-kAl, or *
It
Kuhaon
The Western Ghats
on the Allahabad
or
Gupta
era, with
era of Balabhi, which are called Sainhddri
pillar records
;
the
commenced
and the inscription
Samudra Gupta's
influence over
that country.
t
M. Reinaud
:
Fragments Arabes
l'lnde, pp. 138-143.
et
Persans inedits
relatifs
a
—
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. These eras are mentioned no
in A. D. 319.
less
than
by Abu Rihan and each time he has them as starting from the same date. But
three times identified it
139
;
appears to
me
that the most important of these
passages must either be corrupt or obscure, for the
by M. Reinaud makes the epoch of the Guptas commence from the date of their exter-
translation given
mination
be
If this
!
is
a coi'rect translation there can
doubt that the text of
little
erroneous
;
for
we know
positively that the
were reigning during the of our era.
But I
Abu Rihan must
fifth
text
is
got rid
Guptas
and sixth centuries
will venture to suggest a different
translation of this important passage, error
be
of without any
by which the
alteration
of the
:
\,J\
\j\p\
Uy JJ
U J& JS c^/ UU
" With regard to the Gupta Kal (or era of the Guptas), the name was that of a wicked J and powerful family ; whose epoch became extinct with themselves; and truly Ballaba was after them j same as (that of ) the
for the beginning of their era is the the
the last j (namely) 241 of the SXka-kIl."
The underlined passage in the original text is thus translated by M. Reinaud :* " Et l'ere qui porte 2.
leur
nom
est l'epoque *
de leur extermination j" but
Fragments,
p. 143.
140
THE BHILSA TOPES.
the literal translation
appears to be, " and then
became extinct along with
their epoch,"
which agrees
with the version that I have given above. statement
made
M. Reinaud's
in
version
is
The
so extra-
ordinary that, even without any direct proofs of inaccuracy, I would have set
it
its
aside as erroneous.
The era of the Seleukidge began with the foundation of the Syrian empire by Seleukos ; the Christian era is
dated from the establishment of Christianity ; and
the era of the Guptas without doubt commenced with the settlement of their as I have mentioned
an era of
their
own
own dynasty.
For the Guptas,
before, date their inscriptions in
;
which, though not so
named by
them, was actually a Gupta-kdl, and must, therefore,
have been called such by the people.
when the Guptas flourished is derived from the Chinese. In A. D. 428, the king of Kapila was named Yuegai, or " moon-beloved," which is a synonyme of Chandra In A. B. 502, the Gupta, or " moon-cherished." 3.
The
direct
evidence of the period
king of India was named Keu-to, that is Gutto, the Lastly, HwanPali form of the Sanskrit Gupta.
Thsang*
names
five
Princes
of
Magadha who
flourished previous to the conquest of the country
by
Siladitya, in the following order Lo-kia-lo-a-yi-to,
:—
*
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. 4.
Now
141
Siladitya died between 642 and 648 (say
and as he reigned sixty years, his accession must have taken place in A. D. 585 ; and his conquest
in 645),
of
Magadha may
be dated about A. D. 600.
chronology of the Guptas as derived from will then stand thus
Names.
:
—
all
The
sources
THE BHILSA TOPES.
142
have been discovered of each
table denote that coins
of those princes
and
;
it is
from coins alone that I
have ascertained that Baladitya was named
Gupta.
The chronological
Nara
has been framed
table
upon the following- data. 1st. The power of the Indo-Scythians did not begin to decline until the time of the later
Hans
in
China, whose dynasty was only established in A. d.
During the
222. their
latter half of the third
power was on the
to have been finally overthrown
319.
may
and
decline,
century
be supposed
by Gupta
in
A. D.
There are great numbers of gold coins of Indo-
Scythian type with corrupt Greek and Indian legends
which can only be attributed 2nd.
A
Udayagiri,
to this dynasty.
short inscription of Chandra Gupta, at is
.dated in the year
the same prince, at Sanchi,
These dates of the
Gupta
is
82
;
and a second of
dated in the year 93.
era are equivalent to A. D.
401 and 412, which agree with the Chinese date of A. D. 428* for Yue-gai. But Chandra Gupta on his coins takes the title of
Agni Purana,f
it is
Vihramaditya, and in the
said that
Vihrama, the son of
Gadharupa, should ascend the throne of Malawa seven hundred and fifty-three years after the expiation of
Chanakya.
in B.C. 325,
This event I have already placed
from which, deducting 753 years, we
* This is the date given in the Chinese account of India, in
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
665
;
but Des Guignes,
408. f Prinsep's Journal,
iv.
688.
i.
45,
says
a.d.
:
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.
143
obtain A. D. 428 for the date of
Vikrama of Malwa. Colonel Tod also quotes a Jain inscription of Chandra Gupta, dated either in A. D. 370 or 409,* in which he is styled Avanti-ndth, or " lord of Ujain," which was the capital of Malwa. Here then we have a Vikrama and a Chandra Gupta both king's of Malwa at the same time two statements which can only be reconciled by supposing them to be the same person under different names or titles. This supposition is confirmed by the coins of Chandra Gupta, on the reverses of which we find that he took the titles of Vikrama and Vikramaditya. A cave inscription at :
Udayagiri of the Samvat year 1093, or A. D. 1036,
name
couples the
dom
of Chandra Gupta with the king-
of Vikramaditya (Vikramaditya Itdjyarn).
the Raja Tarangini also g-upta
it is
In
mentioned that Matri-
was placed on the throne of Kashmir by Vikra-
maditya,
King
of Ujain.
According
chronology of the Raja Tarangini,
to
this
my
corrected
happened
in
The Satrunjaya Mahatmyaf also places Vikramaditya in Samvat 466, or A. d. 409.
A. D. 430.
the third
From certain
this
accumulation of evidence
that
it
a Chandra Gupta, with
Vikramaditya, was the sovereign of early part of the * See Transactions
fifth
seems to the
Malwa
title
me of
in the
century of our era.
Roy. As. Soc, pp. 140-211, where Colonel
Tod, by some inadvertence, gives both 427 and 466 Samvat as the date of this inscription.
t Wilford
:
Researches As. Soc. Bengal,
Researches As. Soc. Bengal, xv. 39, note.
is.
156
;
and Wilson
144
THE BHILSA TOPES.
The date of Skanda Gupta's death, which is found upon the Kuhaon Pillar, is the year 133.* 8rd.
No
era
is
stated
;
but
it
which he
is
said to
must of course be that era (f
which was used by the
royal race of Guptas," of
have been born, and which could
His
only have been the Gupta-kdl, or Gupta era. death, therefore, occured in
given in 4th.
my
319+133=452
table.
The date of Budha Gupta has been
mined by the
inscription at
deter-
Eran,f which records the
erection of a pillar in the year 165,
An
a. d., as
inspection of the table will
or a. b. 484.
show how
well this
date agrees with the period which must be assigned to
Budha Gupta on
according to
the authority of
whom Fo-tho-kiu-to,
was the fourth prince
Magadha in may be seen of
Thsang-;
Budha Gupta,
prior to Siladitya's conquest
A. D. 600.
in
Hwan
or
The
Plate II.,
coins of figs.
Budha Gupta
55,
57, of
Thomas's essay on the Sah kings of Surastra.
Mr.
I can
confirm the reading of the legend which he gives
with some hesitation as
Budha Gupta.
five of these silver coins
from a traveller at Benares,
of which I have given
away
four
;
sealing-wax impressions of them
but I all,
I procured
still
possess
from which
I have been able to recognize the engraved specimens. 5th. scarce. in
my
The coins of Nara Gupta Baladitya are Of two specimens in gold that have been own possession, I .still have impressions ; but * Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
37.
f Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
634.
—
—
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.
may
the type
be seen in Fig. 22, Plate
Wilson's " Ariana Antiqua." the Raja's arm,
xv. of the
Nara.
is
On
the obverse, under
silver
coin Fig'.
same work, most probably
I read the
of
xviii.
written Nara, and on the reverse,
The small
Baladitya.
145
leg-end
Plate
19,
also belong's to
:
Paramadhi Raja Sri Nara-Gupta Baladitya. 6.
As
the correct determination of the epoch of the
Gupta dynasty
is
relig-ious as well as to
India,
it
the
of
importance to the
first
the political history of ancient
becomes necessary
to
examine the chronology
which Mr. E. Thomas, with much
critical skill
and
Sah kings of Gujrat and the Gupta princes of Magadha.* We agree The as to the facts, but differ in our deductions.
ingenuity, has proposed for the
facts are these 1st.
are all
The
:
Sah kings
beautiful silver coins of the
dated in the fourth century of some
unknown
era.
The silver coins of Kumara Gupta and of Skanda Gupta are evident and undoubted copies of those of the Sah kings, and therefore these two princes must have reigned at a later date than the 2nd.
last of the 7.
Sah kings.
In making
his deductions
from these
* See Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol.
" by
facts,
xii.,
"
Mr.
On
the
Edward Thomas, Dynasty of the Sah Kings of Surashtra a most valuable contribution to the esq. Bengal Civil Service ;
;
ancient history of India.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
146
Thomas has based
all his
calculations on
Abu
naud's translation of the passage in gives the year 319. A.B.,
Gupta era, and Gupta dynasty.
for the beginning- of the
also for the final extinction of the
In adopting
Thomas
Rihan's statement, Mr. for
M. Rei-
Rihan, which
this version of is
obliged to search
some other epochs as the starting points
which
to
pose
is
known from
which he uses
earlier era
for this pur-
that of Sri Harsha,* which was entirely ununtil the publication of
Abu
Rihan.
M. Reinaud's
This era dates from B.
extracts c.
and the epoch of the Sah kings of Surashtra fixed between 157 8.
from
count the dates of the Surashtra and Gupta
The
coins.
Abu
and 57
is
457; thus
b. c.f
Between the Sah kings and the Guptas, Mr. interposes the Indo- Scythians, whose con-
Thomas
quest he places in 26 B. C, and he proposes to count the date of Chandra Gupta's inscription at Sanchrj;
from 78 A.
B.,
which
is
the well-known commence-
ment of the Saka era. This will place the reign of Chandra Gupta in 78 + 93 = 171 A. b., and the reign of Buddha Gupta in 78 + 165 = 243 A. B., after whom there is time for the reigns of a few more princes before the asserted extinction of the family in
319 9.
A. b.
My
reasons
for
* See
Mr. Thomas's Essay,
t See Mr. Thomas's Essay, X
Guptas to a
assigning the
have been given already
later period
See Mr. Thomas's Essay,
;
p. 43. p. 45. p. 5.
and I
will
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. now
state as briefly as possible all
147
my
objections to
Mr. Thomas's chronology. According" to the Chinese historians, the power
1st.
of the Indo-Scythians remained in A. d.
ment
after
;
which
began
it
full force until
to decline.
This state-
supported by Ptolemy the geographer,
is
222
who
between a. d. 140-160, assigns the whole valley of the Indus, including Sirastrene, or Surashtra, to the
Indo-Scythians. 2nd.
Samudra Gupta, according
to the
Allahabad
and Bhitari inscriptions, was the fourth prince of the Gupta dynasty, and if we allow twenty years to each reign, Samudra will date from 60 to 80 of the Gupta era, or from 138 to 158 A. D. But in the Allahabad pillar inscription, Samudra mentions the Shdhdn-shah (that
is,
one of the Sassanian kings of Persia) as his
contemporary, whose throne until a. d. 223
dynasty ;
did
and as in
his
not attain the
account of the
Magadha, Surashtra, and Ujjayani, it has been inferred by James Prinsep, * and is admitted by Mr. Thomas himself, that these provinces must have formed his own proper dominion. But as Sirastrene belonged to the Indo-Scythians at the very date that must be assigned to Samudra by Mr. Thomas's chronology, tributary and conquered provinces he omits
we must
either reject his
scheme altogether, or con-
clude, that both the Chinese historian and the Alex-
andrian geographer were in error.
*
Journal
vi.
975.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
148
The independence
3rd.
of the
Gujrat between 157 and 57 B.
native
c.
is
princes of
completely at
variance with the Greek accounts of Menander's conquest of Sariovstos or Surashtra, between 160 and
130
B. C.,
which
is
currency of his coins at
protracted
by the longBarygaza or
further authenticated
Baroch. 4th.
The
coins*
are
so
widely different from those of the
Rock
Pillar and
are so
alphabetical characters of the Surashtran
much
inscriptions,
and at the same time
similar to those of the Guptas, that
it is
impossible not to conclude that there must have been
a long- interval between Asoka and the independent
Sah Sah
kings, and an almost immediate succession of the king-s
by
the Guptas.
But Mr. Thomas's
pro-
posed chronology exactly reverses this conclusion, by
making the earliest date
interval between Asoka's death
of the
and the
Surashtra coins not more than
sixty-five years, while the interval
between the
last of
Sah kings and the rise of the Guptas is one hundred and thirty-five years, or more than double the
the other. *
Another evidence
in favour of the later date of the
furnished by the
gateway
Sah
king's
Sanchi.
of Gujrat
is
These date
in the early part of the first century of our era (see
190)
;
inscriptions at
and though they show the nearest approach
of the Sah alphabet, yet the latter
Sanchi inscriptions.
is
No.
to the forms
certainly posterior to the
This result agrees with the period which I
have assigned to them, from a.d. 222 (the beginning of the Indo-Scythian decline) to a.d. 380, the accession of Samudra
Gupta.
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.
149
The author of the Periplus of the Erythrsean sea, who lived between 117 and 180 A. v., states that ancient drachmas of Apollodotus and of Menander 5th.
were then current at Barygaza.*
This prolonged
currency of the Greek drachmas points directly to the period
Indo- Scythian rule;
of the
have some hundreds of their gold
though we
for
and many
coins,
thousands of their copper coins, yet only one solitary
specimen of their covered.
silver
coinage has
The Indo-Grecian
silver
tinued current until after 222 A. D.,
of the
Sah
was a
partly in type,
dis-
when
the Indo-
this period,
would date the independence
I
kings, and
coinage, which
been
probably con-
From
Scythian power began to decline. about 250 A. D.,
r } et
the
issue
direct
of their
silver
copy in weight, and
from the Philopater drachmas of
Apollodotus. 9.*
We have
thus a continued series of silver cur-
rency in Gujrat for upwards of six hundred years,
from Menander's conquest, in
B. c.
Gupta's death, in about 510 A. D.
150-140, to
From
Budha
this period
thick silver pieces of the same type and of the same value, but one half
more
in weight,
were issued by the
Balabhi kings down to the Mahomedan conquest.
more precious metal the coinage of the Indo Scythians was immediately succeeded by the golden
In
the
dinars of the Guptas, whose earliest pieces are almost *
Hudson, Geogr. Min.,
i.
87—" Vixit,
teste
Suida, Hadriani,
Marci et Antonini temporibus;" that is, -between 117 and 180 a.d., or about
160 a.d.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
150 exact copies
of the well-known
Kanishka and
his successors.*
Ardokro coins of
The importance of establishing the correet era of the Guptas becomes apparent when we learn that Chandra Gupta was most probably one of the last paramount sovereigns of India who professed the 10.
Buddhist
faith.
The
exist at Sanchi
still
inscriptions of his reign,
which
and at Udayagiri, confirm the
account of the contemporary traveller Fa-Hian
Buddhism, though honoured and
flourishing,
;
that
was cerBrah-
tainly on the decline, and that temples of the
mans were tion of
rising on all sides.
Chandra Gupta
is
The
earliest inscrip-
dated in 82 of the Gupta
It consists of two lines carved on
era, or A. d. 401.
a rock tablet at the foot of the Udayagiri
was intended for five it is
more
;
and, as no event
evident that the record
placed to the right
is
There
for a longer inscription. lines
is
is
hill,
which
is
room
commemorated,
The
incomplete.
tablet
of the entrance of a cave-
temple apparently dedicated to Surya, whose image is
Immedi-
represented on each side of the doorway.
ately to the left of the cave there
is
a large alto-
Vardha or Boar Avatar, ten feet and a The inscription is partially injured by half in height. of the rock on the right hand ; but the the peeling
relievo of the
* See
Prinsep, in Journal
XXXIX., the
first to
in
iv.
629, and Plates
which the imitation
point out to
is
XXXVIII. and
clearly developed
;
but I was
James Prinsep the seated Ardokro on the
Indo-Scythian coins, which figure afterwards became the most
common
reverse of the early
Gupta
coins.
—
—
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. date
and the only part that is completely of the Raja who excavated the cave.
perfect,
is
lost is the
name
A fac-simile of
the inscription will be found in Plate
XXI., No. 200.
Roman
151
The
characters
following- is a
transcript in
:
Siddham samvatsare 82 Sravana-mdm suklehadasya parama-bhattaraka Mahdrdjadhi c h and ra-gupt a pdddnaddtasya
Mahdrdja chagaliga potrasya, Maharaja vishnu-dasa putrasya Sanakdiiikasya
(r&ja * * *
Mahd
" Finished in the year 82, on the 11th of the of the
month of Sravana
;
[the cave] of him,
the paramount, homage-receiving,
Gdpta, the
bowing
bright
half
to the feet of
Supreme Maharaja Chandra-
grandson of Maharaja Chagaliga,
the
son
of
Maharaja Vishnu-Dasa, Maharaja (name obliterated) of Sana-
11.
SanaMnika
amongst the
name it
included
by Samudra Gupta
his tributary provinces,* but unfortunately
of
Sanakanika as
is
its is,
Raja
is
however,
not given.
now
The
placed beyond
must have included Udayagiri,
Sanchi.
It
is
even possible that
position of all
doubt
JBhilsa,
'>
and
SanaMnika may
have some connection with the names of Sanchi
Kanakhera. 12. *
The Vaishnava
Allahabad Pillar
The name lak,
faith of this petty royal family
inscription,
in
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
973.
of Chagaliga or Chaglig recalls those of Kutlugh, Togh-
and others of undoubted Tartar
origin, so strongly, that
one
can scarcely help assigning this petty family to the Indo-Scythian stock.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
152
shown by the name of Vishnu Das, the " slave of Vishnu;" and by the Vaishnava subjects of all the is
The Boar Incarnation
rock sculptures at Udayagiri.
of Vishnu has already been mentioned. of the
hill
there
is
a colossal figure of
On
the top
Vishnu himself
twelve feet in length, reposing on the folds of the 1
serpent Sesha or Ananta, the emblem of eternity. The worship of Vishnu, which then prevailed at Udayagiri, has been supplanted by that of Siva and ;
the votaries of the lingam have occupied the cave-
temples of Vishnu.
In the principal temple, now
dedicated to Mahadeo, there
a native inscription on
is
a pillar dated in the Samvat year 1093, or a. d. 1036, in
which the votary records
" adoration at the
his
feet
of Vishnu."*
The second
13.
inscription of
Chandra Gupta
is
carved on one of the railings of the colonnade of the great Tope at Sanchi. lished
by James Prinsep
It
was translated and pub-
in
1837
has satisfactorily shown that the
but he has
failed to see that the
likewise represented in figures. simile of this date in Plate
S. 93, (of the
BhMrapada 14
but
I have given a fac-
XXI., No.
=
month) Bhadrapada."
a grant of
its date wa3 Mr. Thomas Samvat date is 93 ; day of the month is ;-\
Since then,
not properly ascertained.
197.
It reads
" the year 93, the 14th This inscription records
money by the paramount sovereign Chandra
Gupta, through his local agent, to the Sramanas of the Maha-Vihara, or Great Monastery at Sanchi. * Vishnu-pado-nityam.
f Journal,
vi.
455, 456.
—
;
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.
153
Prinsep's translation gives the general sense of the but, in documents of this kind,
text;
it
is
always
desirable to have as literal a version as possible.
The
opening lines especially have been much abridged and, as they are thoroughly Buddhistical in their lan-
guage, I
will venture to give
my own
translation of
them.
Ku
(la
Dhamma)
si
Mahdvihdre sila-samddki Prajnydguna
bhavitendraydya paramapunya kri (fa sramantard) garbhya
gatdya sramana-punggavvdsatahdydryya sanghdya. » " To the followers of
Dharma
in the
*
•
Great Monastery, who, by
the practice of morality, and by deep meditation on the attributes of wisdom (Prajnd), have subdued their passions, and become distinguished for virtue
;
to the
Sramanas of the venerable
fraternity,
pre-eminent in private religious observances (Avasatha)," &c.
Prajnd means " wisdom, understanding," or more literally, " foreknowledge." The author of the Ashta Sahasrika thus addresses Prajna " Thou mighty object of my worship Thou Prajnd ! art the sum of all good qualities ; and Buddha is the Guru of the world. The wise make no distinction between thee and Buddha. He who 14.
:
!
devoutly serves thee serves the Tathdgata also."*
author of the Pujd-hand
The Prajna is
the
—" I
thus
addresses
make salutation to Prajnd-Devi, who Prajnd Pdramitd (Transcendental Wisdom), :
the Prajnd-rupa (multiform), the Nir-rupa (formless),
and the universal mother." *
Hodgson,
pv
123.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
154
The author of the Sadhana-mala offers his " salutation to Prajna-Devi, from whom, in the form of production of the world was excellently
desire, the
who is beautiful as the full moon, the mother of Adi Buddha."* And again, " Salutation to Prajna Paramita, the infinite, who, when all was void, was revealed by her own will."t
obtained,
Prajna or Prajna Devi is deified Nature, or Diva Natura, and the same as Dharma. In the Sanchi inscription her supremacy is acknowledged 15.
by Chandra
the attainment
Gupta's belief in
of
purity and the subjection of the passions by medita-
The great king
tion on the attributes of Prajna.
was therefore not an
heterodox materialist, who held nature as the 16. If correct,
first
Buddhist, but
orthodox
Dharma
a
or material
person of the Triad.
James Prinsep's
restoration
and I believe that
it
is
so,
of the text be
Chandra Gupta
was a most munificent patron as well as a faithful His gift to the Sanchi Tope follower of Buddhism. for its regular illumination, and for the perpetual service of
Srdmanas or
ascetics,
was no
less
a
sum
than twenty-five thousand dinars, or 25,000/., equal to
two lakhs and a half of rupees. 17.
But
the
religious
belief of
Chandra Gupta
does not rest solely on the authority of this inscription
;
for,
according to the sacred books of the Jains,
the last Tirthankara
Mahavira
is
Hodgson,
p.
125.
f Hodgson,
p.
126.
*
said to have ex-
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. pounded
his
twelve dreams to
155
Chandra Gupta, the
lord of Avanti or Ujain.*
The same story
18.
vilasa,f but the
and
is
dreams are
related
the
in
Buddha
have been fourteen,
said to
expounded to Chandra Gupta, the
to have been
monarch of Ujain, by Bhadra Bahu Muni. From this it may be inferred that the Prince was certainly not a worshipper of the Brahmanical Pantheon ; and as we have seen that he was not an orthodox Buddhist, we may conclude that his heterodoxy was not very dissimilar from Jainism, which
knowledged
is
generally ac-
to
have been a sectarian offspring of
if
my
Buddhism. 19. But, correct,
we have
chronology
of
the
Guptas
the most clear proof of the
Chandra Gupta in Fa Hian's The Chinese pilgrim left his native land in A. and returned to it again in A. D. 415. His dhist belief of
be
Bud-
travels.
D. 399, visit to
Pa-lian-fu, or Pataliputra,^ the capital of the king-
dom
of Mo-kie-thi, or Magadha, therefore took place
in the early part of
Chandra Gupta's reign.
He
scribes the city as very large ;§ the people as rich
fond of discussion
;
but just in
all their
celebrated Sakya's birthday annually * Transactions
t
At
p.
Royal Asiatic Society,
i.
211
dealings.
de-
and
They
by a procession
— Colonel Tod.
413 of the same volume, Major Delamaine
states the
same thing, on the authority of the Buddha Vildsa, a Digambara Jain work. I
Fu
is
only the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit putra, a
son. %
Fu-krve-ki,
c.
xxvii.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
156
of four-wheeled cars, with corners,
each
containing
1
little
a
seated
Bodhisatwas standing by him.
Rath
survives in the
chapels at the four
Buddha,
This
with
festival
still
Jattra, or annual procession of
Jagannath, which the crafty Brahmans have adopted into their
own
creed, because
it
was too popular to
be suppressed.* 20.
At
the
time of
was the prevailing
Fa Hian's
religion of
visit
Buddhism
the Panjab, and of
Northern India from Mathura to the mouth of the Ganges. in
Between the Panjab and Mathura, that
is
Brahmavartta Proper, the law of Buddha was not
But this was the original seat and stronghold of the Brahmans and their religion and its exception by Fa Hian is one amongst the many Everywhere else proofs of the pilgrim's accuracy. Buddhism was honoured and flourishing; the kings held in honour. f
;
were firmly attached to the law, and showed their reverence for the ascetics by taking off their tiaras
But at Shachi and at Shewei, in Oudh, the heretical Brahmans had attempted to destroy a sacred nettle and some holy Topes. The very attempt shows the increasing power of the Brahmans, before them.
and
their confident
hope of ultimate success.
In the Bhitari Pillar inscription, no mention made of the religious belief of the first Chandra
31. is
• See note 9
to chapter xxvii. of
the pilgrimage of
Fa Hian
volume.
f Fo-kwe-ki,
c.
xv.
;
Mr. Laidlay's translation of
and the concluding chapter of this
THE GUPTA DYNASTY.
157
Gupta, but his son Samudra would appear been a
strict
observer of the Vedas, as he
have
to
repre-
is
sented offering' vast sacrifices to the ancient elemental Deities, Indra,
Varuna, and Yama.*
In
his
own
on the Allahabad Pillar he is also compared to Dhanada, Varuna, Indra, and Antaka;f inscription
that
is,
fire,
and
and
his
to the
shippers
air.
Gods of the four elements, earth, water, His son, the second Chandra Gupta,
grandson Kumara Gupta, are called wor-
Supreme Bhagavat,;]: whom Dr. But as the Vishnu
of the
Mill identifies with Krishna.
Purana, which was most probably written in the tenth century,§ makes no mention of the worship of
Krishna, although
it
gives a long account of his
Bhagavat who was worshipped by Chandra and Kumara, must be either Vishnu or Buddha. In his remarks on this inscription, however, Dr. Mill drops Krishna altogether, and makes Vishnu the object of Chandra's and Kumara's worship. But as Bhagavat is one of the commonest of history,
the
||
the
many
still
remains very
titles
of Buddha, the balance of evidence
much inTavour of Chandra Gupta's
attachment to Buddhism.
It
is
even possible that
Chandra Gupta may have professed Buddhism * Prinsep's Journal,
vi. 5.
\ Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
980.
Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
5
t
§ Prinsep's Journal,
i.
— parama Bhagavata.
441—Professor H. H. Wilson says
of the tenth century. ||
Prinsep's Journal,
in the
vi. 7.
middle
THE BHILSA TOPES.
158
early part of his
reign,* and Vaishnavism in the
part ; for the difference between the two is more nominal than real. Indeed the mention of Vishnu himself would no more invalidate the Buddhism of Chandra Gupta than the Tantric pictures of Mahadeva and Kali can disprove the present Buddhism of the Tibetans and Nepalese. The latter
exoteric
outward worship of Chaityas, and of Buddha, no doubt remained unchanged;
or
statues of
but the esoteric or philosophical speculations of the learned were continually changing paratively pure theism
Buddha were
first
and
and the com-
1
;
morality of
practical
encumbered with the mild quietism
of the Vaishnavas, and at last deformed by the wild
extravagances of the Tantrists. 22.
Skanda Gupta, the grandson of Chandra Gupta,
ascended the throne of
Magadha about
He
A. d. 440.
inherited the vast dominions of his family, including
the whole of Northern
mouth of the Ganges
;
India, from
Gujrat to the
and though his reign was
turbed by the rebellion of a minister, yet he
dis-
left his
kingdom undivided to his successor. Of his religious no doubt ; for, in the Bhitari Pillar inscription, f he is stated to have possessed " a clear faith there is
insight into the
wisdom of the Tantras."
teries of the Tantrikas
*
His
a. d.
were secret and incommunic-
They taught formulas
able.
gift to the
412
;
Sanchi Chaitya
is
of dated
incantation
Anno Owptm
and we know that he was reigning so
t Prinsrp's Journal,
vi. 6.
The mysand 93, or
late as a. d. 428.
—
"
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. charms
mystic
the
for
They degraded
power.
reproductive powers
169
attainment of superhuman the material worship of the
of Nature
by
a sensual and
obscene interpretation, in which Siva and Durga, or
emblems the lingam and yoni, played a conspicu-
their
One of
ous part.
their orders,
the
Kdpalikas, or
" men-of-skulls," has been well represented in the Prabodha Chandrodaya, * a native metaphysical drama. The speakers are a Buddhist monk, a
Brahman
mendicant, and the Kapalika.
Buddhist Kapalika.
"
him.)
" This man professes the rule of a I will ask him what it is." (Going up to :
1
Ho
!
you with the bone and
skull necklace, "
what are your notions of happiness and salvation ? Kapalika : " Wretch of a Buddhist Well, hear !
what
is
our religion
" With
flesh of
We make
:
men, with brain and
our grim burnt
offering;;
fat well
smeared,
break our fast
From cups of holy Brahman's skull; and ever, With gurgling drops of blood, that plenteous stream, From hard throats quickly cut, by us is worshipped With human offerings meet, our God, dread Bhairava."
Brahman mendicant dhist,
Buddhist, what think you of this
discipline
"Bud-
(stopping his ears): ?
Oh
!
horrible
!
Buddhist :
" Sacred Arhata
!
some awful sinner
has surely deceived that man."
Kdpdlika
(in
a rage)
* Prinsep's Journal,
:
vi.
" Aha
—
14
!
sinner that thou art
translated
by Dr.
Mill.
!
—
!
THE BHILSA TOPES.
160
— vilest of heretics, with thy shaven crown, drest like the lowest outcasts — uncombed one away with !
thee
!"
The extravagance of this class of Tantrika's further displayed by the Kapalika's boast 23.
is
:
"I
Gods, great Hari,
call at will the best of
And Hara's With my
self,
and Brahma
:
I restrain
sole voice the course of stars that
In heaven's bright vault ; the earth with
Of mountains,
fields,
Eeduce once more
I drink it 24.
may
From
and
cities,
to water
;
wander
all its
load
I at will
and, behold
"
up
this
specimen of the Tantrika
faith, it
be inferred that the cabalistic charms and mystic
added to the free use of spirituous liquors, induced an excited state of mind in the
incantations,
was highly favourable to a full belief in No wonder the attainment of superhuman power. such considered extravagance as that the Buddhist
votaries that
the effect of delusion. 25.
But
the Tantrika doctrines continued to spread
in spite of their wildness
;
and they at length became
so popular that they were even carried into Nepal and Tibet,
and permanently engrafted on the Buddhism of Their success was, however, as much
those countries.
due to force as to persuasion, for zealots are always To Skanda Gupta, therefore, I would persecutors. attribute the persecution of the Buddhists mentioned
by
Hwan
Thsang.* *
"Writing in the
Fo-hve-hi,
c.
first
xxiv. note 12.
half of the
;
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. seventh
century, the
101
Chinese pilgrim says:
— "Not
who persecuted and the Law of Buddha, tried also to
long ago the king, She-shang-kia, 1
sought to abolish
destroy the stone which bore the holy impressions of his
As
feet."
Hwan Thsang Magadha
over
must be looked
Of
Gupta.
She-shang-kia
amongst the
not included by
is
kings
five
who reigned
previous to Siladitya's conquest, he for
amongst the predecessors of Budha
these, the only one
resembles She-shang-kia
is
whose name
Skanda
the Buddhists, there
and as his Tan-
;
him
trika zeal would naturally have led
at all
to persecute
every probability in favour of
is
the proposed identification.
It
also not unlikely
is
that the rebellion of Skanda Gupta's minister
may
have been caused by his persecution of Buddhism.
But
the followers of
Sakya recovered
their influence
and the holy stone, which She-shang-kia had thrown into the
Ganges, was restored
where
was seen by
26.
it
The
Gupta and is
interval
to its original position,
Hwan Thsang between
the
about
death
Budha Gupta's
the date of
only thirty-two years;*
places Lo-kia-lo-a-yi-to
and
as
A. D.
of
642.
Skanda
pillar at
Eran
Hwan Thsang
(perhaps Lokaditya) as the
immediate predecessor of Budha Gupta, a reign of about twenty-five years might be assigned to him to connect the series of the earlier Guptas found in the Pillar inscriptions with the later series recorded by
In the Seoni copperplate grants mention of Deva Gupta, a paramount sove-
the Chinese pilgrim. there
is
*
From 133
to 165,
Anno
Guptae.
M
THE BHILSA TOPES.
162 reign *
whose authority was acknowledged by the He must therefore have petty Rajas of the Narbada. been one of the Magadha dynasty; and he might either be placed
between the two
be identified with the
As
Lo-kia-lo-a-yi-to
first
of
series of
Hwan
evidently
is
" Sun-of-the-world,"
Lokaditya,
Guptas, or
Thsang's princes.
some
title,
similar
such as those
to
which we know were assumed by other members of this dynasty,
it
seems quite probable that Deva Gupta
and Lo-kia-lo-a-yi-to were one and the same person. 27-
The name of Budha Gupta, " cherished by
Budha,"
own
refers so distinctly to his
faith that there
can be no hesitation in classing him amongst the royal followers of Sakya.
His
pillar
inscription is
dated in the Gupta year 165, or A. d. 484
suppose that he
510
A. D.
may
During
;
and I
have reigned from about 480 to this
period,
in
A. D. 502, the
Chinese record f an embassy sent by the
"King
of
named Keu-to (that is, Outto or Gupta), to the Emperor of China with presents of crystal vases, perfumes, precious talismans, and other articles. The "kingdom of India" is afterwards described to be the country watered by the Ganges and its affluents that is, Magadha as it existed under the Guptas, which India,"
;
included vinces tains.
Magadha
proper, and
all
the tributary pro-
between the Himalayan and Vindhyan mounThis vast empire was possessed by four Gupta
* Prinsep's Journal, v. ?30, " Maharajadhiraja
;
" that
is,
the
of Kings,
f Chinese account of India,
in Prinsep's Journal, vi. 65.
King
;
THE GUPTA DYNASTY. princes, the predecessors of is
equally
Budha Gupta
evidence to prove
sufficient
extensive.
He
163
is
that
;
his
mentioned
and there
sway was by Hwan
Thsang* amongst the 'kings of Magadha ; he is called, in the Eran pillar inscription, king- of the " beautiful country situated between the Kalindi and the Narmada,"-f or Jumna and Narbada ; and his silver coins are of the Ovjrat type of the Sahs of Surashtra, which was used by his predecessors, Kumara and Skanda. Mr. Thomas doubts the accuracy of James Prinsep's reading- of Kalindi
;
but I can vouch for
its
correctness, as I have examined the inscription carefully,
me.
am now writing- with What Mr. Thomas calls
and
over the
a fac-simile before the very legible
concluding compound letter
long vowel
i.
The name
is
r
only the
is
perfectly distinct on the
Hwan
Thsang, Budha Gupta
pillar.
28. According
was succeeded by but
his
Magadha
to
Takta Gupta;
TJia-ka-ta-kiu-to, or
dominions proper, as
must
we
have
been
confined
to
learn from the inscription on
the colossal Varaha Avatar, at Eran, that the para-
mount sovereign Toramana possessed
all
the country
about Bhupal and southern Bundelkhand not years after the elevation of for the pillar
Budha Gupta's
many
pillar
was erected by Vaidala Vishnu,
at the
expense of his cousin .Dhanya Vishnu, while the colos-
Boar was
up by Dhanya Vishnu
The death of Budha Gupta, and the accession of Toramana,
sal
set
* Fo-krve-M, Appendice.
himself.
f Prinsep's Journal,
vi.
634.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
164 both
therefore
took place
Dhanya Vishnu. of some
terval
But
the
during-
there must have been an in-
years between the two
assumed the
Dhanya
prince,
Toramana
j
for, in
from the Fort of Gwalior,
tion
is
not
had since
was then dead.
himself then became regent, apparently to
young
the
pillar inscription,
of Maharaja, and
title
as
events,
Dhanya's elder brother, Matri Vishnu, who even mentioned in the
of
life-time
.1
another inscripfind
Toraoia.ua
described as the son of Matri D&sa, and the grandson
of Matrikula,
As
who
is
probably the
same as Matri is
men-
tioned in the Gwalior inscription, there can be
little
Vishnu.
the celebrated
hill
of Udayagiri
doubt of the identity of the two Toramanas, and of the consequent extension of the principality of Eran to the banks of the Jumna.
The reign of Toramana*
probably extended from A. d. 520 to 550, contemporary with Takta Gupta of Magadha.
From
29.
King
this time until the conquests of Siladitya,
of Malwa, in the early part of the seventh cen-
tury, nothing certain
is
known
of the history of India.
Takta Gupta was succeeded by Nara Gupta Baladit}
r
a,
and he was succeeded by Vajra, who was reigning
when
Hwau
Siladitya conquered
Thsang,
Magadha.
this warlike
According
such as had never been seen before," and northern provinces submitted to him. *
Mr. Prinsep read
this king's
name
examined the inscription myself, and can
name
is
Toramana.
to
prince " fought battles
as
all
the
Hwan Thsang
Tdrapdni
;
but I have
state positively that the
DECLINE AND FALL OF BUDDHISM. visited his court in a. d.
642
;
16f>
and from him* we learn
that the king sent an embassy with a present of books
Emperor.
to the Chinese
Siladitya
was
a
This present proves that
follower of
Buddha,
for
none but
Bauddha works would have been acceptable to the Buddhist Emperor of China. 30. At the time of Hwan Thsang's visit, Buddhism was rapidly declining', many of the monasteries were in ruins, and temples of the heretical Brahmans were rising-
on
At Benares
all sides.
there were one hun-
dred heretical temples, and ten thousand heretics who worshipped Tswara,t while the Bauddhas had only thirty monasteries,
and their
and some three thousand monks
disciples.
Beyond
the city, however, at the
Deer Park, there were about
great temple in the
hundred monks and disciples; but altogether this once holy place, where Buddha preached the
fifteen
in
law, there were twice as
In Kalinga^
also,
many
heretics as Buddhists.
the faithful were few, and
the
But, notwithstanding this heretics very numerous. spread of heretical opinions, the rulers of the land
were
still
attached to Buddhism.
chi-to, Jajavati (that
firm believer in
is,
The King
the three precious ones,§
Dharma, and Sangha.
of Chi-
modern Bundelkhand), was a
The great Siladitya
Buddha, of
Malwa
and Magadha was a Buddhist, and these two coun*
Fo-kme-H, Appendice.
f Fo-kwe-lii,
c.
xxxiv. note.
|
Fo-krve-ki, Appendice, p. 389.
|
Fo-hve-H, Appendice,
p.
393.
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
166 tries
were
the most eminent in India for the study
still
of Buddhism.* 31.
From
cline of
the
fifth to
the seventh century, the de-
Buddhism was gradual and gentle but the was then stayed for a time, ;
farther progress of decay
and the expiring
religion,
like
a dying lamp,
burst forth with occasional brightness, and
its
still
sudden
flashes of light threw a transient brilliance over the
wide-spreading gloom.
In the seventh century Bud-
dhism was propagated over the whole of Tibet; the magnificent stupa of Sdrndth, upwards of two hun-
dred feet in height, was erected near Benares; and a colossal copper image of Buddha
chaUyas and vihars in
Kashmir.f
was set up, and several by the great Lalitaditya
built
But, from the eighth century, the
fall
Buddhism was rapid and violent. New dynasties who knew not Sakya and the Tuars of Delhi, the Bahtors of Kanoj, and the Chandels of Mahoba, succeeded to the vast empire of Siladitya. The rise of
arose
;
of all these families has been traced to the eighth
century; and both coins and inscriptions remain to attest their
Brahmanical
belief.
tinued to linger in Benares, in
and was not
But Buddhism conMalwa, and in Gujrat
finally extinguished until the eleventh or
the twelfth century,
when
Buddha Numbers
the last votaries of
were expelled from the continent of India. of images, concealed by the
departing monks, are
found buried near Sdrndth, and heaps of ashes * Fo-kme-ki, Appendice, p. 392.
f Raja Tarangini,
iv. si.
188-216.
still
DECLINE AND PALL OF BUDDHISM. lie
scattered amidst the ruins to
were destined by
teries
The
32.
fall
show that the monas-
fire.*
Buddhism was a natural con-
of
sequence of closing
1
roads to salvation, save the
all
path which led from one grade to another
difficult
No layman
of the monastic orders.
be saved
have
167
could hope to
and even the most zealous votary must
j
was too
that the standard of excellence
felt
lofty to be reached.
Absolute
faith, perfect virtue,
and supreme knowledge, were indispensable ; and, without these, no man could attain Buddhahood, and
celibacy,
from
freedom from transmigration.
final
all
abstinence,
and
who had taken
were expected
privation,
the vows
Continued
and a long course
;
of prayer, penance, and devout abstraction, were requisite
before the
votary could gain the rank of
But
'Arhata or Bodhisatwa.
path to salvation, people of monasteries
and
their children, the sated debauchee,
and
and
Buddhism the
all
poverty.
by
took the vows of celibacy,
In
the
* I wrote this passage from
(1851) most fully confirmed
my own knowledge, as my
opinion
the same neighbourhood.
some
places, bones, iron,
I
by daily
made many
Major Kittoe has since
by
He
his
more extended ex-
writes to
has been sacked and burned —priests, temples, idols, for in
ages of
early
votaries supported themselves
excavations around Sarnath in 1835-36.
cavations in
or disappointed
their husbands,
the zealous enthusiast, abstinence,
was the only
ranks flocked to the
— men crossed by fortune
in ambition, wives neglected
widows by
as this
all
all
me
:
" All
together
;
wood, and stone, are found in huge
masses, and this has happened more than once."
168
THE BHILSA TOPES.
begging--
but
the
had gradually country
for
the
pious
alienated
generosity of individuals the
finest
lands
in
support of the monasteries
the mass of the people looked with envy possessions of an idle multitude of monks.
;
the
and
upon the
The
rich
domains of the monasteries attracted the notice of kings, and the desire of possession
was soon followed
by its accomplishment. The people looked on unmoved, and would not defend what they had long ceased
to
respect
;
and
the
Buddhism, which had once
colossal
figure
bestridden the
of
whole
continent of India, vanished suddenly like a rainbow at sunset.
;
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES.
CHAPTER
169
XIII.
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES 1.
The
description of the building- and
following
dedication of a Tope
and
Mahawanso
Dutthagamini's
and consecration of the Mdha-thupo, or
" Great Tope" is
taken from the
from the account of
chiefly
erection
kind
is
Ceylon.
in
A
short notice of this
necessary for the better understanding' of the
minute details of the opening of the Bhilsa Topes,
and
for the
comprehension
easier
of
various scenes
pictured in the Sanchi bas-reliefs. 2.
When
any
wealtlry or powerful person under-
took to build a Tope, he
first raised
a
on the
pillar
spot inscribed with a record of his intentions
;
which
pillar was afterwards removed when the building of The Raja Devanampiiya, who the Tope was begun.
began
to
reign in Ceylon
in
the
year 240 B. c,
wished to erect a Tope on a spot consecrated by the teachings of
Mahendra
Buddha
that
this
;
but being warned by the hoty great
work was reserved
Dutthagamini, he was content pillar,*
Avith
an
inscription ~*
Mahuvanso,
to
raise
recording p. 97.
for
a
stone
his
wish.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
170
Dutthagamini, who reigned over Ceylon between the years 161 and 137 B. c, removed this pillar before laying- the foundations of the
Mahathupo.*
would seem that the Topes were usually by forced labour,! for Dutthagamini evidently made an exception in the case of the Mahathupo, 8. It
built
which he did not think
for
right to exact com-
it
pulsory or unpaid labour.
The foundations were formed of round stones boulders), which were trodden down by elephants. Above these were placed courses of fine 4.
(perhaps
clay, bricks, cement,
kuruwinda stones, iron
divine incense (brought
plates,
by the Srdmaneras, from the
Hemawanta), phalika stones
(steatite),
plates of brass (imbedded in Kapittho
common
stone,
gum which had
been moistened with the milk of small red cocoa-nuts),
and plates of in oil of
silver
(cemented with vermilion mixed
sesamum).J
I have preserved this extrava-
gant account simply because I think
it
probable that
most of these particulars may be partially true. The plates of silver and brass, and even of iron, were possibly only small discs ; and the course of phalika stone only a single slab
;
each deposited in the centre
of the building. 5.
The laying of the foundation stone was attended
with as
much
same ceremony
solemnity as in
now
England.
takes place at the
" Revered ones!" said
the Maharaja, " To-morrow, I will lay the festival*
Mahawanso,
p.
169.
f Mahawanso, pp. 165 and 175.
t Mahawanso,
p.
169.
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES. brick of the Great Chaitya
assemble there
my
all
:"
and
;
let
further, he
all
171
the fraternities
proclaimed, " Let
people attend with offerings for Buddha, and
The road leading from the city to the site of the Tope was decorated ; and on the appointed morning, the moon being full, the king, attended by his ministers, and accompanied by with garlands."
thousands
of troops,
with
dancing
and
singing
women, and bands of musicians, proceeded to the site of the Makdthupo.* On reaching the place he made an offering of one thousand and eight suits which were deposited
of clothing;
and at the four 6.
the
in
middle,
sides, of the intended site.
The ceremony was attended by numbers
of
Bhikshus from the principal monastic establishments from Raj agriha and Vaisali; from Benares,
in India;
and Kosambi; from Ujain, and from the wilderness of Vindhya; from Kashmir, and from Sravasti,
Alasadda
(or
Alexandria), the capital of
Greek country of Kabul). f
The king,
Yona
encircled
(or
by
the multitude of Bhikshus, entered the holy space,
and, bowing with reverence to them, presented an offering
the a
site,
of garlands.
he stationed himself
thrice
in the centre,
round
and with
of highly polished silver compasses pointed
pair
with gold, described a
He
bricks.
eight
Then walking
silver
*
circle for the
lower course of
next placed in the centre eight gold and vases,
Mahawamo,
p.
and encircled them with eight
170.
t Mahawanso,
p. 172.
§
THE BHILSA TOPES.
172
Around each
gold and eight silver bricks.*
brick
he deposited one hundred and eight pieces of cloth,
and around the whole one hundred and eight new earthen
Then taking up the eastern brick
vases.
king deposited
the
again in a fragrant cement
it
formed of the jessamine flowers which had been offered
on the holy
deposited the other seven bricks.
ministers of state
Then the
In the same manner seven
spot.
down
bowing
king,
to
the
assembled
Bhikshus, again made offerings on the four sides of the
site
;
and repairing to
bowed with reverence darsi,
" or
who
hymn
north-east point,
to the great Sthavira
began
at once
the
to
Pkiya-
chant the jaya mangold,
of joy," which was uttered
by Sakya
at
moment of his attaining Buddhahood.f The bricklayers were assembled by beat of drum and the Rajah inquired from the architect,
the
7.
;
" In what form dost thou propose to construct the chaitya?"
palm of
The
architect, taking
his hand, dashed
it
some water
in the
into a golden vessel full
of water, and pointing to a hemispherical bubble of air
which stood
moment on
for a
will build it in this 8.
slabs
the surface, he said, " I
form "J
The relic-chamber was formed of six clouded One was placed flat, of stone (meghawanna).
four were arranged like the sides of a box, and the sixth (which *
was the
Mahanianso,
f See chap. I
p.
iv.
Mahawanso,
p.
lid)
was placed
to the eastward.
173.
7, of this
175.
volume §
for
Buddha's hymn.
Mahawanso,
p.
179.
;
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES. 111
the middle
golden
chamber
of this
was
173
deposited
a
and round
it were placed golden images of Buddha. Various acts in the life of Buddha were depicted on the sides of the chamber, which was
boclhi-tree,
illuminated with rows of lamps fed with scented 9.
On
the evening of the day of
full
oil.
moon
the
king Dutthagamini, in a chariot drawn by four white horses, carried the golden
relic-casket on his head, surmounted by the canopy of dominion, towards the
The procession was
Tope.
headed
elephant Kandulo, fully caparisoned
by the state
and the chariot was surrounded by men and women bearing vases, ;
baskets of flowers, torches, and flags.
and chariots, followed
horses,
and the crash of
all
in
Elephants,
the
procession
kinds of vocal and instrumental
music was so loud that
it
seemed as
if
the earth was
being rent asunder.* 10.
On
reaching- the
Tope the pious monarch
re-
ceived the relics from the chief sthavira, and deposited
them
in a golden
casket.
Then placing
on a throne he made his offerings to the
bowing
the casket relics
;
and
reverentially down, stood with uplifted hands
joined in adoration.
He now
of dominion (that
the royal chatta) to the
is,
dedicated his canopy relics,
and exclaimed with joy, " Thrice over do I dedicate
my kingdom
to the redeemer of the world, the divine
teacher, the bearer of the triple canopy, the canopy
of the heavenly host, the canopy of mortals, and the
canopy of eternal emancipation." *
Mahamanso,
p.
186.
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
174
Then placing- the monarch presented more 11.
chamber.
On
offering's,
and, encircled by
perambulated the Tope
the Bhikshus, thrice
mounting the eastern
relic-casket on his head, the
and
;
side he descended into the relic-
all sides
stood the arhatas with uplifted
hands joined in adoration, while the king deposited the relic-casket on the golden altar.
an offering of and for
all
Lanka*
The
people in attendance likewise
ornaments
the
next made
the royal ornaments on his person,
days invested the
seven
sovereignty of
He
on
their
relics
with
the
ministers and all the
made
persons.
offering's of all
Hymns
were
chanted throughout the night by the Bhikshus
;
the
of the relic-chamber was closed by two srdma-
lid
neras
;
and the enshrinement of the
relic
was com-
pleted.
12. After this
"thousands of relics" were deposited
by the people above the relic-chamber,! and the dome
was this
and crowned by a square capital.^ At time, when only the chatta (or canopy) and the closed,
plastering remained to be done, the
Raja
and enjoined his younger brother Tisso Tope.
As
the Raja
fell
sick,
to finish the
was at the point of death Tisso
quickly covered the whole Tope with white cloth sewn together, and raised a cloth umbrella with a *
Or Ceylon.
t Mahawanso,
bambu
Mahamanso, p. 190. "Sahassa dhatunan,'" thousands of p. 192
relics.
See the relic-casket in the shape of a crystal Tope found in No. 2 Tope, at Bhojpur, Plate XXVI. See also the restoration of the great Sanchi Tope, Plate VIII. I
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES. handle on the summit king- that the
was carried
Tope was
;
and then announced
175 to
the
The dying monarch and laid upon a carpet
finished.
to the holy spot,
opposite the southern entrance, where, after gazing
with delight on the Tope, he breathed his
last.
The
and the plastering of the dome, and the
pinnacle
enclosing parapet wall, were
brother Saddh&tisso
completed by his
all
who succeeded him on
the throne
of Ceylon. 13.
About one hundred and twenty years
after-
wards, between 19 and 9 B. c, the Raja Bhatikabhayo festooned the great Tope with garlands of jessamine flowers from top to bottom, and fixed flowers in the
by
intervals
their
He
stalks.
next
covered the
Chaitya with a paste of red lead, one finger thick,
and studded the paste with
flowers.
the whole chaitya, from the steps at the top of lastly he
studded
its
then buried
its
enclosure to
pinnacle, in a heap of flowers
white-whashed
it
He
it
:
and
with oyster-shell lime, and
over with a net-work of pdwdla stones, and
fixed golden flowers, of the size of chariot-wheels, in
the interstices.
He
likewise added two cornices,* or
copings, to the basement of the building. 14.
Between the year 21 and 30
Amandagamini
A. D., the
Raja
erected another chatta-f on the pin-
nacle of the Great Tope, and added copings to the
Images of the four
base and crown of the dome.
Mahawano, p. 211-215. | Mahawanso, p. 221— Chattadhichattan, •
chatta."
See the Sanchi Chaitya No.
1.
or " Chatta-above-
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
176
Buddhas were presented to the Great Tope by Raja Wasabho who reigned from 66 to 110 A. D. And Raja Sirinago, between the years 184 and
lastly,
209
Mahdthupo, and the centre of each of the " four
A. D., gilded* the chatta of the
inserted
gems
emblems
of the sun."f
in
15. This account agrees so closely with the present
great Sanchi chaitya that
state of the
it
might be
taken as an actual description of that building. hemispherical form, the
above chatta, are
all
square
The
crown, the chatta
the same, and there are also the
Buddhas, and the same same " emblems of the sun" over the four gateways. 16. In the Mahdthupo, the relic-chamber was the four
statues of
placed low
down
" descend"
into
in the building, for the king
had
to
But in the by Devanampriya about
to deposit the casket.
it
Thupdrdmo, which was built 240 B. c, the chamber was excavated knee deep on the summit of the
dome
for the reception of the
relics.;];
This agrees with the position of the chamber in the great Tope at Sonari. 17.
Lastly, the
ground was consecrated by the
Bhikshus with the performance of uposatho and other rites, after the boundary had been marked out by the king
in
procession with a golden plough
two state elephants. §
drawn by
This ceremony was performed
* Maharvanso, p. 226.
f Maharvanso, I
Mahwanso,
§
Maharvanso,
p.
p.
229
104.
p. 98.
chattunan suriyanan, " four suns."
BUILDING AND DEDICATION OF TOPES.
177
with the same display which has already been described in the procession of the relic-casket.
But
18.
this
account describes only the older kind
of Tope, which was a simple hemisphere, such as the
great Chaityas at Sanchi and at Satdhara, and which
probably date as high as the middle of the sixth century before our era.
The next
in point of antiquity
are the Topes around Bhilsa, which contain the relics
of Asoka's missionaries, and of the venerable Mogali-
who conducted
putra,
Synod.
In
the proceedings of the Third
which were built in the end of the
these,
third century before Christ, the feet
dome
is
raised a few
The
above the basement by a cylindrical plinth.
third class of Topes
Sanchi
bas-reliefs,
are
those represented
in
the
which date between 19 and 37 A. D.
In these the hemisphere
is
placed on a plinth of equal
height, so that the centre of the
the whole building.
dome
is
the centre of
Six representations of this kind
of Tope occur amongst the Sanchi bas-reliefs, of which
one
is
on the southern gate of No. 2 Tope, and
another on the southern gate of No. 3 Tope.* 19.
The
at Bhojpur,
is
also of the
same shape
therefore inclined to attribute the
Tope
No. 2 Tope,
crystal Chaitya discovered in
to the
;
and I
erection
beginning of the Christian
Topes in Affghanistan are mostly of
of that
era.
this shape.
the latest Topes, of which Sarnath, near Benares,
magnificent specimen, the plinth the diameter of the hemisphere. *
For two of these Topes
is
am The In is
a
equal in height to
Two
specimens of
see Plate III., figs. 1
and
N
2.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
178 this
kind are given in Plate III., from the small dedi-
catory Topes
now lying
in the enclosure of the
Great
Sanchi Chaitya. 20.
From
these remarks
of almost every Tope
from
its
shape
;
may
is
it
the most
ancient being
hemisphere, and the latest a
mounted by a dome.
evident that the age
be obtained approximately
tall
a simple
round tower sur-
SANCHI TOPES..
CHAPTER
179
XIV.
SiNCHI topes. 1.
The
small village of Sanchi
sandstone
ridge of a
Betwa, about
five
The
Bhupal.
on the low
bank of the
left
miles and a half to the south-west
and twenty miles
of Bhilsa,
situated
is
on the
hill,
hill is
to
steep cliff to the eastward
and
;
isolated, with a
to the
easy slope covered with jungul at the
by
the top broken into steps
north-east of
the
flat-topped and
westward an
foot,
horizontal
and near ledges
of
rock. 2.
The general
south, and
But
its
direction of the hill
whole summit
is
the principal building's that
is
from north to
covered with ruins.
now remain occupy
only the middle part of the level top, and a narrow belt leading
down the
summit
has a gentle slope in the same direction
itself
with the dip of the strata
of the great Tope
is
to
hill
the westward.
and the
;
some twelve or
The
level of the court fifteen feet
below
that of the ruined vihar and temple on the eastern
edge of the precipice.
hundred
The
feet in height, is
stone, hard and compact
hill,
which
is
about three
formed of a light red sandin
texture, but subject to
— THE BHILSA TOFES.
180 split.
.
This stone has been used for
all
the Topes and
other buildings where mere hardness and durability
were required
but for the colonnades and sculptured
;
gateways a fine-grained white sandstone was brought from the Udayagiri
hill,
three miles and a half to the
northward.
The group of Topes at Sanchi is represented in Plate IY. The Topes are numbered from 1 to 11, and the other objects are described in the plan. Of 3.
these the most remarkable
lying on a small
The
Topes.
is
a large stone bowl,
mound between
;
depth, 2% feet.
6 inches, at bottom 18 inches.
bowl agrees so
now
the two principal
interior dimensions of the
diameter, 4| feet top
is
bowl are
The thickness at The size of this
closely with that of the golden vessel,*
which Asoka despatched the "cutting" of the
in
great Bo-tree to Ceylon, that
it
seems highly proba-
ble the Sanchi bowl must once have held a sacred tree.
Indeed I
feel inclined to
go even
farther, for I
suspect that this bowl once held the holy nettle which
Buddha
himself had bitten off and planted.
But
this
depends upon the identification of S&nchi with the Shd-chi of
Fa Hian,
a point
will
now
Fa Hian
pro-
which
I
examine. 4.
On
leaving Ki-jao-i, or Kanoj,
ceeded about twenty miles
to the opposite
bank of the
Ganges; and from thence, he says, "ten yojans to *
Mahawanso,
pp. Ill, 112.
Asoka's vase was nine cubits in
circumference, three cubits in diameter, five cubits in depth, and
eight fingers (atihangida) in thickness.
SANCHt TOPES.
181
you come to the great kingdom of and " thence, proceeding south to the dis<-
the south-west
Sha-chi ;"
tance of eight yojans, you arrive at the kingdom of Kiu-sa-lo, and the town of She-wei" (Ajudhya, or
Audh).
There
is
a difficulty in this part of the route
which (I agree with Mr. Laidlay*
in thinking)
can
only be explained away on the supposition of a mis-
French Ajudhya
print in the
Chinese.
and the
edition, or is
in the original
almost due east from Kanoj
direct distance is
Hwan Thsang
yojans.
an error
is
much more than silent
j
eighteen
regarding Shachi,
although he travelled over this part of the country,
and describes it in detail ; besides which we know of no place of Buddhist celebrity between Kanoj and
On
Ajudhya. identity
the other hand,
we have
the absolute
of the names of Sha-chi, and
Sanchi or
Sachi,f and the knowledge that Sanchi was a large
Bauddha
establishment, as well as the capital of a
kingdom, at the time of Fa Hian's westerly direction
be about 5.
fifty
is
The south-
visit.
correct, but the distance should
yojans instead of ten.
The name of Sanchi,
or Sachi,
is
most probably
only the spoken form of the Sanskrit Sdnti: for I find the term Santi-sangham (the Santi community) *
Fo-kwe-ki,
c.
xix. note
possible to conceive that
2
— Mr. Laidlay's
translation.
any " great " kingdom,
as
It is im-
Fa Hian
calls
Shachi, could have intervened between the kingdoms of Samkassa
and Kosala, or the present Mainpuri and Oudh. Bengal, vol. t See Journal As. Soc. brother. my by Sdtchi always written
xvii. p.
746.
The name
is
THE BHILSA TOPES.
182
used in the inscription on the southern pillar of the
The Chinese
Great Tope.*
by sd-chi
;
for they say that
it
sdnti
transcribed
also
"
signifies
silence,
This proves the identity of the names
repose."!
until the original text of the
;
but
Fo-kwe-ki has been re-
examined, nothing- more can be insisted upon than the probability of the identification. 6.
"On
The
story of the nettle
is
Fa Hian.
thus told by
leaving the town of Sha-chi by the Southern
Gate you
East of the road, the place
find to the
where Fo
bit a
ground.
This branch sprang up and grew to the
branch of nettle and planted
height of seven
feet,
envy, cut and tore
sprang up again 7.
it
heretical
to
in the
The present
in the
and afterwards neither increased
The
nor diminished.
it
throw
it
Brahmans,
away
fired
but
;
with
always
it
same place."
village of Sanchi is situated
on the
low spur connecting the Tope-hill with the Kanakhera-hill.
The
village
is
now very
small
;
but the
numerous ruins scattered over the
hill between Sanchi and Kanakhera prove that there has once been a large town on this site. At the time of Fa Hian's
visit it
dom
was one of the principal places
of Sanakanika.
gate, the road led (as
On it
leaving
it
in the king-
by the South
does now) along the foot of
and the great stone bowl was therefore the eastward, as described by Fa Hian. the hill
;
* See Plate
XIX. No.
f Fo-ktve-M,
c. xvii.
177, for this inscription,
note 17.
to
SANCHI TOPES.
No.
1
183
Tope.— Sanchi.
The great Sanchi Tope is situated on the western edge of the hill. The ground has once been carefully levelled, by cutting away the surface rock on the east, and by building up a retaining wall on the west. The court (as it now exists) averages one hundred and fifty yards in length, and is exactly one hundred yards in breadth. In the midst 8.
stands the Great Chaitya, No. I.,* surrounded by a
massive colonnade. solid
dome
is
relieved
The bald appearance of the by the lightness and elegance
of the highly picturesque gateways. are ruined sculptures
temples, :
fallen
On
columns,
and even the Tope
itself,
all
and
sides
broken
which had
withstood the destructive rancour of the fiery Saivas
and the bigoted Musalmans, has been half-ruined by the blundering excavations of amateur antiquaries. 9.
In the north-east, south-east, and south-west
cor-
ners of the court there are small ruined Topes, marked
Nos. 5, 6, 7 in the plan, Plate IV- In the south there is a small temple of middle age, and an old Chaitya
The traced by
temple with lofty square columns.
end of
this
" "
temple was
There
is
first
semicircular
my
a stern round tower of other days,
Firm
as a fortress with its fence of stone ;
Such
as an army's baffled strength delays,
Standing with half its battlements alone,
brother,
THE BHILSA TOPES.
184
Captain J. D. Cunningham,* and afterwards more leisurely
by Lieut. Maisey, who made an excavation
on the supposed
site
Chaitya, and was re-
of the
warded by the discovery of a small chamber containing a broken
The great Tope
10.
and
steatite vase.
106
brick,
itself is
feet in diameter,
springing from a plinth of 14
a solid dome of stone
and 42 feet,
feet in height,
with a projection
of 5£ feet from the base of the building, and a slope
of 2^
The
feet.
plinth or "basement formed a terrace
for the perambulation of worshippers of the enshrined relic
;
there
on the right
for, is
pillar of the
a representation of
worshippers walking round their hands.
The
terrace
North Gateway
a Tope it,|
and of two
with garlands
in
was reached by a double
flight of steps to the south,
connected by a landing
ten feet square.^
The apex of the dome was flattened into a terrace 34 feet in diameter, surrounded by a stone railing of that style so peculiar to Bauddha monuments, that I 11.
will
venture
to
call
it
the
" Buddhist
Bailing."
And
with two thousand years of ivy grown, The garland of eternity where wave
—
The green
leaves, over all
hy Time o'erthrown,
What was this tower of strength ? What treasure lay so locked, so hid ?
Within
A
Byron * Journal As. Soc. Bengal, xvii. Plate
+ See Plate XIII. X
See Plate VIII.
its
cave
hermits grave." ;
Childe Harold.
XXVIII.
;
185
SiNCHI TOPES.
Many
now lying
of the pillars of this colonnade are
monument ; and
at the base of the
several portions
of the coping or architrave prove that the enclosure
was a circular 175, and 176,
The
one.
inscriptions Nos. 173, 174,
are taken from the fallen pillars of this
colonnade. The pillars are 3 feet 4 inches high, 9 inches
They
broad, and 7^ inches thick.
are of the
same
pattern as those of the lower enclosure, and in fact
of
all
the enclosures of Buddhist Topes throughout
India.* several
I counted nearly forty of these
pillars,
but
must be buried beneath the rubbish of the excavation made by the amateur anti-
destructive
quaries in 1822.-f As the spaces between the pillars were, as nearly as can now be ascertained, about one foot, this enclosure
one
would have required exactly sixty-
pillars.
13.
Within the upper enclosure there was a square by pillars of the same
altar or pedestal surrounded
description, but
much
taller,
some of which are
lying on the top of the dome.
still
In 1819, when Cap-
tain Fell visited Sanchi,J these pillars were all there
but one of the corner of the
monument
pillars is
now
to the north-west.
lying at the base It
is
have belonged to a square enclosure, by faces at right angles to each other with
proved to its
having
two rows of
mortices for the reception of the ends of the stone * See Plates VII., IX., XXIII., and XXVIII., for specimens of enclosures. t Prinsep's Journal,
iv.
712.
Prinsep's Journal,
iii.
490.
|
186
THE BHILSA TOPES. The
rails. is
projecting- cornice of this altar or pedestal
from the numerous
restored
Topes amongst the
bas-reliefs of the
cupola or umbrella-pinnacle
is
of
representations
The
gateways.
restored from existing-
fragments guided by the designs of Topes just men-
One
tioned.*
piece
is
now lying on
the top of the
dome, and another at the foot of the breach.
This
cupola was 5 feet 6 inches in diameter, and 2 feet high.
It
hollowed out underneath
is
j
and above
has a mortice 8 inches deep for the reception of a of a second cupola, such as
we
it
staff
see represented in the
bas-reliefs.
13.
The total height of the building including the must have been upwards of one hundred
cupolas feet.
14.
The base of
the
Tope
is
surrounded by
a
massive colonnade, 144J feet in diameter from west to east, and 15 1| feet in diameter from north to This enclosure
south.
is
therefore
elliptical
the
;
By
greater diameter exceeding the lesser by 7 feet. this
arrangement a
free
passage
is
obtained round the
southern staircases, and a greater breadth at the foot of the ascent.
and
north-west
The breadth of the north-east
7 inches, the several
a few inches.
averages
9
feet
measurements only differing by
From
east to south the cloister in-
rapidly in width;
creases
sides
on the
cloister
the breadth at the east
being only 9 feet 11 inches, and at the foot of the staircase
13
* See
feet 8
inches.
two specimens
The
elliptical
in Plate III., figs. 1
and
form 2.
is
SANCHI TOPES.
shown
distinctly in
does not mention
The
15.
it
my
187
brother's plan,* although he
in his description.
colonnade are 9 feet 10£
pillars of this
inches in height, with an average thickness of
The
10^ inches. three faces
two
front and back of each pillar have
a middle one, 9^ inches in breadth, and
;
6£ inches broad. into the ground from 15 to 18
side ones, slightly bevelled, each
The
pillars are let
The
inches.
1%
1 foot
interval or inter-columniation
2
is
feet
inch. 16.
The
rails
are three in
number with
intervals of
4 inches. Each rail is 2 feet 1£ inch long, and the same broad. The section is formed of two intersecting circular segments, with a double versed sine
of
9|-
rail.
inches,
which
The mortices
forms the thickness
of the
the pillars are of the
in
same
section as the rails, and are from 3 to 4 inches in
depth. 17.
The architrave
solid blocks
or coping
is
rounded at top, each 2
height, by 2 feet
1
formed of long feet
inch in thickness.
3 inches in Each beam
spans two intercolumniations, and has three mortices
Some
for receiving the tenons of the three pillars.
of the beams are connected together by tenons and mortices, and others
by stone joggles.
18.
A
view of
given
in
Plate IX., which shows the general
position of the
evidently
this
numerous
characteristic
* Journal"
remarkable stone-railing
inscriptions.
The
xvii.
Plate
XXVIJI.
dis-
style is
and conventional, as
As. Soc. Bengal,
is
it
is
THE BHILSA TOPES.
188
found wherever the Bauddha religion prevails.* in fact so peculiar to
is
tured to
name
culiar railing-
"
it
Buddhism that I have ven-
the Buddhist railing-."
still
is
It
This pe-
standing around the principal
Topes at Sanchi and Andher other fragments are
and some
;
lying
still
pillars
and
around the great
The same railing was placed around the holy Bodhi Trees/f and the pillars dedicated to Buddha.J The balconies of the City Gates^ and of the King's Palace^ were enTopes at Sonari and Satdhara.
closed
by
Barge.^f
It formed the bulwarks of the State
it.
It
was used
tals of columns^ as
and generally moulding.
as
an ornament
on the northern
for every plain
At
Sanchi
it
pillar at
Sanchi ;**
band of architectural
many
found in
is
for the capi-
places
as an ornament on the horizontal bars which separate the bas-reliefs from each other.. 19.
The Sanchi
railing has one entrance at each
of the four cardinal points ; as represented in the
plan in Plate IV. *
No
less
Each entrance
following pages.
1
In Plate IX.
all
of which are described in the
fig 3,
from the great Dipaldinna Mound
I have added a specimen
at Amaravati, for the descrip-
which see Prinsep's Journal,
§
Bas-relief at Sanchi, Eastern
||
Bas-relief of Eastern
X.
vol. vi. Plate
t See coins, in Plates XXXI. and XXXII. t See Plate XXXI. fig. 1, and Plate XXXII.
IF
covered in
than nine specimens of this kind of railing were
found amongst the Bhilsa Topes,
tion of
is
fig.
11.
Gateway, Plate XV.
Gateway
— Fergusson's
fig. 3.
Illustrations.
Bas-relief of Western Gateway, Left Pillar, Inner Face, No. III.
*• See Plate X.
sAnchi topes. front,
and
from the outside), by a
to the left (as seen
of the same
short railing
1
189
In
style.
after times
another short railing was added to the right of each,
and the entrance was changed
to the front
through a
lofty gateway.
20. These four gateways are the most picturesque and valuable objects at Sanchi, as they are entirely
covered with bas-reliefs representing various domestic
Each gateway
scenes and religious ceremonies.
formed of two square
and 13
feet
The
pillars vary.
each four
',
elephants
21.
The
western gate have
those of the southern gate
surmounted by their is
height of the gateway is
capitals of these
and those of the other gateways have
height of the capital
breadth
3 inches thick,
feet
The
pillars of the
human dwarfs ;
have four lions four
2
pillars,
8 inches in height.
4 is
feet
The
riders.
feet 6 inches.
18
The
total
2 inches, and
its
7 feet 1 inch. pillars are
crowned by an architrave 19
feet 9 inches in length, with
an arched
inches in the middle, and a projection of
inches
is
on each
side.
These
projecting
rise of
4
feet
4 5
ends are
supported by brackets, each formed of the stem and foliage of a
tree,
dancing woman.
beneath which
The
style of hair
day, that one
is
or
and the peculiar
bead-girdle of these female dancers, those of some of the Tibetan
a n&chni,
is
women
is
so
much
like
of the present
naturally led to trace them to an
Indo-Scythian origin
;
especially
when we know
that
the Indo-Scythian power was paramount in India at
THE BHILSA TOPES.
190
the very time that
A second
these
architrave
gateways were erected.*
placed above the other at a
ie
height of 2 feet 2£ inches, and
is
supported by five
uprights, of which two are simple continuations of
the
This second
pillars.
architrave
2 feet and
is
and its ends project only 4 | inch in height 2 inches. Five uprights of the same height as
feet
;
architrave, support a third
9J inches, 3 feet 11
this
foot
1
with diminished projections of
in height,
The ends of
inches.
only
architrave
the architraves are
formed into narrow threaded volutes surmounted by
winged
The open spaces between
lions.
the uprights
contain small figures of elephant riders below, and of horsemen above
;
and on the outside of the
pillars
there are small figures of female dancers. 22.
The summit
is
crowned
in
the middle by a
wheel (half broken) upwards of three supported by four elephants.
On
ately above the pillars, there
is
which
each side, immedia peculiar emblem,
will be described hereafter.
these emblems and the wheel there • See Plate
XIV.
are quite Tibetan
;
for one of these
and
sculptors '
a male attend-
Thus Captain Eyre is
physiognomies of the principal figures.
peculiar form of the
is
The
dancing figures.
very remarkable feature in the sculptures
The
Between each of
this peculiarity is so strong
struck others besides myself.
counted for?
feet in diameter,
human
successfully have chiselled
it.
writes to
:
"A
is this
me
to be ac-
familiar with that
face divine,' or they
seems to
has
it
me
the peculiar Tartar-like
How
must have been
It
features
that
would not
so
probable, therefore,
that the conquering race must have been of Tartar origin."
For
the complete figure, see the Frontispiece of Fergusson's Illustrations.
SANCHI TOFES.
191
ant with a chaori, or Tibetan cow's is
Buddha and the peculiar monograph the emblem of Dharma.*
the symbol of
on each
side
is
;
The whole of
23.
The wheel
tail.
these gateways, excepting- where
they abut on the railings, are most elaborately carved.
The
faces of the pillars are divided into compart-
ments, each containing a scene either religious or
The
domestic.
and
rear, represent
processions
—
(1st) sieges
(2nd)
;
triumphal
either entering or leaving cities
adoration of Topes, and of trees escorting relic-caskets
A
woods.
both front
faces of the architraves,
and (5th)
;
;
j
(3rd)
(4th) processions ascetic life in the
short description of these valuable delinea-
tions of ancient Indian
manners and customs
will be
given at the end of this account of the Great Sanchi
Tope, along with the translations of
all
the inscrip-
tions.
24. Within the enclosure, and immediately facing
each entrance, there
is
a large figure.
Each
has once rested under a canopy supported a couple of pillars
;
figure
in front
on
but these have long since been
broken, and the figures themselves have been very
much
The eastern
injured.
face; but,
by digging under
discovered that to be that of *
statue
it
it,
was a seated
Kbakuchanda,
is
now
figure,
the
lying on
first
which I believe mortal Buddha.
See Plate VII. for a view of the Great Tope, with
gateways. Plate
The wheel,
XXXI.
Dharma,
fig.
in Plate
or
emblem fig.
10.
its
peculiar
of Buddha, will be found in
2; and the other emblem, which
XXXII.
its
Lieutenant Maisey
is
that of
THE BHILSA TOPES.
192
The southern
statue
is
To
round the head.
a standing' figure, with a halo the right and left there are
attendant figures of half
This
is
most probably a statue of Kanaka, the second
mortal Buddha. lated,
two
and a small elephant.
size,
The western
and the head
is
figure
much muti-
is
entirely gone.
It
seated,
is
and probably represents Kasyapa, the third mortal
The northern
Buddha.
statue
is
seated cross-legged,
with both hands in the lap, the palms uppermost.
The head
A
is
surrounded by an ornamental nimbus.
small figure, sceptre in hand, hovers above each
shoulder j and a male attendant stands on each side,
with
his
left
hand resting
in
his
right bearing a mace, or ehaori. statue of
Sakya Sinha,
seated in the very
the
attitude
girdle,
This
is
his
no doubt a
mortal Buddha,
last
which he
in
and
obtained
Buddhahood. 25. These four statues are referred to in one of the
longer railing inscriptions which has been translated
by James Prinsep.*
Amongst
scription records a gift of
was
to
other things this in-
money, the
interest of
which
be expended in daily lamps, for the four
shrines of the four Buddhas.
The
inscription
rudely cut, and fully merits the
is
very
description which
James Prinsep gave it, of a " network of scratches." But as the four Buddhas and the four Buddhist shrines are twice mentioned, there
is
The date of the
correctness of Prinsep's reading. *
Journal,
Hariswamini
vi.
459.
inscription,
This inscription
no doubt of the
is
generally called the
from the names of the recorder.
sanchi topes. record
doubtful j* but
is
it
198
appears to
me
to be in the
fourth century of the Vikramaditya Samvat. figure for
300
is
clear ;
middle figure, which doubtful.
and
and so the
is
We know that
is
that for 1
same
it is
The
but the
;
as the letter
I,
is
not 10; or 18, or 90
this limits the date within fifty years,
;
between
321 and 371 Samvat, or A. D. 264 and 314. If the Saka era of 78 a. d. was used, the date will range between 399 and 441 A. D. I have used the earlier epochs instead of the Gupta era, because the latter
would bring the date of the inscription down
to the
middle of the seventh century, at which period we
know
that the alphabets of India were the same as
The form of the characters shows that this inscription was not later than the time of the earlier Guptas. The date, therefore, whether reckoned in Samvat or in Saka, will range between 300 and 400 A. D. the modern Tibetan.
26. there
A few feet to the east of the southern is still
ficent lion pillar.
Other portions of the shaft as well
as the capital are lying
By
entrance
standing the lower portion of a magni-
on the ground
a careful measurement of the
the south.
to
different pieces,
I
found that the height of the shaft must have been
31
feet
11 inches.
The diameter at the neck *
it
at
Captain Fell
the base
was only 2
is
2
feet
calls it
feet
32
feet.f
10 inches ; and
3 inches
;
the total
See inscription No. 198, Plate XXI. of this volume, for a
fac-simile of this date.
f Prinsep's Journal,
iii.
Plate
XXXI. O
THE BHILSA TOPES.
194
diminution, therefore,
7
is
inches, or nearly one-fifth
At 10
of the lower diameter.
2 feet 8 inches, and at 21 feet
was 2
it
These measurements show that
diameter
feet the
is
6£ inches. had a gentle
feet
this pillar
swell in the middle of the shaft, and that the early
Indian architects followed the same practice in this
The whole diminution being
respect as the Greeks.
1
7 inches, the proportional diminution
the sides of
(if
the column were straight) would be 2-19 inches at 10 feet,
and 4*60 inches
21
at
There
feet.
is
thus an
increase in the thickness of the shaft of rather
than one inch at two-thirds of 27.
The
capital of the
It
in height.
is
its
column
somewhat
like
is
2
The
bell
10^ inches
feet
a bell in shape, but
with a greater swell near the top, and
with narrow festoons.
more
height.
is
ornamented
was surmounted by
a corded torus of 4 inches, above which was a plain
band of 3J inches, surmounted by a very handsome circular abacus 6 inches in height. The
circular
abacus
is
foliage,
ornamented with some very Grecian-looking and with four pairs of chakwas, or holy
Brahmani ducks. pairs,
These birds are always seen in and are celebrated amongst the Hindus for
their conjugal affection.
sented billing,
They
are therefore repre-
with outstretched necks, and heads
lowered towards the ground.* 28.
The
total
height of the capital
is
3
feet
11|
inches, or exactly one-eighth of the height of shaft. * iv.
See the abacus of the Allahabad Pillar in Prinsep's Journal,
Plate IX., or Layard's Nineveh,
ii.
295.
sAnchi topes. Its width
3
is
feet,
195
or just three-fourthg of
its
height.
If the dimensions of the capital were obtained from
any multiple of the lower diameter, the rule was to
make
it is
probable that
the height of capital equal to 1 \
The south
diameter of the base.
2
pillar is
inches in diameter, but the northern pillar
and the mean of the two
feet 7 inches,
is
feet
is
2
10
only 2 feet
8J
This would give a capital of 4 feet and § inch in height, which is within one inch of the meainches.
sured height. 29.
The
capital is
back to back all
broken
;
;
crowned by four
lions standing
each four feet in height. The heads are
but the limbs, which are
still
perfect, are
and the muscles and claws are so accurately represented, that they might well be so boldly sculptured,
placed in comparison with art.
I attribute these
many specimens
of Grecian
pillars to the period of
Asoka's
when Greek princes were ruling in Bactria and Kabul. We know that the " barbaric pearl and gold" of the Mogul emperors from Akbar to Aurangzeb attracted numbers of European jewellers and goldsmiths to the Indian Court and we may therereign,
:
fore naturally infer that the architectural munificence
of
Asoka would have
allured
many Greek
sculptors
and architects from the neighbouring kingdoms of
But
Bactria and Syria.
more than the others lions to a
Grecian
there
inclines
artist,
me
one reason which to attribute these
namely, the correct de-
lineation of the feet, which
claws,
is
have four large front
and one small hind claw.
Now
this
lion
THE BHILSA TOPES.
190
has been imitated by
capital
pillars of the
erected during-
the reign of
early half of the
On
difference
age
;
of
style
for
artist
30.
a
and I attribute the
reign
The
The
muscles.
the
shows
same early period as the railing. of Satakarni's
the
are represented with Jive
are perhaps intended
difference of
Sri Satakarni in
and some straight channels up and
large front claws,
marked
of the
sculptor
century of the Christian era.
first
these pillars the lions
down
the
South Gateway, which we know was
considerable pillars to
the
native sculptor
was no match
for the
Greek
employed by Asoka.
To
isolated
the north of the Tope there
column of similar dimensions
is
a second
to the last.
It
stands on a square plinth 9 feet 3 inches in width at base, 8 feet wide at top,
It
feet 6 inches in height.
broken into three steps, as shown in the sketch in
is
Plate X.
ing
and 3
The lower portion
and the capital
;
at a distance of
32J
is
now
feet
of the shaft
is still
stand-
lying to the northward,
from the shaft.
portions of the shaft are missing
;
The other
but the socket in the
lower end of the capital shows that the neck of the shaft
was 2
feet
3£ inches
that of the southern 7 inches in diameter.
in diameter, or the
pillar,
As
The base
is
same as
only 2 feet
these dimensions are nearly
the same as those of the other column, and as the
measured distance of the prostrate capital from the base of the shaft is only seven inches more than the height of the remaining shaft, I have assumed that the
two
pillars
were most probably of the same height.
SANCHI TOPES.
The
31.
bell capital of the
197
northern pillar
is
termi-
nated by an octagonal abacus, 6 inches in height.
Above and 2 all
massive pedestal 3 feet square,
this there is a
2^ inches
feet
which
in height,
is
four sides with a representation
ornamented on
of the Buddhist
The pillar is crowned by a human figure of rather more than life size. The arms are both
railing.
missing from the shoulders, and the statue off at
midleg.
The lower
wanting, but the feet are
parts
of
the
is
broken
legs
are
adhering to the upper
still
part of the large tenon which was morticed into the
head of the
pillar.
The
figure
32.
dressed in
is
the
Indian dhoti
gathered around the loins, and drawn in folds across
The end of the dhoti cloth flutters beThe body and the legs are hind the left thigh. There is a necklace round the neck, and a naked. The left hand probelt or girdle round the waist. the thighs.
bably rested on the the right
hip
hand I cannot even
of the face figure
left
is
;
but the position
The expression
guess.
placid, but cheerful
;
of
the posture of the
easy, though standing with unbent knees,
is
and altogether there the statue that places
of Indian sculpture. himself, for there
is
is it
an
air of
calm dignity about
amongst the
finest
specimens
It probably represents
Asoka
a figure of Sakya within the
northern entrance. 33.
The
total height of this pillar
was
forty-five
and that of the south pillar very They were formed of a lightnearly forty feet.
feet
and a
half,
THE BHILSA TOPES.
198
coloured compact
sandstone and were very highly
This polish*
polished.
still
remains on the shafts,
and on the smoother portions of the statues.
The
south pillar has an inscription in the oldest Indian Pali, but
any
it
is
much
too
mutilated to be read with
certainty, excepting in the closing" lines.f 1
34. There is every reason
to
believe that
these
noble columns would have been standing at this day,
had
it
not been for the petty avarice of the neigh-
The southern
bouring zamindars.
broken off at 6^ feet from the shaft
is
now
The
lying to the north of
have
fallen
base,
and the
rest of
lying in two pieces on the ground
towards the south. is
its
has been
pillar
capital of the northern pillar shaft.
its
Thus both
outwards from the building.
scarcely be the effect of an earthquake
pillars
This could ;
but would
naturally be the case if they had been pulled for
the
Now
down
purpose of making use of their material.
there
is
a row of holes chiselled across the
middle portion of the southern that since
its fall
pillar,
which prove
the people have attempted to cut
into lengths for their
own
use.
Each
it
of these pieces
would have formed a sugar-miil, such as has been
in
may
be
use in India from time immemorial.
But
it
asked, " Why did the cutter desist from his labour, and leave the wished- for stone at the top of the hill
V
*
The same high
polish
is
observable on the Allahabad and
Delhi Pillars; and also on the Radhiya, Mathiya, and Bakra Pillars, as I
am
informed by Major Kittoe.
t See No. 177, Plate
XIX.
:
SANCHI TOPES.
The answer
is
199
simple and conclusive.
During- the
operation of cutting-, the stone split longitudinally
from top to bottom, and was no longer of any use.
The same cause preserved southern
the upper portion of the
I presume therefore that the shaft
pillar.
of the northern pillar did not
split,
and that
it
was
long ago carried away and formed into sugar-mills. It
is
right, however, to
add that I made inquiries
for
sugar-mills in the neighbourhood without success
although the ignorance of the people by no means proves their non-existence.
gateway there
35. Close to the eastern pillar
is
a third
with a shaft 13 feet high, and rather more than
one foot in diameter. those of the others
;
Its capital
and
bell-shaped, like
crowned by a single
is
it
is
seated lion. 36.
To
the north-east of the Tope also there are
two small broken
which one bears an in-
pillars, of
complete inscription in characters of the early Gupta period, about
Plate
400
XXI. No.
a. d.
199.
This inscription is given in It reads, " * * di Hariswami" that
Oosha Sinha Baliputra * *
Gosha
the son of
is,
Sinhabali"*
"
Hariswami
This Hariswami
probably belonged to the same family as the Hariswamini before mentioned, who was the donor of
lamps 37.
to the shrines of the four
At
the north-west angle of the court, a flight
of steps formerly led
Tope.
Buddhas.
Due north
* This inscription
down
there
is
the
hill
towards No. 2
a ruined flight of steps
had escaped the
notice of previous visitors.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
200 leading- past
No. 8 Tope into the road towards the
village of Sanchi.
At
the head of these steps there
are two colossal figures, probably of porters or gatekeepers.
On
the outside
of the western wall, and
about 20 feet below the level of the court, there long, dry tank cut out of the solid rock.
Below
is
a
this
there are the ruins of a large oblong building, pro-
bably a Vihar, or monastery.
Below
this again are
the circular bases of Topes Nos. 9 and 10, and the
From
stone bowl which has already been described. this point there is a ruined
steps leading to
but well-defined
flig*ht
No. 2 Tope.*
* See Plate IV. of this volume for
all
these ruins.
of
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCH1 BAS-RELIEFS.
CHAPTER
201
XV.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SiNCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
The
upon the front and rear and upon the front and inner
bas-reliefs are carved
faces of the architraves, faces of the pillars
gateway
other devices, which
The outer
pillars.
are ornamented
with, flowers,
faces of the
garlands, and
need not be detailed.
I
will
begin with the pillar of the eastern gate, and follow
my
in
description the course of the sun round
The
south, and west towards the north.
on the
pillars are divided into
compartments, which
The lowest
I have numbered from top to bottom.
compartments of the inner
by the
bas-reliefs
faces of all the pillars are
occupied by large figures of porters or doorkeepers,
some with
spears,
some with
chaoris,
&c*
EASTERN GATEWAY. Right Pillar
Palace Scene.
I.
ment
— Front
—Audience
of palace.
Two
Face.
Hall.
— Upper
apart-
royal personages seated
with several attendants. *
A very correct view
of the Eastern
Gateway
will
be found in
Fergusson's Illustrations of Ancient Indian Architecture piece.
:
Frontis-
202
THE BHILSA TOPES.
II. Palace Scene.
— Women
dancing before the king.
Raja seated on a morha, or throne, hall, holding" the vajra,
right hand,
and
in the palace-
or thunderbolt, in his
in his left a gourd.
Two
attend-
behind him hold the ckatta and chaori, both being insignia of royalty. On his right ants
is
seated either the heir-apparent or the prime
by two chaori and chatta bearers. On the king's left are two Nachnis, or dancing women, who are dancing to the sound of two sdrangis (or lutes) and two drums. III. IV. and V. are the same repeated. minister,
attended
The whole of
this front of the pillar represents a
Each
six-storied palace.
story
is
supported on
a
front of four octagonal pillars, with bell-shaped capitals
surmounted by recumbent winged horses.
Eight Pillar I.
Face.
paying —Royal adorations a Dream of Maya. — Maya, the mother of Buddha,
Adoration of
figures
tree.
to
II.
—Inner
their
tree.
represented asleep, and the Chddanta elephant
touching her feet with his trunk. the
Prince Siddhartha
city gate of
horses.
He
Kapila is
is
Below her
passing through the
in a chariot
drawn by two
preceded by musicians, and at-
tended by elephant riders and horsemen. rear of the procession
is
inside
the city.
The In
front are three figures with joined hands adoring
DESCRIPTION OP THE SA.NCHI BAS-HELIEFS.
203
a holy Bo-tree enclosed in a square Buddhist railing".
This second compartment teresting" bas-reliefs
at
is
one of the most in-
Sanchi.
The upper portion
dream of Maya the Queen of Suddhodana, Raja of Kapila. She dreamed that she was touched by a Chddanta elephant, which the wise
represents the
men
interpreted
as
a divine conception.
represents the incarnation of the last mortal
Sakya Sinha. The lower portion represents the
last act in
of the Prince Siddhartha, before he
life
thus
It
Buddha, the
took the
vows of asceticism. It is in fact the last of the " four predictive signs."* On emerging from the city in his chariot,
clad
persons
Sakya saw some healthy,
wearing the
dedicated to religion.
peculiar robe
of
well-
those
These are the three ascetics
paying their adoration to the Bo-tree.
EASTERN GATE.
—Front
Left Pillar
Face.
—
Adoration of Symbol of Dharma. Temple containing the symbol or monogram of Dharma
I.
on an altar
;
over which some fabulous Kinnaras
are waving garlands and
making
offerings.
On
each side of the temple are two royal or lay *
See the account of the four predictive signs in the second
chapter of this work.
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
204
personages with hands joined in adoration (see Plate
II.
XXXII.
for
symbols of Dharma).
Boat Scene. — Sdkya's Nirvwrta. — A boat sented on the ocean
;
is
repre-
containing* three persons
one rower, one steersman, and one passenger,
whom
of
all
costume of the
in the
are clad
higher ranks of Buddhist ascetics.
and
left
In the right
upper corners there are trees
;
and scat-
tered about in the waters there are lotus flowers,
ducks, and
alligators,
On
shells.
the shore
below are represented four figures also in a religious garb uplifted
;
one with dishevelled hair and
arms; and the others, who wear caps,
with hands clasped together in attitudes of devotion. In the right hand corner below is a tree with an altar.*
This scene I have already described in
The passenger
of Sakya's death.
Muni, who
is
is,
my
account
I think, Sakya
represented, after the attainment of
Nirvana, or freedom from transmigration, as being wafted over the waters which are said to surround this transitory world.
The
figures
a Bhikshu of the lower grade,
on the shore are
bewailing the de-
parture of Sakya with dishevelled hair and uplifted
armB, which, from the accounts given in the Pali * See Plate
XI. of
this
volume.
The manner
planks of the boat are secured together is
now
half
practised.
size.
omitted.
I have reduced
Numerous
shells,
is
in
which the
the same as that which
Major Durand's sketch to one-
ducks, and lotus-flowers have been
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-BELIEFS. annals,
would seem
manner of expressing
1
other figures
are
have been
to
customary
the
grief at that
205
period.
The
Bhikshus who had attained the
higher grade of Arahat, and
who comforted them-
selves with the reflection that
"
are perishable."
The
all
transitory things
rank
difference of
is
known by
the bare head of the mourner, and the capped heads of the others; a distinction which
Tibet, where the lower grades Ge-thsul
invariably go bare-headed, whilst
prevails in
still
all
higher grades), including the Grand
and Chhos-pa the
Lamas
Lama
(or
himself,
have their heads covered. III.
Prince in chariot leaving Kapila. walls of city.
— Gate
Chariot with three persons leaving
the city, followed
by elephant
riders
men, who are represented inside the
yond the walls there are an
altar
or lay personages standing before
joined
and
The
in adoration.
and horsecity.
Be-
and two royal it
with hands
three figures in the
chariot are the king, the driver, and the chaori holder.
This scene probably represents another of the " four predictive signs;" and the figures at the altar
may be intended either for the sick or aged persons, whom Sakya met before he became an ascetic. EASTEEN GATE.
—Inner
Left Pillar I.
Kitchen Scene. a
man
—To the right
Face. is
the city gate, and
carrying a banghy, or small load, sus-
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
206
pended by ropes from both ends of a
yond him are two women, naked one stooping to
fill
Be-
pole.
to the waist
her water jar from a tank or
stream, and the other with a water jar under her
On
arm.
left
naked to the waist,
also
male personage,
their right is a
and thighs
his loins
covered in the folds of a dhoti, standing with
hands joined in adoration before an the
of the compartment there
left
kitchen scene.
is
On
altar.
a very lively
A woman, naked to
the waist,
is
husking corn in a large wooden mortar, with a
two-handed
A
pestle.
woman
second
winnowing the corn from the chaff
A third woman
shovel-shaped basket.
seated
is
a
in
flat
stand-
is
ing at a four-legged table rolling out chapattis, or unleavened cakes
;
and a fourth woman
seated grinding spices or condiments on the or
"
stone," with a bant or
flat
is sil,
round muller.
Behind her, seated on the ground, is the Eaja, or master of the household; and in the background are two houses with dome-shaped
The lower portion of the compartment
roofs.
is filled
with goats, sheep, and oxen.* This scene
ing of
all
is
one of the most curious and interest-
the Sanchi bas-reliefs.
employed in
all
Women
the domestic occupations
:
in
only are
drawing
water, in husking and winnowing the corn, and in * See Plate
which
is
sketches.
XV.,
copied
fig. 2,
from
of this volume, for the kitchen scene,
one
of
Lieutenant
Maisey's
heautiful
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
The
the cooking- of food.
last fact
207
noticed by
is
Quintus Curtius, who, speaking- of the Indian king, says
"
:
Women
The mortar and
prepare his food."*
two-handed pestle are the same as those
The mortar
the present day
in
exactly the same
as the Greek
pila
and the
;
Greek tive
/coVavov,
India.
(musar)
pestle
and the
Roman
l'-yS»j,
is
in use at
(okhli)
and the
the same
pilum.
is
Roman the
as
The primi-
method of winnowing represented in the above is still used in India ; and it recalls one of the
scene
blessings of the prophet promised to the children of
"The oxen
Israel :f
likewise,
and the young asses
that ear the ground, shall eat clean provender which
hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the Jan."
Bishop Lowth reads, "winnowed with the van and the sieve."
But
word
shovel is the nearest descriptive
in English for the present winnowing-basket, which
does not seem to
differ,
even in the slightest, from the
ancient one represented in the bas-relief. II.
Flames
snake, forms a canopy.
windows *
—
Worship of the Supreme Buddha as Flame. Temple with altar inside, and a small vessel filled with fire, behind which a five-headed naga, or
viii. 9.
issue from
two
To
left,
in the roof of the temple.J
the
— Feminae epulas parant.
f Isaiah xxx. 24. X See Plate XXVIII.,
vol. xvi.,
Journal of the Asiatic Society
of Bengal, for a sketch of the roof of this temple.
The worship of
was repudiated hy the Buddhists ; and one of the principal objects of the assembly of the Third Synod was the expulsion of fire
worshippers of
fire
from the Vihars.
208
THE BHILSA TOPES. three figures in the dress of arhatas, with caps
on their heads; their right hands raised, and gourds or water-vessels in their
left
To
hands.
the right, five figures, in the same religious cos-
tume, with both hands joined in adoration. the lower
corner,
roofed with leaves
holy arhata sanghdti, or
the
to ;
In
a small hut
right,
before or in which a very-
seated on a mat, with only the
is
kilt,
His uttara-
about his loins.*
hanging up inside the house.
sangh&ti, or cape,
is
Apparently he
in deep abstraction, for a cord
is
is
passed round
his waist
him from losing
and knees as
his position.
if to
keep
In front stands
another arhata, with hands joined in supplica-
Behind the
tion to the holy ascetic.
there
is
a fire-vessel,
and
last ascetic
some instruments,
apparently a spoon, a ladle, and a pair of pincers.
In the foreground
is
a sheet of water
filled
with
One ascetic
lotus flowers, wild ducks, and shells.
is bathing, a second is filling his water-vessel,
and two others are coming down with jars.
by
At
The intermediate space
is
occupied
an elephant and several buffaloes.
first
sight this scene has every appearance of
But
genuine fire-worship.
common
in
to the water
as
Buddhism has nothing
either with sun-worship or fire-worship,
some other explanation must be sought for the scene According to the modern Budof this bas-relief. •
hut.
See Plate XV.,
fig.
1,
of this work, for an ascetic and his
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
Vairochana,
dhists of Nepal,
or " Light,"
is
209 sup-
posed to occupy the centre of every chaitya dedicated
Adi Buddha. Amongst the numerous titles of Buddha contained in the Tibetan works, are "the
to
universally radiant sun/' and " the chief lamps of all
A
the regions of space."*
Buddha was Chakku, " light"
titles,
seen," said
or "the eye."
these
all
" Adi-Buddha was never
Mr. HodgsonVold Bauddha
is light." f
In
also for
considered as a mere attribute of
is
Buddha.
the all-seeing
common name
Now,
friend:
"he
as light could not be represented,
the sculptor was obliged
should be typical of
it.
to seek some form which In the present instance he
has selected flame, and in another instance, as we shall see in the next bas-relief,
Both
eyes.
of the
he has taken a pair of
are sources of light, and therefore types
The Sambhu Pur&na, that Buddha was manifested -
All-seeing
distinctly states
.
indeed, in the
shape of flame J (jyoti-rupya, or " flame-formed"). From these statements it is clear that the fire itself
was not worshipped by the Buddhists, but was looked upon simply as the visible type of the All-seeing. This explanation is fully confirmed by the occurrence of other symbols in temples of the same description, both at
Sanchi and at Gya, and by the total absence of
image-worship.
would appear
to
Indeed at
this
have repudiated image- worship, and
« Prinsep's Journal, L, 383.
f Hodgson,
p. 67.
Hodgson,
p. 86,
X
time the Buddhists
and
p.
103
Wilson's Abstract.
note.
210 to
THE BHILSA TOPES.
have paid
all their
Buddha
adoration to symbols of
and of Dharma, and to Topes and trees which had been dedicated to Buddha. III. Tope dedicated to the Supreme Buddha.
Ascetic
—A Tope
marked with horizontal layers of masonry, and decorated with a
Life in the Woods.
The
pair of eyes, one placed above the other.
Tope
is
ing-.*
surrounded by a square Buddhist
Background of various
which the plantain the
left,
amongst
trees,
To
easily distinguishable.
is
a hermit naked to the waist
in a pile of faggots
rail-
is
bringing
on his shoulder ; a second
is
carrying a banghy, or pole, with baskets slung at
A
the ends by ropes.
and
is
vessel. is
third is seated
apparently feeding a
A
fourth
fanning a
fire
is
fire
on a mat,
kept in a small
seated in the
same way, and
A fifth
in a similar vessel.
fanning an empty-looking vessel, but which
is
may
be supposed to contain some hot embers that could be fanned into flame.
To the
right,
two
other ascetics are engaged in splitting a log of
wood with large It appears to
me
felling axes.
that this scene
is
intended to re-
present the fewness of the wants of ascetic
hermit
is
employed
in looking after his
which would seem to be limited a small quantity of firewood.
life.
own wants,
to the collection of
At first
sight I thought
that this scene represented the building of a * See Plate III.,
1
fig . 7,
Each
of this volume.
wooden
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
Tope
;
but the Tope
figures are ascetics.
is
211
finished, and the whole of the
It
is
possible that they
preparing small huts for their 1
own
may
be
residence similar
shown in the last bas-relief. The neighbourhood of the Tope makes this supposition highly probable, as it was the usual custom of the Buddhist hermits to congregate around their Topes. The chaitya in this scene is evidently dedicated to the Supreme Buddha, as I have explained in my account of the to that
last bas-relief.
EASTERN GATE. Architraves I.
— Front.
—
— Feet. — Middle. —To the
Numerous figures Upper. Worship of Topes. paying their adoration to Topes.
II. Procession of left
ing.
Buddha 's
a city gate into which a procession
In
is
enter-
the centre a sacred tree, and to the
right a chariot behind which are the holy impressions of Buddha's feet.
III. Worship of Tree.
—Lower. — Procession advanc-
ing to the worship of a tree in a small Temple.
Architraves
—
— Rear.
—
Numerous figures Upper. Worship of Trees. trees. paying their adoration to Middle. II. Worship of Trees by Animals. I.
—
—
Various animals, such as Bams, Buffaloes, Lions,
212
THE BHILSA TOPES. Vultures, and others not identified, tog-ether with the
Naga
Raja, or King* of the Snakes, are
paying their adoration to a tree.
all
-
— Lower. —
Worship of Tope by Elephants.
III.
Several Elephants
are
perambulating a Tope
with garlands.
This scene, I think, represents served by
Fa Hian
relative to the
a tradition pre-
Tope at Lan-mo, and solitary place
Ramagrama.* " In this sterile there are no men to sweep and to water
or
may
;
but you
there see continually herds of elephants which s
take water in their trunks to water the ground, and
which, collecting
all
sorts of flowers
perform the service of the tower.
and perfumes,
There were Tao-
sse (Rationalists) from various countries who had
come
to perform their devotions at this tower.
met the elephants, and overcome with cealed
among
themselves
the
trees,
They
terror, con-
whence they
witnessed the elephants performing the duty accord-
The Tao-sse were greatly affected to observe how, though there was no one to attend to the service of the tower, it was nevertheless kept watered and swept. The Tao-sse thereupon abandoned their grand precepts, and returning became ShdOf themselves they plucked up the grass and the mi. ing to the law.
trees, levelled the
clean.
They
ground, and kept the place neat and
exerted themselves to convert the king,
and induce him
to found
* Fo-ftrve-te,
c.
xxxiii.
an establishment of eccleLaidlay's Translation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS. as well as to erect a temple.
siastics,
There
is
at
This happened
present a habitation of ecclesiastics.
not long" ago, and tradition has transmitted
to the
it
The expression " not long ago" must
present time."
mean
213
1
three or four
otherwise the
centuries,
story
could scarcely be said to have been transmitted by tradition. relief;
At any
rate the story illustrated the bas-
and proves that there was a belief prevalent
at that period that elephants
devotions to
Tope.
a
See
had somewhere paid description
.the
of
their
the
lower architrave, Western Gateway, front face.
SOUTH GATEWAY. Right Pillar I.
Triple Symbol of
on are
pillars,
— Front
Dharma.
Face.
—A
and containing an
placed three symbols
or
temple supported altar
on which
monograms of
Dharma.* II. Scene in Palace.
— King
seated with his
two
Four other females, two seated (wives of wives. less rank), and two standing (attendants). III. Casket Scene in Palace. The king with his
—
family and ministers seated in the foreground to the
left.
In the centre a
relic-casket, with
attendants holding the chatta and it.
To
the
left,
two
chaori over
a seated female beating a drum,
and a female dancer naked to the waist with her arms stretched » See Plate
before
XXXII.,
her in a fig.
22.
peculiar
THE BHILSA TOPES.
214 manner,
still
In the back
practised in India.
ground two male
and one female figure
figures,
with a round cap similar
worn by the
to those
Kashmiri women of the present day.
To the
right numerous figures,
Two
standing.
all
in
the foreground with hands joined in adoration
They
appear to be the Raja and his ministers.
are naked to the waist ; but are literally covered
with necklaces, armlets, and bracelets.* I.
Worship of Topes. -r- Upper.
— Three
Topes,
the
middle one bearing the inscription No. 190, with the
name
of Sri
Satakarni.
On
each of the
bosses of this architrave, immediately over the pillars,
are
two men riding oxen.
The oxen The nosethe nostrils, and
are regularly caparisoned for riding. string
is
twisted
passed
together
through to
avoid the eyes
the ends
;
are then passed outside the horns, where they are secured from slipping
the
figures
lotus, left
on
by a head-band.
the right boss, one
and the other a
carries
Of a
Those of the
relic-box.
boss both carry trays containing some in-
Between
describable object.
end volute a led horse
is
this boss
and the
represented
passing
through a temple gateway of two architraves. The horse is attended by two figures, one carrying a chaori, and the
other a vessel
exactly
resembling a tea-pot. II.
Worship of Tope.— Middle. * See Plate
XII. of
this
—A
Tope with
volume.
in-
A
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS. scription in
two
garlands.
King
A
III.
siege
Kinnaras with
lines (No. 191).
in a chariot
chaori-bearer, attended
with driver and
by elephant
scene has been
known by James Prinsep;* but is
riders.
— Lower. —
and Relic Procession.
part of this interesting
215
made
the architrave
broken, and the portion to the right of the
which has not been published, seems to
boss,
complete the story, although
The scene
compartment. architrave
represents
a
it
forms a different
in the middle of the
besieged
The
city.
battlements, the city gate, and the upper stories
of the houses, are
filled
with defenders,
who
are
shooting arrows and hurling stones upon the assailants below.
arrows only
;
The attack
is
carried on with
but as several of the besiegers are
covered with long shields, they were no doubt furnished
with
swords.
One
horseman
several elephant riders appear on the
left,
and with
two standard-bearers.
To
the right of the boss, the king appears in
his chariot, attending
a relic-box on
its
an elephant, which bears
head, covered by the honorary
chatta.
The
siege represented in this scene
was probably
undertaken for the purpose of gaining possession of
some holy right.
relic,
The
which the king
dresses
is
carrying off to the
of the soldiers are remarkable,
* Prinsep's Journal, vol. vi v PI.
XXIX.
216
THE BHILSA TOPES.
and the mode of
The quiver
very peculiar and picturesque. to the right shoulder,
apparently
back
fastening- the quiver to the
leather
is
is
fastened
and the fastenings, which are
straps,
over
passed
are
both
shoulders, crossed in front, and carried to the back,
where they were probably passed through a ring in the end of the quiver, and then carried to the front
and again crossed, the ends being secured by loops to the upper straps,* The only apparent clothing is a kilt
5
but there was no doubt a tight fitting jacket of
some kind
to cover the
body.
The whole costume
has a striking resemblance to that of the Highlanders of Scotland.
The swords throughout the Sanchi sculptures are A specimen, hanging- by one of all short and broad. the porter's sides,
is
given in Plate
It agrees exactly with the
XXXIII.,
fig. 3.
of Megas-
description
thenes :f " All wear swords of a vast breadth, though When they scarce exceeding three cubits in length.
engage
in close fight, they grasp these with both their
hands that the blow may be stronger." The whole account of Megasthenes, although three hundred years
earlier
in date than the Sanchi bas-
reliefs, is still partially applicable,
as
much
to
and
may
be quoted
show the changes which had taken place
in that period as to illustrate the military * This description recalls the
equipments
words of the Psalmist regarding
the children of Ephraim, who, being harnessed, and carrying bows,
turned themselves back f Arrian, Indica xvi.
in
the day of battle.
— Ps.
Lxxviii. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SlNCHl BAS-RELIEFS.
In
of the sculptures.
the time of Megasthenes,
infantry usually carried a
bow
217 " the
of the same length with
This agrees with the bas-reliefs, which
the bearer."
represent nearly
all
the less ancient
;
but
shorter than
the
the foot soldiers as archers
bows
much
are
more than Most of the bows appear to be
bearers, and do not appear to have been
four feet in length.
straight pieces of barnbu, but a few have the double curve, with a straight hand-piece in the middle, similar
modern ornamental bows of buffalo's horn. u Their arrows," says Megasthenes, " are little less to the
than three cubits long, and
fly
with such force that
nor breast-plate, nor any armour,
neither shield
strong enough to withstand them." *
The arrows
is
in
the bas-reliefs appear to be from 3 to 5 feet in length.
" Some of them," he adds, " use darts instead of
In one of the
arrows."
by a
shield
is
bas-reliefs a soldier covered
represented holding a dart horizontally
ready to launch
it
forward.
The same dart
in one of the porter's hands
" Upon
their left
bling peltce,
made
at the
is
placed
western gate.
arms they wear something resemof
raw
hides, rather narrower than
The most usual bas-reliefs is long and
their bodies, but nearly as long." shield
represented in
the
narrow, and rounded at top.
from the head
to the knee,
It covers the bearer
and must therefore have
been about 3£ feet in length and 1^ in breadth. *
Arrian's Indioa, Q. Curtius, however
(viii. 9.),
In
says " that their
arrows were only two cubits in length, and were discharged with
more exertion than
effect, as their
weight checked their velocity."
THE BHILSA TOPES.
218
the time of Megasthenes, however,
" The
feet in length.
shield is
the case
is
which the horseman's
bas-reliefs, in
always about two
This
five
were
shields of the cavalry
smaller than those of the infantry."
throughout the
was fully
it
feet in length.
It
is
very
peculiar in form, being shaped like a bell with a very
wide mouth, and much rounded at bottom.
ornament of the shields both
was a double
Andrew; but
cross, the
St.
a cavalry shield
The usual horse and foot
for
George and the
St.
on the western gate
bears only a crescent and two stars.*
WESTERN GATEWAY. Right Pillar— Front Face. Trial of the
Bow.
shooting
—A
at
which water
bank a rock on the right bank, from is
river
;
archer on the
gushing
forth.
A
left
monkey
leaping across the river to a tree on the
Two
bank.
with
a
figures
bare
head
is
left
seated under a tree; one
and
the other richly dressed.
clad
in
a
a
dhoti,
Below, the prince on
horseback, attended by a chatta-bearer, a fluteplayer, a
This story
bowman, and is
also
others in procession.
mentioned by
Fa Hian,f who
places the scene of action beyond the walls of the city of Kapila. *
There the Prince Siddharta
See Plate XXXIII.,
f Fo-kme-ki,
c. xxii.
figs. 3, 4, 5,
of this work,
Cc
drew
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
219
a bow, and the arrow flying to the south-west struck 1
the ground at the distance of thirty
(five
li
and caused a spring of water to gush
miles),
forth.
In
times the people built wells on this spot to
after
M. Remu-
supply travellers with drinking water."
sat* has given a long account of this popular story
from the Chinese works
and
;
it
is
curious to com-
pare this with the original story preserved in the
These annals, which were
Pali annals of Ceylon. carried to Ceylon
by Mahendra, the son of Asoka,
240, give the following account
B. c.
:
in
— t " When
Prince Siddharta had reached the age of sixteen, his father
demanded the daughters of the neighbouring
chiefs in
marriage for his son
but they
;
all refused,
because the Prince, though handsome, had not been
taught any martial accomplishment, and was, therefore,
incapable of controlling women.
inquired for
me
"
What
accomplishment
to exhibit?"
His
is
The Prince it
father replied, "
necessary
To
string
bow which requires a thousand persons to bind." Bring the bow," said the prince. The bow was
the 11
brought to him, and he, while
still
seated,
" twisted
the bowstring round his great toe, and drawing
with his toe, strung the his left hand,
bow
;
and taking the bow
and drawing the string with
let it (the cord) fly.
The whole town
it
in
his right,
started,
and to
the inquiry, " What noise is this?" the answer was, " The clouds are rolling with thunder •" some others *
Fo-krve-M,
f
Tumour
c. xxii.,
note 7.
in Prinsep's Journal, vii.
804.
220
THE BHILSA TOPES.
observed, "
Ye know
of thunder:
rolling-
nothing- about is
it
it
it
;
is
not the
bow
the ringing- of the
which requires the strength of a thousand persons, which the great archer, the prince endowed with a halo around his person, has
The Sakya
rung."
princes on hearing of this, from that circumstance
commencing
alone,
to rejoice, were highly gratified.
great mortal then inquired "
The
They
should be done?"
replied,
What more
" It
is requisite
that an iron target eight inches thick should be
Having
pierced with an arrow."
" What else?"
" It
Arsana Having
tree four
done?"
"Then
straw."
The great
is
pierced
he said,
requisite that a plant of the
inches thick should be pierced."
transfixed
that,
carts elect,
"
What
filled
should
else
be
with sand and with
then transpiercing the straw
drove the arrow one usabhan deep into the
cart,
They then
water, and eight usdbdni into the earth. said,
it,
" It will be requisite to pierce a horse-hair, guided
by the mark afforded by the suspended
fruit of the
watingdno" (which is attached to the hair.) Eeplying, " Hang it up at the distance of one yojanan,"
he shot
his
arrow in a direction which was as dark,
under the obscurity of dense clouds, as night,
and pierced
the
distance of one yojanan,
watingdno, which entered the earth. all
horse-hair,
if it
which
at
were the
was indicated only by the from it, and it
was suspended
If fully related, these were not
that the great mortal exhibited on that day to the
world, in proof of his accomplishments in
martial
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAnCHI BAS-BELIEFS.
Thereupon
deeds.
Sakya
the
daughters superbly
tribes
sent
221 their
There were forty
decorated.
thousand dancing- and singing-
The
girls.
princess
(who was afterwards) the mother of Kahulo, became the head queen."
In
this story there is
nothing about the gushing
must therefore be an adc. 240 and A. D. 30, when the Sanchi gateways were erected. The
forth of the water, which
of after times, between B.
dition
Chinese
account
also
occasion of Prince
the
refers
shooting to the
Siddharta's marriage
:
but his
brothers Thiao-tha (or Devadatta) and Nan-tho (or
Nando) trial
to compete with him in the " First an iron target was placed at
are brought
of archery.
the distance of 10
and so on
to seven targets.
The
most renowned archers went no further
shafts of the
than the
li,
first
Thiao-tha having drawn, shot
target.
beyond it and reached the second. Nan-tho surpassed this, and pierced through the third. The other archers being unable to shoot so
far, the
prince broke
all
the
bows of those who had shot before him ; not one was equal to his strength. The king then said to his attendants,
now
'
My
ancestors possessed a bow, which
is
Gods; go, bring it.' They the bow, which required two men to
in the temple of the
went
to fetch
carry.
No man
in that assembly could
the prince shot with
heard forty to pass
li.
it,
the
lift it.
twang of the
The bent bow hurled
was
the shaft so as
He
shot again,
tai'gets,
pierced the
through the seven targets.
and the arrow having passed the
When
string
222
THE BHILSA TOPES.
earth,
the
and caused a spring of water
third
shot
to
gush forth.
At
he pierced the seven targets, and
reached the mountains
the
of
iron
girdle.
The
whole assembly wondered at this unheard-of prodigy. All
who had come
to partake in the sports
were over-
come, and returned confounded." The figure shooting
must be Sakya himself: the two personages seated under the tree are perhaps his two brothers, Devadatta
The
and Nanda.
figure
on horseback
is
the Prince
returning in the very manner related in the Chinese
"The Prince having
account.
thus obtained
com-
were rung, the drums beaten,
plete victory, the bells
and amidst vocal and instrumental music, he mounted his horse,
II.
and returned
to the Palace."
Worship of Tree.
—A
tree
with
bunches of
(perhaps a Pipal tree), with a terrace
berries
To right and left Kinnaras and figures riding winged lions. In front, twelve royal or round
it.
lay personages
with uplifted faces and joined
hands raised in adoration to the III.
Worship of Tree as above
;
—
tree.
Tufted tree with Kinnaras
but the tree
is
a different species, per-
haps a Mango.
In front nine figures with
hands simply joined
in adoration.
The worship of Alexander's
"They"
trees did not escape the notice of
followers,
(the Indians)
*
for
Quintus Curtius*
says,
"contemplate as Deities what-
Q. Curtius,
viii.
9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
223
ever their ancestors worshipped, particularly trees, to
wound which IV. Lions.
is
a capital crime."
— Three Lions. WESTERN GATE. Right Pillar
I.
Gateway.
— Inner
— Worship of
Tree.
Face.
— Gateway, with one
architrave, slightly arched, and similar to those
of the gateways themselves.
way
Inside the gate-
a tree before which male and female figures
are paying adoration with uplifted hands.
Horse,
Ox, Elephant, and Lion. II.
—
Worship of Tree surmounted by Chatta. Tree covered with garlands, and surmounted by chatta. male figures paying Kinnai'as with garlands
—
adoration with uplifted hands.
WESTERN GATE. Left Pillar Social Scene.
—Tree
— Front
Face.
in middle.
To
left
a royal
couple seated on a couch, the male raising a cup to his lips,
and the female holding
in her
hand a
round looking-glass similar in shape to those To right a found in the Etruscan tombs.f second couple in social dalliance. t See Plate XXXIII.,
fig.
In the middle
28, for this looking-glass.
224
THE BHILSA TOPES. below the
tree, a couple of servants standing-
on
a staircase, the male apparently speaking*, and female holding her right hand over
the
her
mouth.
The male servant in this scene is evidently making some allusion to the amorous dalliance of the loving couples on each side ; and the female is trying to hide or silence her laughter by closing her mouth with her hand but her bursting cheeks too plainly show that :
the effort
is
in vain.
II. Love Scene
—To
left a
loving couple seated, the
female behind with her arms thrown around the
male
To right a second couple Water below.
figure.
face to face.
seated
WESTERN GATE.
—Inner
Left Pillar
— Archers. — Hut
Ascetic Life. leaves
:
in
Pace.
front
with roof of
a bearded ascetic (Srdmana)
seated in contemplation, with a band passed round his loins
and knees.
A
second leaf-roofed hut
Between the huts a vessel containing fire and a spoon and in the back-ground a monkey. To the left of the
with a female ascetic (Srdmand).
;
huts are two royal personages, one with uplifted
hands
hand
in adoration,
raised,
and the other with the right
and with a gourd in the
Beyond them
left
hand.
are two male ascetics, and behind,
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
In
one female ascetic.
front of the figures there
are three antelopes, and there before the
there
dressed in a kilt
is
uplifted
two
the
paying
is
hands
and
;
to
which a boy
approaching, with a waterpot
On
his shoulder.
personage
are
to the right,
a tree, beneath which are two buffaloes
is
on the edge of a piece of water,
on
one antelope
is
In the foreground,
fire.
225
a royal
boy's right
reverence to to the
him with
of the scene
left
archers, one standing with a quiver
his shoulder
and
bow bow
a
other also standing,
on
in his left hand, the
in hand, having just
shot an arrow into a long-haired figure,
who
is
struggling in the water.
I
am
unable to offer any explanation of this curious
scene, but it
may
event in the early
life
II. Festival of the
mounted by hovering.
some
possibly have reference to
of Sakya. Tree.
chatta,
To
the
—Altar,
with
tree
sur-
over which Kinnaras are
left
two females, one carrying
a chaori, and the other a water-vessel: to the right a ndchni, or dancing woman, and two other females, one playing a flute, and the other
a s&rangi, or figure
is
lute.
In
front of the altar a
male
seated on the ground, lotus in hand,
canopied by a five-headed naga.
To
three females, each holding a cup
;
his left are
and
to the
right are two females, each carrying a long drum.
Each of these females
is
canopied by a naga.
Q
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
226
III. State Barge.
—A
large vessel floating- in the
The prow formed of a
midst of the ocean.
winged
griffin
and the stern of a dolphin's
;
tail,
raised very high out of the water, with a garland
hanging from
In the middle a
it.
stately
canopy
and ornamented both above and below with the Buddhist railing. Beneath supported on
pillars,
the canopy there
an empty throne, or
is
morha, over which one attendant state chatta
and another a chaori.
is
state
holding the
A third figure
The water is filled with is steering the boat. lotus flowers. Five figures are swimming about, supported either on planks or on inflated skins
and a sixth figure
is
arms
stretching out both
towards the steersman, apparently for assistance to get into the boat.
It
difficult
is
to say
what
this scene represents.
Captain Fell* described it as a shipwreck. "The vessel," he says, " is on an open sea in the midst of a tempest j
near
deavouring,
by
it
are
figures
seizing piles,
swimming, and
&c,
en-
to save themselves
One on the point of drowning is making an expiring effort to ascend the side. The from sinking.
features
But
of
all
betray their melancholy situation."
this description
is
far
figures in the water have
from accurate,
for the
their backs turned to the
vessel,
and seem to be floating about quite at
ease.
In
fact,
the whole scene looks * Prinsep's Journal,
iii.
491.
more
their
like
a
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCH1 BAS-RELIEFS. bathing party than anything 1
ever, is
it
rests
the
that
upon the waters Buddhists.
denote his
I presume, how-
else.
has a religious meaning, and that of life ; for " our terrestrial globe
it
typical
227
Sakya's
final
not see
emancipation from this
how
figures.
like a boat," according to The empty throne may, perhaps, attainment of Buddhahood, and life.
this explanation will suit the
If I
could
find
But I do swimming
any authority
for
it,
The waters represent the ocean of life in which mankind are for ever struggling, and the empty throne is that of a Buddha, the Chakravarti, or Supreme King, who, by. the suppression of all mortal desires, and by I
should
prefer
the following
explanation.
the continued practice of abstract contemplation, has freed himself from the trammels of this mortal
The a
figure struggling
JBodhisatrva,
or
get into the boat
-to
who has
one
is,
coil.
perhaps,
nearly attained
Buddhahood,
WESTERN GATE. Architraves. I.
—Front
Faces.
Procession escorting a Relic Street of a city to the left filled
with
spectators,
In the
some
ing a procession.
street
— Upper.—
houses on each side
;
elbows, and others hanging window-sill.
Casket.
leaning on their
their
arms over the
a few horsemen head-
Behind them the
city-gate,
THE BHILSA TOPES.
228
and walls surmounted with battlements.
Imme-
diately outside the gate. are four persons bearing either trophies or office.
Then
some peculiar instruments of
follow a led horse, passing a tree,
a soldier, with bell-shaped shield, two
fifers,
drummers, and two men blowing conches.
three
Next
comes the king on an elephant, carrying the holy relic-casket on his head, and supporting with his right hand. dressed
men on
Then
follow
it
two peculiarly
horseback, perhaps prisoners.
They wear a kind of cap (now only known in Barmawar, on the upper course of the Ravi), and boots or leggings. The procession is closed by two horsemen (one either the minister or a member of the royal family), and by an elephant with two This scene
riders.
is
relic procession
best illustrated
by the account of a Dut-
recorded in the Mahawanso.*
thagamini, Rajah of Ceylon, having prepared a golden casket for the enshrinement of some relics brought
by
the holy monk Sonuttaro, marched in " procession " to •" the Tope, with the casket " on the crown of his head
and having deposited the on the throne.
relics therein,
placed them
Afterwards "the monarch, attended
by DSvas and men, and bearing on his head the casket containing the relics, making presentations of and surrounded by the bhikshus, marched in procession round the Tope, and then offerings
thereto,
*
Mahawanso,
p. 190.
A
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-EELIEFS. ascending-
it
229
on the eastern side he descended into the
relic-chamber."
II.
Worship of Symbol of Buddha.— Middle.— wheel on an altar winged Kinnaras hovering •
over
it
with garlands in their hands.
Royal
personages with uplifted hands joined in ado-
Elks and antelopes. III. Worship of Tree by Elephants.—Lower. ration.
—Ado-
ration of Banian-tree
by elephants carrying gar-
lands; flowers, chatta,
and chaori.
Two
elephants
crossing a stream towards a Tope.
The story represented as
that which
in
this
scene
is
the same
has already been described on the
rear face of the
lower architrave
of the Eastern
Gateway.
WESTERN GATE. Architrave I.
—Rear
Faces.
—
—Adoration of Topes, Procession. — Middle. — Procession
Upper. Worship of Topes. by numerous figures.
II. Triumphal
entering a city gate.
Trophy bearers and mu-
sicians leading foot soldiers with long shields;
one horseman and three elephant
riders.
Chariot
bearing the Raja and two attendants, followed by
two horsemen and two elephant III. Temple
riders.
Worship. —Lower. — Temple.
To
left
THE BHILSA TOPES.
230
several figures with uplifted
To
hands in adoration.
right; giants.
NORTHERN GATEWAY. Right Pillar I.
Tree,
with
— Front
—A
Staircase.
Buddhist railing on each
Face.
long staircase with
side.
Tree above, and
several royal personages with hands joined in
adoration.
—Inner Face.
Right Pillar I.
—
Worship of Tope. Tope enclosed by Buddhist railing, and with an entrance gateway, surmounted
by two architraves, similar to those ways of the Sanchi Tope itself.* Buddhist railing which side of the Tope,
may
is
of the gate-
A
second
represented round the
probably be intended for
the railing of the terrace or upper surface of the
The Tope is surmounted by three chattas, Three figures, with emblematic of Buddha.
plinth.
garlands in hand, are perambulating the Tope inside
the
enclosure.
Outside,
one figure
is
and a second bearing a standard surmounted by the symbol or mono-
carrying a relic-casket,
gram
of
Dharma.
Tope with garlands. in shields * This
;
Kinnaras hover above the
Two
figures bear offerings
two are blowing long horns
gateway misled Captain
entrance into the Tope
itself.
Fell,
who supposed
it
;
one
is
to be an
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEES.
Q31
playing a double flageolet j and four are beating
long drums and kettle-drums.* This scene represents the whole ceremony of the
solemn adoration of Topes, as practised on stated occasions.
The perambulation of the Tope, and the
open display of the
accompanied with
relic-casket, are
instrumental music and waving of garlands, which
have
all been fully
described in the account of the build-
ing and dedication of a Tope, taken from the Maha-
wanso. II. Adoration of Trees. left
with an
—Three
altar.
Two
that to the
trees,
females and a child
kneeling between the trees.
To
the front, two
royal personages with hands joined in adoration,
In the
fore-
ground two monkeys, one with a cup. III, Worship of Tree. To left, tree and altar.
The
and two females with
offerings.
—
King and Queen, with hands joined
Two
standing before the tree. chatta and chaori.
in adoration,
attendants with
To the right an
Kinnaras hovering above
it
altar,
and
with garlands.
NORTHERN GATE. Left I.
Pillar
— Front
Face.
—
Worship of Tree. Tree surmounted by chatta. Four figures, in royal costume, seated, to the * See Plate XIII. of this work.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
232
fron^ with hands joined in adoration"; and four
Ten
others, in similar dress, carrying" garlands.
figures standing with
Two
hands joined in adoration.
figures with large drums above.
paid
II. Reverence
temples and
canopied by a three-headed
(or
Four
—Three
A boy seated with a plumed
three trees. dress
a Boy.
to
two royal and two
figures,
headndga).
with
others,
hands joined in adoration. This scene, perhaps, represents the story of Bimbi-
King
sara,
Magadha, paying reverence
of
to the
Sakya. III. Simple Adoration.
—Three male
boy with hands joined
— Procession
IT. Procession.
Two figures on
figures
through a gateway.
horseback, preceded
Battlements of
city.
and one
in adoration.
by musicians.
Spectators in the upper
apartments of the houses. This
Sakya
scene,
perhaps,
represents
Kapila at the earnest
to
the
return
request
of
of
his
rocks,
and
father.
V. Domestic Scenes at Fountain.
— Wild
water gushing forth into a pool, which flowing.
A
other
;
over-
female seated on the rock with her
legs in the water. seated, with
is
To the
left,
a loving couple
arms thrown around each the male with a cup in his hand. To the their
right, a royal personage playing the sdrangi, or
DESCRIPTION OF THE SANCHI BAS-RELIEFS.
In
lute.
£33
the foreground, two elephants in water.
The king , seated on the left elephant, is assisting' a female to get up behind. On the right elephant two females are seated behind the -
king.
This bas-relief appears to represent four different domestic scenes in the
he
is
Sakya.
In the
first,
seen seated in playful dalliance with his wife
Yasodara. while she to
life of
is
In the second, he is playing the sdrangi, bathing-. In the third, he is assisting her
mount an elephant ; and,
in the fourth, they are
seated together on the elephant.
NORTHERN GATE.
—Inner Pace.
Left Pillar I.
Cave Temple.
—Entrance
a cave temple; nu-
to
merous figures standing with hands joined in
The
adoration.
king's face turned towards the
temple. II. Procession.
— Figure
in
a
two-horse
issuing from a city gate, preceded
by
chariot
musicians.
Standard-bearer mounted on an elephant, and
horsemen
inside
the
city.
Spectators in the
upper apartments of the gateway and in the verandahs of the palace. III.
Worship of Tree. females, with long
— Tree
and
altar.
plaited hair, seated in
Four adora-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
234 tion.
Seven females standing with joined hands.
One male
1
figure paying adoration.
This scene represents the king and his family pay-
ing their private adorations to one of the sacred Bodhi trees.
—
INSCRIPTIONS.
235
CH'APTER XVI. INSCRIPTIONS.— NO.
I.
TOPE.—SANCHI.
From North to East Plate
—Inside.
XVI. No.
Kekateyapurasa Dhama-Sivasa ddnam.
1.
Dharma
" Gift of
This
No. 21 of James Prinsep's Sanchi
is
He
tions.*
Siva of Kekateyapura."
reads Kehateyakasa
as
inscrip-
a part of the
donor's name. No. 2.—Hanct-bMchhuniy& ddnam. " Gift of HANl,>the mendicant nun."j No.
3.— Vaja-Gfutasa ddnam. " Gift of Vajra-Gupta."
No. 25 of Prinsep^ who reads Vajdgato" Gift of VkijagAn ; " because in Pali an ddnam, This
is
becomes ato in the genitive ; but he has omitted the vowel
u,
and the
final s in gutasa,
very distinct even in his *
The Nos.
Plates in his
Plate
own
both of which are
fac-simile.
of James Prinsep's inscriptions are taken from the
—
Journal
XXIII. ;
vol.
vi.,
Plate
XXVII., and
vol. vii.,
the lesser Nos. being in the former Plate, and the
greater Nos. in the latter.
———
236
THE BHILSA TOPES. No.
4.
—
Dhamagirikasa m&tu-ddnam. " Gift of Dharmagirika's mother."
Prinsep, No. 5, reads Dhamagdlika, but the vowels are very distinct in the inscription. No.
5.
Kekateydkasa Jamata Vijitasa d&nam.
" Gift of Janamata Vrijita of Kekateyaka" No.
6.
Kddasa-bhichhuno-ddnam.
" Gift of Kanda, the mendicant monk."
Prinsep, No. 15; translates bhichhuno, "poor man •"
but the Bhihshu was a mendicant
vows of poverty, and who begged No.
7.
—Devo-bh&g
(iniya)
who had taken
his bread.
Dhamanaka
(yd) Ihichhuniye
d&nam. " Gift of Deva's
Dharmanaka,
sister,
the men-
dicant nun."
—Inside.
From East to South No.
8.
— Vdkaldye Deviye Ahi-Mitama (tu-ddnam). " (Gift of) Vakala-Devi, the mother of AhiMitra."
Prinsep, No. 40; reads Akilaye Deviye ahi
mara ; but
own
the vowel
fac-simile.
same as that of No. No.
9.
No. 10.
i
in
Mita
is
distinct
The mother's name
is
matu
even in his nearly the
11.
ikaya. Phaguyavasa . " Of Phalguna the Updsiku." .
Nagadinasa-bhichhuno-dcmam.
" Gift of Nagadina, the mendicant monk."
——
INSCRIPTIONS. No. 11.
237
Ujeniya Vdkiliy&na d&nam. « Gift of Vakiliyan of Ujain."
See No. 76 for another No. 12.
gift of this person.
Ujeniya Gopdlasa-Visa(ka")masa-ddnam.
" Gift of Gopala Viswakarma
(the architect)
of Ujain."
Ayapasanakasa
No. 13.
" Gift of
—bhichhuno-ddnam.
Arya-Prasanaka,
the
mendicant
monk." No. 14.
Nadinagara Achalaya-bhikhuniya ddnam, " Gift of Achala, the mendicant nun of Nadinagara."
Nadinagard Kabojasa-lhikhuno ddnam. " Gift of Kamboja, the mendicant monk of
No, 15.
Nadinagara."
From South to West Gate
—Inside.
Siha-Bakhitasa-pajavatiya Sono Devaya ddnam.
No. 16.
" Gift of Sinha-Rakshita's
sister-in-law,
Sona-
Deva."
Pajavati wife.
the Sanskrit Praj&vati,
is
Prinsep,
differently
No.
a brother's
8, reads this inscription quite
:
Siha-rakhitasa-parawtiyasa-rudov&ya ddnam.
" Gift of Sri
name
out the lady's inscription
(or Sinha) Bakhita, the hill
is
man, to Rudova ? "
again mentioned in the next
:
No. 17.
Sono-Dewya-parijaya Agidoviyadha-ddnam.
" Gift of Sona-Deva's
man" No. 18.
servant,
Agni, the washer-
(?)
Subhagdyasa-bhdginikaya-d&nam.
" Gift of Subhagaya's
sister."
—
——
238
THE BHILSA TOPES.
No. 7, reads Sabhageyamasa-aginikeya " ddnam, Gift of Sabhageya, the fireman (or black•" smith) but I had the letters of all the inscriptions Prinsep,
I have full own transcript (See No. 36 for a
well cleaned before I copied them, and
my
confidence in gift of
Subhaga
himself)
:
Dhama-Bakhitasa — bhichhuno-ddnam. " Gift of Dharma Rakshita, the mendicant
No. 19.
monk."
A
No. 20.
(yd) sa-kamakasa-ddnam.
" Gift of Arya-Karmaka." No. 21
Pusagirino
.
— bhichhuno-ddnam.
" Gift of Pusagiri, the mendicant monk." No. 22.
—
.
.
.
" Gift of
pasa-kama Chada bhichhuniya ddnam. .
.
.
pakarma ChandI, the men-
cant Nun."
No. 23.
Samanerasa Abeyakasa Sethino ddnam.
" Gift
of the ascetic
Abeyaka,
the Sreshti." (See
No. 124.)
Sreshti means the master of a trade or guild ; a " deacon" in Scotland. Prinsep, Nos. 4 and 11, makes Samanera a man's name ; and reads " Gift of
Samanera and of Abeyaka;" but the omission of the conjunction cha, which should follow each this
name
were the true reading) shows that Samanera
only the
common
title
of ^TTOWtTj
(if is
Srdmanera, an
ascetic.
No. 24.
Pati-bdnasa hhichhuno Pddayasa Atevdsino ddnam.
" Gift of Pratiban, the mendicant monk, pupil of Pdndaya."
——
S39
INSCRIPTIONS. No. 25.
This
Udubaraghariyasa Sa . . Rakhitasa-ddnam. " Gift of 8ANDHAEAKSHiTA of Udubaraghariya." ; .
inscription
has
puzzled
from
Prinsep
its
rudeness. Udatikaye bkichhuni Vedisikayd ddnam. " Gift of TJdatika, the mendicant nun of Vidisa."
No. 26.
From West No. 27.
to
North Gate. — (Inside.)
— Yasopdlasa-da (nam) Ihadanaka. "
No. 28.
Gift of
Yasopala, the fortunate?"
Mahamaragimusapagirino-ddnam. " Gift of Sarpagiri, the . .
.
No. 29.— Pusasa-cha-Hatiyasa bhichhunoddnam.
"Gift of Pusa and of Hatiya, the mendicant monks."
No. 30.
Dhama
Rakhitaya Madhava-nikdye ddnam.
" Gift of
Dharma
Rakshita, of the Mddhava
community."
13TRJ, nikaya, means an assemhly, a congregation.
No. 31.
No. 32.
Dhana-bhiMuno ddnam. " Gift of Dhana, the mendicant monk." (Ga) ha-patino Budha Ghosa
" (Gift
No
24.
of) the householder,
Gotiputasa
.
.
.
Budha Ghosha."
Bhadukam bhichhuno ddnam. son, Bhanduka, the mendicant
" Gift of Goti's monk."
See No. 110 for another son of Goti. relic
See also the
hones of Sanchi, Sonari, and Andher, for other
sons of the same teacher.
——
240
THE BHILSA TOPES. No. 34.
— Veyajasa-g&masa-ddnam. " Gift of Vejajjagrama."
Prinsep, No. 10, suggests that the population of a village ;
offering;
called Vrijagrdma,
but the name
is
combined to make this most probably that of a
man. Araha-Gutasa Sds&dakasa bhichhuno ddnam.
No. 35.
"
Gift of
Arhata Gupta,
a mendicant
monk
of
the Sdsdrdaka order."
Sdsan
is
" devotion/' and arda means " to beg;"
Sdsdrdaka, therefore, means a religious mendicant, but as Bhikshu has the same signification, I have considered the former as the
title
of a particular class
or order. Sabhagasa Koragharasa ddnam.
No. 36.
" Gift of Subhaga, of Koraghara.
(See No. 18 for a gift of Subhaga's
Aya
No, 37.
sister.)
Bahilasa Sdrhineyakasa-Mdtu ddnam.
" Gift of
Arya EahilI,
the mother of Sarhi-
neyaha.
There
is
a grammatical mistake in the masculine
termination of the female name, which should have
been
Bahilaya.
The
son's
name may be
Saphineyaha.
From East Gate— Outside. No. 38.
— Vaddn&ye
Upa&ikdyd ddnam.
" Gift of Vadana, the Updsikd."
read
—
——
241
INSCRIPTIONS.
Upasika means literally a c< worshipper/' or rather a " female worshipper." M. Burnouf* renders this term by " devotee/' which certainly appears to be the best equivalent for
I consider the Up&saka
it.
and Upasika as male and female devotees who had not taken the vows of celibacy and mendicancy pro-
by the Bhihshu and JShikshuni.
fessed
Kdkandye Bhagavatopamona-lathi ; or
No. 39.
Kdhenoye Bhagavatopamdne-rathi,
No. 18; reads
as Prinsep, lation.
which
it;
but he gives no trans-
I can only suggest Bhagavata-upamanoratM,
may
be translated
" Gift of K&kana, an anxious longer
Manor atha is "
wish, desire/'
is
often
Bhagavat."
and upa means " excess the " Supreme Being,"
Bhagavata is applied to Buddha.
of anything."
and
for
No. 40.
Tubavani-gahapatinopatithiya-nasdya-visamana-
datiya-ddnam ; or vesa-man-
Gobavand-gahapati-nopatidhiyanusaya
dataya ddnam,
according to Prinsep, No. 6, * Introduction a l'Histoire
des textes,
lecture attentive
respectable a mes yeux que
who
thus
du Buddhisme Indien, et
quelques
celles
called
i.
p.
autorites
que je viens de
decide en faveur du sens de devot ou fdtte."
Hindu Theatre,
translates
279
—"La
non
moins
citer,
m'ont
See also Wilson's
123, where the heroine of the Mrichhakati
BuddhopAsikd, the " devoted-to-Buddha."
R
is
—
——
'
THE BHILSA TOPES.
242 it
:
.
" Gift of the
called
Nopati,
cowherd Agrapati,
to the highly
commonly
ornamented (Chaitya)
but Agrapati would be written Agapati,
:"
and not
gahapatino is the Pah genitive of the Sanskrit grihapati, a " householder/' and the
In
Agahapati.
inscription
may
fact,
be read thus
:
" Gift of Visarmana-datti the
.
.
•
of Pratisthiya, a
householder of Tubavan."
taking patithiya for pratisthiya. tion,
which
is
The next
four times repeated, refers to the same
person, and proves the correctness of is
Prinsep's No.
No
.
41
.
inscrip-
my
reading.
It
9.
Tubamni-gakapatino-patithiyasa-ddnam
" Gift of Pratisthiya, a householder of Tulavan."
No. 42.
NamdmaMdisd
rakhitasa ddnam.
" Gift of Isa-Rakshita, of Narmamakddi "
No. 43.
No. 44.
?
Nadavuno-cha Nadidrohisa-cha dinam. " Gift both of Nandabu and of Nadisirohi." Pothd Devdya ddnam.
"GiftofPoTHA-DEVA." No, 45,
— Kandarigdmiyasa
-
Ndgaya-
Sethino -pajavatiya
danam. " Gift of NagA, the sister-in-law of the Sreshti of
Kandarig&miya."
No. 46.
— Kandarigdmiyasa
-
Sethino -pajavatiya
-
Ddsdya-
ddnam. " Gift of DAsA, the
sister-in-law of the Sreshti of
Kandarigamiya.'
——
INSCRIPTIONS. No. 47.
243
Kandarigamd-varhasa ddnam. " Gift of Vakha, of Kandarigr&ma."
Kandarigrdma, or grdmiya, must have been a considerable place ; or
it
would not have had a Sreshti.
Mulagirino ddnam lekhakasa. " Gift of Mulagiri, the scribe."
No. 48.
Prinsep, No. 30, reads lakhakasa, the " millionaire."
But
the inscription occurs twice, and No. 49. No. 50.
Ujeniyi
—
.
.
is
quite distinct.
.
Yakhadtinasa-bhikhuno-ddnam.
" Gift of Yakshadana, the mendicant monk." No. 51.
Padondya- Upasikdkaya-ddnam. " Gift of Padona, the devotee."
No. 52.—
raha-Savdnodasa Isadatasa-ddnam. " Gift of Isa-datta, the humble in all things" .
.
.
I have taken savdnoda "
all"
as a
compound of
and anuddhat, humility ; but
1
sarvva,
this rendering- is
a mere conjecture. No. 53.
Navagdmikand Upasik&na-ddnam. " Gift of Navagamika, the devotee."
No. 54.
Isi-Mitdyd Vahilasa ddnam.
" Gift of Isi-Mitha of Vakila. (Bhilsa ?)"
This inscription No. 55.
is
on the
coping* to the north-east.
— Ujeniya Rohuniya ddnam. " Gift of Rohuni of Ujain."
No. 56.
Ujeniya Dhamagirino-ddnam.
" Gift of Dhabmagiei of Ujain."
——
THE BHILSA TOPES.
244
No. 29, reads Dhamagilino, but the meaning- of the name remains unchanged, the two Prinsep,
liquid letters r
and
being constantly used the one
Z
for the other.
No. 57.
— Ujeniya Sonasa ddnam. "GiftofSoNAof
Ujain."
Ujeniya Tapasaydna Pusanajaya ddnam.
No. 58.
"Gift
of
the
tapasya
(ascetic)
Pusdnajd of
Ujain."
Prinsep, No. 35, reads punsanamjaya, and trans-
" The victory
lates
gift
of the people performing
But tapasya
austerities
at Ujain."
like that of
Bkikshu or Upasikd
to imagine
how
is
and
•
only a
it is
title,
not easy
the gift of a stone-slab could have
anything to do with a victory. No. 59.
— Ujeniya Tapasayana " Gift of the
ascetic
Isi
Mitasd-ddnam.
Isi-Mitra of Ujain."
Prinsep, No. 32, reads Isi-mdtasa, and translates,
" The
gift
of the
body of
rishis
performing* their
austerities at Ujain."
No. 60.
— Ujeniya Mula-dataye ddnam. " Gift of Mula-datta of Ujain."
No. 61.— Ujeniya Balakaya ddnam.
No. 62.
" Gift of
Balaka
Ujeniya
Upedadatasa
of Ujain."
—pajavataya
Maya-dalaya
ddnam.
"Gift
of
Mayadatta,
the
TJpendradatta of Ujain."
sister-in-law
of
—
245
INSCRIPTIONS.
No. 34, reads padavalayuchhaya, " translates, The gift of Upendradatta of Ujain,
and
Prinsep,
perpetual charity to the itinerants." ficult
to conceive
how
the
gift
But
for a
is
dif-
of a stone to
the
it
Sanchi enclosure could form a charity to anybody.
The
correctness of
my
reading
is
proved by the two
Upendradatta's
following inscriptions.
own
gift
is
recorded in No. 90. No. 63.
— Ujeniya
Upedadatasa
Himadataya
bhaginiya
ddnam. " Gift of Himadatta, the
sister
of Upendra-
datta of Ujain."
Ujeniya Upedadatasa ihaginiya Budhaye-ddnam.
No. 64.
" Gift of Buddha, the
sister of
Upendradatta of
Ujain."
Ujeniya Kadiye bhichhuniye ddnam. " Gift of Kadru, the mendicant nun of Ujain."
No. 65.
No. 66.
— Ujeniya Chheta-matu ddnam. " Gift of Chhetra's mother of Ujain."
Prinsep, No. 31, prefers Kshatra's mother
the meaningNo. 67.
is
j
but
exactly the same.
— Ujeniya Tapasiyena Siha-dataya ddnam. " Gift of the Ascetic Sinha-datta of Ujain."
This
No. 37.
is
probably the same inscription as Prinsep's If so the p of Tapasiyena has been omitted.
No. 68.
— Ujeniya Saphineyakina Isakasa ddnam. " Gift of Isaka, the Saphineyaki (?)of Ujain."
Prinsep,
No. 33,
translates
" The
gift
of
the
— ——
246
THE BHILSA TOPES.
By reading
morality students of TJjain to the rishis." savineyaka,
as
Prinsep
has
the
done,
translation
would rather be " learned in Vinaya," which was the
name
of the lowest class of Buddhist scriptures. No. 69.
Kuraghara hi Mitaya ddnam. " Gift of Isi Mitra of Kuraghara."
No. 70.— Ujeniya Vipulaya ddnam. " Gift of Vipula of TJjain." No. 71.
Kuraghara Naraya ddnam. " Gift of Nara of Kuraghara."
No. 72.
Kuraghari Nigd Mitaya ddnam. " Gift of Nagamitra of Kuraghari."
No. 73.
Bodhe Gothiye Dhama Varhanana ddnam. " Gift of Bodhi-Gothi for the advancement
of
Dharma." No. 74.
Nagddinasa-bhichhuno ddnam.
" Gift of Nagadina, the mendicant monk." No. 75.
Phaguyavasa
.
rikdya.
"(Giftof)PHALGUNA No.
.
.
."
(See No. 9.)
76. — Ujeniya
Vakiliydnd ddnam. " Gift of Vakiliyan of TJjain."
Prinsep, No. 28, reads Phahiliyanam, and translates
See No. 11 for
"Gift of subscribers of Ujain."
another of this person's No. 77.
gifts.
— Ujeniya Gohilasa
Visasa-cha
" Gift of Gohila and of
No. 78.
d&nam.
Viswa
of Ujain."
Chirdtiya hhichhuniyd ddnam.
" Gift of Chirati, the mendicant nun."
Prinsep,
woman."
No. 14,
translates
bhikshuni as
" poor
———
247
INSCRIPTIONS. No. 79.
Sadhanasa bhichhuno ddnam. " Gift of Sadhana, the mendicant monk."
No. 80.
Aswa-Devaye Bahadata mdtu ddnam. " Gift of Aswa-Deva, the mother of Bahadatta."
Prinsep, No. 41, reads " No. 81.
Aswa
Devi."
— Utareyekasa Saligutasa ddnam. " Gift of Satya
Gupta
of Utareyaka."
Prinsep, No. 38, reads Ogireyakasa, the
wala" or " son of Agra;" but with u} and not with No. 82.
l<
Agar-
his fac-simile begins
o.
Araha Gutaya ddnam. " Gift of the Arhata, Gupta," " Gift of Arhata Gupta."
or
Prinsep, No. 13, Arahagataya, of Arahagatd.
am
I
not sure that the lady had attained the rank of
it is quite possible that araha should form only part of her name, arhata Gupta, or " cherished
arhat ; for
by the arhats f for a Bhikshuni, even of eighty years of age, was inferior to an upasampada, or newly ordained
monk
No. 83.
of twenty years.
Aswa Devaya " Gift of
Sarnikasa
Aswa Deva,
Mdtu danam. the mother of Samika."
(See No. 80, and No. 119). No. 84.
— Yasilaya Atevasini Sagha Rakhitaya ddnam. " Gift of
Sangha Kakshita,
the
pupil
of
YasM." No. 85.
Sethino-m&tu Kaniya ddnam.
" Gift of Kaniya, the mother of the Sreshti."
Prinsep, No. 17, reads rnata, and translates " the
—
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
248
Sethin's deceased daughter;"
but the word ddnam
shows that the inscription records a " 'gift," and not an " obituary notice." No. 86.
— Yasilaya ddnam. " Gift of Yasila."
See No. 84 for
this lady's
She
name.
is
there re-
corded as the teacher of Sangha Rakshita.
No. 27, reads No. 87.
Prinsep,
Yasili.
Setldno-gliati-kamak&rikana
ddnam;
or,
Seth in o-pati-hamakalik&n d ddnam,
of Prinsep,
women
serving
word
No
is
ghati,
26,
who
translates
of the nobility."
" Gift of the
But
the
a ghat, or landing-place;
second
and as
makarin, or makarika, means the ocean, I think that the translation should be " Gift of the Sreshti of the Sea-ghat."
that
is,
u of the harbour-master."
No. 88.
— Vasulaye danam. " Gift of Vasula."
Nos. 24
and 25, reads Vasuliye, but notices that the name, which occurs more than once, is also written Vasulaye, and states that these difPrinsep,
ferences are caused
compound
by an attempt
to render without
letters the Sanskrit genitive
Vasulyah.
——
INSCRIPTIONS.
249
Dadatasa Pdwdrikasa ddnam.
No. 89.
" Gift of
Dandata
of Pdwdrika."
The town of Pdwd was on the northern bank of the Ganges between Vaisali and Kusinagara. No. 90.
— Upedadatasa ddnam. " Gift of Upendradatta."
(See Nos. 62, 63,
64.)
No. 91.
SemaJcaye Dhitaye ddnam.
" Gift of Semakadhrita." No. 92.
— Vdghumanyo Saghadandya bhichhuniye ddnam. " Gift of Sangha-dana, the mendicant Nun, of
Vaghumanya" No. 93.
?
— Yakhiya bhichhuniye- Vedisa ddnam. " Gift of Yakshi, the mendicant nun of
"
Prinsep, No. 42, translates priestess
and
Vidisa."
Gift of Yakhi, the
traveller."
Sethi Bha {dasa) ddnam. " Gift of Bhadka, Sreshti of Kundura."
Kudurasa
No. 94.
No. 95.—Kurardye tapasiye matu ddnam.
" Gift of Kurara, the No. 96.
—
.
.
.
ascetic's
mother."
pidalaya Sadina pajava(ti)ya ddnam.
" Gift of
.
.
.
pidattd, the sister-in-law of Sadi."
No. 45, reads hidatdye sada dinadhe gift for those living" jivdya ddnam, and translates, " here (for distribution of food) at midday for ever." Prinsep,
A
But
the gift of a pillar or rail of the stone enclosure
can have no connection with the provision of food.
———
THE BHILSA TOPES.
250
hagomiya Chada Gutasa sA . . " Gift of Chandra-Gupta
No. 97.
.
.
No.
Dhara-hind Sdtilasa ddnam. " Gift of SAntila of Dharaki
98.
may
be read in another
way
arhat of Kapasigrama (cotton-town)
as ;
f
seems the more simple reading and ing-
.
mita ddnam.
.
."
.
Dharanagara)."
Kdpasigama Arahasa ddnam. " Gift of Kapasigrama, the arhat."
No. 99.
This
(?
.
" Gift of the
but the former
is
also in keep-
with the other inscriptions, each of which records
the gift of a particular individual.
This inscription
occurs twice. No. 100.
Ketakareyakasa Araha-ddsasa ddnam.
" Gift of Arhata-Dasa, of Ketakareya." No. 101.
Ketakareya BJiadakasa ddnam.
" Gift of
Bhadraka
of Ketakareya.''
This inscription occurs three times. No. 102.
Apathakasa ddnam. " Gift of Aprasthaka."
No. 103.
Bhoga-varhanakasa Ajiti-gutasa.
"
(Gift) of
Ajita-Gupta, the
increaser of en-
joyment."
No. 104.
Bajahikdtd Arahadinasa ddnam.
" Gift of Arahadina of Rajahikati." No. 105.
-Bhoga-varhana
Dhama Bakhitaya
Siva Nadino
matu. " Gift of Siva-Nandi's mother,
Dharma Rak-
shita, the increaser of enjoyment."
This occurs twice.
The use of the names of Siva
——
INSCRIPTIONS.
and Nandi at
this early
The Bhogavarhana No. 103,
may
No. 106.
period
of this
251 very remarkable.
is
inscription, as well as of
name
perhaps be the
of a place.
Saghaya ddnam.
"GiftofSANGHA." No. 107.
Navagdmakasa Milcaye Ujenihdrd danam. " Gift of Mriksha, of Navagdmaka (New-town), in Ujain."
No. 108.
Sri Gutasa Vdnijasa danam.
" Gift of Sri-Gupta, of V&nijaf or " Gift of Sri-Gupta, the grain merchant."
It
is
not impossible that Vanija
" nephew,
or "
No. 109.
sister's
may mean
only
son ;" the bhdnjd of Urdu.
.Subdhitasa-pajavatiyd Majhimdyd danam. " Gift of Madhyama, the sister-in-law of Subahita."
No. 110.
Subdhitasa Gotiputasa, Rajalipdkarasa danam.
Subahita,
"Gift of
son of
Goti,
the
royal
scribe."
This
is
the most valuable of
the Sanchi colonnade Goti,
whose
;
as
it
all
the inscriptions on
belongs to the family of
eldest son Gotiputra
the celebrated Mogaliputra.
was the teacher of
This inscription there-
Sanchi enclosure in
fore serves to fix the date of the
the early part of Asoka's reign. No. 111.
Taradapaddnd Updsikaya danam. " Gift of Tarandapada, the devotee."
No. 112.
Burdya musanagothiyajana Vedisdnyd.
"GiflofBuRA(?)
.
.
.
of
WW
——
259
THE BHILSA TOPES. Dhama
No. 113.
Rakhitaya
kdchupathasa
Ihichhuniye
ddnam. " Gift of
DriABMA Bakshita,
the mendicant
nun, of Katyaprastha."
Dhama
No. 114.
Rakhitasa
Kachhupathasa
bhichhuno
ddnam. " Gift of
Dharma RakshitA,
the mendicant
monk, of Katyaprastha." Sandh&nasa hhichhu danam. " Gift of SandhAna, the mendicant monk."
No. 115.
The
possessive
termination
of
bhichhu(no
)
is
omitted in the original. No. 116.
Pusagirino Vagamahasa danam, " Gift of Pusagiri, of Vangamaka ;" or
" Gift of
Vangamaka
South Gate. No. 117.
No. 118.
of Pusagiri."
— Outside.
Bhichhakasa Padanayasa danam. " Gift of the mendicant Padanaya."
— Vdghumato Kachano-pitano ddnam. " Gift of Vaghuman, the father of Katya."
No. 119. No. 120.
Samikasa- Vdnikasa-
—
-putasa-cha-Siripalasa
danam
No. 121.
" Three (=)
=
gifts of
Samika, son of VInika, and
of SRIPi.LA."
This inscription
is
carved on three
railing's of the
colonnade^ and, as the gift thus consisted of three rails,
I presume that the three horizontal strokes
which follow danam are intended
for that
number.
See Plate IX. of the Sanchi enclosure, where this
— — —
353
INSCRIPTIONS. curious inscription is it
shown in the actual
occupies on the three
see
rails.
position
which
For Samika's mother
No. 83. Bhadata Vdjukasa danam. " Gift of Bhadrata Vanjuka."
No. 122. No. 123.
— Visakhasa bhichhuno danam. " Gift of Vaisakha, the mendicant monk."
PI.
XVIII. No. 124. Sdmanerasa Abeyakasa Sethino diinam. " Gift of the ascetic Abeyaka, the Sreshti."
See No. 23. No. 125.
Nadi-Gutasa danam bhichhuno. " Gift of Nandi (or Nadi) Gupta, the mendicant monk."
Prinsep, No. 12, reads Nadigata, a " ferryman." No. 126.
Podaka d&nadata Dha (mika) d&nam.
"The No. 127.
religious gift of
Podraka Danadatta."
Arapanato arahadi (nasa matu ddnani). " Gift of Aryapana (the mother of) ArhataDINA."
See No. 148 for another inscription of the same lady. No. 128.
Nyabalamidakajape-danam. (?)
No. 129.
Madhnvana JDhama Gutasa bhichhuno danam. Dharma Gupta, the mendicant monk, of Madhuvana" (perhaps Mahobd).
" Gift of
No. 130.
Nadasa Kurarago. " (Gift of Nanda, of Kurara
No. 131.
.
.
."
Mahagirino bhichhuno danam. " Gift of Mahagiri, the mendicant monk.''
——
254
THE BHILSA TOPES. No. 132.
Madkuvana Isidataya
bhichuniye
ddnam.
" Gift of Isidatta, the mendicant nun of
Ma-
dhuvana."
No. 133.
ddnam.
Isidataye Ihikhiniye Kurariye
" Gift of Isidatta, the mendicant nun of Kurdriya."
No. 134.
Dhama Pdlasa " Gift of
.
.
thukapadinasa ddnam.
.
..."
Dharma Pala
Upasijhasa Phagunasa bhatu bhichhuno.
No. 135.
" (Gift) of Upasidya, the brother of Phalguna, the mendicant monk."
No. 136.
Bhoga-varhanato Isi Rakhitaya. " (Gift) of Isi Rakshita, the increaser of enjoyment."
No. 137.
Bhoga varhand Dunyondne. " (Gift) of Dunyona, the increaser of enjoyment."
No. 138.
Kurariyasa Vimalasa ddnam. " Gift of Vimala, of Kurariya."
No. 139.
Sdmidatasa bhichhuno ddnam. " Gift of Swamidatta, the mendicant monk."
No. 140.
Devagirino Padenekayikasa.
" No. 141.
(Gift) of
Devagiri, of Pandenekayika."
Bhichhunosa Atevasa
.
.
" Gift of the mendicant's pupil No. 142.
No. 143.
(?)
.
.
.
."
Pasakasa bhichhuno ddnam. " Gift of Parswaka, the mendicant monk." Chudasa-cha
Dhama
Rakhitasa
bhichhuno
ddnam. " Gift of
Kshudra and
of
Dharma
the mendicant monks."
No. 144.
Ujeniye Agisamaye
ddnam.
" Gift of Agnisarma, of Ujain."
Rakshita,
——
255
INSCRIPTIONS. No. 145.
Patithanasa
bhichhuno-d&nam
Ay a
.
i
.
na
Atevasino.
" Gift of PratisthAna, the mendicant monk,
Arya
pupil of
.
•
."
Budha Rakhitasa bhichhuno danam Esavatasq. " Gift of Budha Rakshita, the mendicant
No. 146.
monk No. 147.
.
.
."
Nadinagarikaya Isidinaye Ihichhuniye. " Gift of IsidinA, the mendicant nun of Nadinagarika."
No. 14S.—Ardp&na Asadasamatu danam. " Gift of AryApAnA, the mother of Asada."
See No. 137 for another inscription of the same
name. No. 149.
— Ujeniye-tdpasiyana Nasaya Mitaya. " (Gift) of Nasa-Mitra, the (female) ascetic."
No. 150.
Bharadiyasa Sapurisasa Yugapajakasa danam.
" Gift of Bhardiya
(son)
of the emancipated
Yugaprajnaka." (Luminary
The term sapurisa sapurusha, which
purusha, the
is
is
of the age.)
the Pali form of the Sanskrit
a compound of
divinity, or of
sa,
with,
and
the pronoun sa, which,
when joined with purusha, means, " the man," or " that man," or simply " the mortal." The term is found on nearly
all
the relic-caskets, and must there-
fore apply to the dead.
Accordingly I have every
by " emancipated," that is, from This gives the meaning atfuture transmigrations. tached to the term by the Buddhists but perhaps a
where rendered
it
;
more
literal translation
would be "absorbed," that
is,
——
256
;
THE BHILSA TOPES. Each word
into the divine essence.
gives the meaning'
term sapurusha implies one who has attained Buddhahood by " absorption " into the divine essence, and who is therefore " emancipated" in part only
;
for the
Perhaps the best render-
from future transmigration. ing would be tained
*'
the Buddha," that
Buddhahood
:
but
as
one
is,
the
sole
Buddhist was to obtain moksha, that
is,
who has
at-
aim of the " liberation,
or emancipation" from transmigration, I have preferred the well-known term
" emancipated."
Ayadhanakasa bhichhuno ddnam.
No. 151.
" Gift of
Aryadhanaka,
the mendicant monk."
No. 152.
Jonhalcasa bhichhuno ddnam. " Grift of Jonhaka, the mendicant monk."
No. 153.
Jenahasa-bhichhuno ddnam. " Gift of Jenaka, the mendicant monk."
No. 154.
Dhama " Gift of
No. 155.
Bakhitdya Madhuvanikaye ddnam.
Dharma
Rakshita, of Madhuvanika."
Mahamarati musipagarano-ddnam.
This inscription appears to be the same as No. 28
but I
am
unable to offer any translation.
No. 156.
— Yaso-P&lasa ddnam hhasikada. "GiftofYASO-PiLA."
No. 157.
Dhanagirino ddnam.
"GiftofDHANAGIRI." No. 158.
Pusasa-cha Hatiyasa bhichhuno ddnam.
"Gift of Pusa and of Hatiya, the mendicant monks."
———
INSCRIPTIONS.
257
From South Gate to West Gate. No. 159.
Balikdya
hhichhuniya
madald
chhakatikaye
ddnam. " Gift of Balika, the mendicant nun of the temple of Chhakrdtika."
No. 160.
Dhamasthiriyd IMchhuniye madala chhikatikaye
ddnam. " Gift of Dharma Sthiri, the mendicant nun of the temple of Chhakrdtika."
No. 161.
Avisinaye
madala
Sutatikiniyd
Chhikatikaye
danam. " Gift of Sutrantikirni, the novice of the temple of Chhakr&tika."
The term Avisina occurs
in No. 190 as Avesani, " which means an entrance," from vis "to enter."
Avesana and Avesand may therefore be the titles of those who had entered into the religious life, but had I have consequently, but not without hesitation, rendered the terms by " neo-
not yet taken the vows.
phyte" twice.
and It
" novice."
may
also
This
inscription
occurs
be rendered " Gift of Avisina,
the Sutrdntiki (or reader of the Sutras), in the temple of Chhrakratika." No. 162.
Sagha Devasa Verohakatasa Vdniddsa ddnam. " Gift of Vani Dasa, the . . of Sangha .
Deva." No. 163.— Bhadikiyasa Sanghilasa ddnam. " Gift of Bhadikriya, of Sanghila ;" or perhaps, " Gift of Sanghila, of Bhadikriya." No. 104.
Arahata Palitasa " Gift of the
.
.
.
Arhata Palita
.
.
."
S
———
258
THE BHILSA TOPES. Arahakasa Paripanakasa ddnam.
No. 165.
"Gift of the Arhata Paripanaka."
Dhamagirika m&tu ddnam.
No. 166.
" Gift of Dharmagiri's mother."
From West
to North.
—Outside.
— Udiya Nadinagariya ddnam.
No. 167.
" Gift of Udi, of Nadinagari."
This occurs twice on portions of the fallen colon-
nade
to
N.
W.
No. 168.
Sadhathasa Va
.
.
" Gift of
No. 169.
Sadhantha Id Dasiyena d&nam
. .
:
.
."
Garakaye hhichhuniye
d&nam. " Gift of Garaka, the mendicant nun, offered by Isi
No. 170.
Dasi."
Nadinagara Dupasaha hhichhuniye ddnam. "Gift of Drupasaha, the mendicant nun of Nadinagara."
No. 171.— Yakhadasiya dd(nam).
"GiftofYAKSHA-DASI." No. 172.
Datakulavadasa ddnam. " Gift of Datta-Kulavada."
On Small Pillars Fallen from Upper Enclosure. No. 173.
Damakasa " Gift of
sotikasukasukapasa.
Damaka
.
.
."
No. 174.— Dhama-datasa ddnam. " Gift of Dharma-datta."
—
—
259
INSCEIPTIONS. No. 175.— Arahad&siya-bhichhuniye ddnam.
Plate,
" Gift of Arhata-Dasi, the mendicant nun." No, 176.
S&midar&ya ddnam.
"GiftofSwAMIDARA.",
Inscription on South Pillar.
PL XIX., No.
This inscription
177.
is
carved upon
a fragment of a broken isolated pillar near the south
gateway.
As it was
a practice amongst the early
dhists, before building a
Bud-
Tope, to erect a pillar on the
with an inscription recording their intentions,
spot,
it
seems possible that this broken column might bear a
memorial inscription relating
either to the erection of
the Great Sanchi Tope, or to some additions or repairs.
The
latter is the
the former case
But
was generally
the inscription
literated that
it
more probable, is
as the pillar in
not always removed.
if
unfortunately so
much
ob-
baffled even the heaven-born sagacity
of James Prinsep.
Some few words he read
;
but
apparently with hesitation, as he says,* "This inscription is in too mutilated a state to be restored entirely, line,
but from the commencement of the third
bhakhatibhikhunabhi khamavase data,
it
may
be
was made by ' a charitable and religiously-disposed person for hungry priests/ and this is confirmed by the two nearly perfect concluded that
some provision
lines at the foot, * Journal, vii. p.
565.
— 260
THE BHILSA TOPES.
" Sasijald petaviye
ichhdhime(idi)si
:
sampesimate
chilathiiika
siydti.
"'
It is also
given to drink
my desire may
;
that camphorated (cool
this excellent purpose
water should be
?)
endure for
ever.'
"
I examined the inscription in several positions and in all lights
:
I took impressions on paper and made
a copy by hand
but the surface of the stone has
;
been so much injured that very few of the
letters are
readable excepting- in the last two lines.
however, a sufficient blank surface on
make
it
certain that
It
tion.
is
is,
four sides to
all
we have the whole much to be
therefore very
There
of the inscrip-
regretted that
the general indistinctness of the letters should have
rendered this inscription almost ing-
nearly obliterated
is
;
illegible.
The open-
but, on a comparison of
James Prinsep's copy with my own, I think it probable that the first word was Devanam next comes a blank; and then Maga, or perhaps Magadha; and ;
it is
possible that the whole line
Devanam(piya) Magadhe
might be read
raja.
" Devanampriya, King- of Maghadha."
The second
line
may
(a)bhi(vademd)nam Chetiyagiri
.
" with salutation
At
.
to the fraternity of
I
is
can trace
distinctly
the
name
Chaityagiri."
word Sano»ham and
I
think
Dhamagiri.
The
legible;
of
:—
.
the end of the third line, the
"community" that
be partially restored, thus
——
—
INSCRIPTIONS.
261
fourth line seems to have been correctly given by
Prinsep
:
bhokhati-bhikhundbhikhamaviseddto.
"a
gift of food to the
much-emaciated Bhikshus."
I can mate nothing of the
and of one-
line
fifth
half of the sixth; but the concluding portion of the
which
inscription,
is
nearly perfect, reads Ichhaliime Sdn-
-ti-Sangham samage milathitike
" Is
my
it
siydti.
wish that the Santi community
may
always be
united."
The whole with some follows
inscription, in
conjectural
be
restorations,
Dev&nam^piya) Magadhe
2. 3.
read
5.
.
.
.
tikhi-cha(Dha)magiri
nidu
.
7. -ti
ti
sanam
Sangham samage
drift of this it,
ikeye
.
.
.
sangham.
bhikhundbhikhamavise ddto.
6. SariviQ/e) petaviye.
chhava annd
.
.
Ichhahime Sdnmilathitike siydti.
inscription, at least as
I under-
seems to be the following :—
" DevAnampriya, king of Magadha,
offers his salutation
the community of Chaityagiri (and perhaps to that of giri also)
.
.
.
with a
gift of food
emaciated • (with their austerities ?)
Santi community may always be *
By
khama.
as
(raja).
(a)bhi(vddemd)nam Chetiyagiri.
4. bhokhati
stand
may,
characters,
:
1.
The
Roman
reading
^JT*Tj
for the Bhikshus,
.
.
.
to
Dharmamuch-
and prays that the
united."
Jtshdma,
" debilitated "
for
the
Pali
——
262
In
THE BHILSA TOPES.
my
account of the great Sanchi Tope I have
already identified the present
name
of Sanchi with
the Sanskrit Sdnti, which I presume was the
of the great Vihar on the
Chaityas."
we may
If
my
name
Chetiyagiri, or ^hill of
reading of Dhamagiri be correct,
identify the
"
hill
of religion" in the long
spur which stretches northward as far as Kanakhera. This
hill
is
still
covered with ruins, which no doubt
once formed a part of the vast religious establishment of Sanchi-kanakhera.
LATER INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE GATEWAYS. On the North Gateway. PI.
XIX., No. 178. Dhamagirino Ihikhuno ddnam. " Gift of Dharmagiri, the mendicant monk." No. 179.
Isi-Pdlitasa-cha Samanasa-cha d&nam. " Gift both of Isi-Palita and of Sramana."
Prinsep, No. 16, reads the same.
On the East Gateway. No. 180.—Arahadinasa bhikhuno Pokhareyakasa ddnam. " Gift of Arhatadina, the mendicant monk of Pokhareyaka."
Prinsep, No. 20, reads Pakhareyakasa doubtfully as the
name
Arahadina.
of the donor, and takes no notice of
—
INSCRIPTIONS. No. ISi.^mBhadata
363 ddnam
Savinamjnydtinam
Ndgilasa
thalho.
" Pillar-gift of
Bhadrata Nagila,
the learned
in all things." (?)
Prinsep, No. 47, reads Danda-nagilalasa pavina-
ndtinam danathambho is
;
and
translates,
the gift of the illustrious family of
rala."
But
<(
This pillar
Danda Nagi-
the fac- simile impression of this inscrip-
tion, as well as
a hand-copy
now
before me, agree in
the reading" which J have given above. No. 182.
Kirdrasa Ndgapiyasa, 4-chhavade Sethisa ddnam thabho.
Nagapriya, Achhavada,
"Pillar-gift of
the
Sreshti (or master) of the weavers."
Prinsep, No. 3, reads of
Achhavada
Naga."
Karam
Sethi, the
See also
No.
and translates " Gift
beloved
of
Karasa
192 of the western gate.
Prinsep evidently considered Sethi as the feminine form of Seth, a " banker." I have ventured to identify the caste,
who
but this
is
Kirdr of
this inscription
bear the same
name
with the weaver
at the present
day ;
a mere conjecture.
No. 183. This inscription
is
too indistinct to allow
even of a conjectural translation.
On the South Gateway. No. 184.
Budha Palitaya bhikhunaye ddnam. fC
Gift of
Budha
Palita, the mendicant
nun.'
——
THE BHILSA TOPES.
264
Prinsep, No. 23, reads
ddnam, " the
gift of
Budha
Budha
Palitasa bhikhuno
Palit, the poor man."
Pothahasa bhikhuno ddnam. " Gift of Posthaka, the mendicant monk."
No. 185.
Prinsep, No. 23, reads Panthaka.
— Virasa bhikhuno ddnam.
No. 186.
" Gift of Vika, the mendicant monk."
No. 187.
— Yakhaye bhikhuniyd vddiva. " Gift of Yaksha, the mendicant nun
No. 188.
."
.
Hanajaya ddnam.
"GiftofHANAJA." No. 189.
— Vedisa Kehid&ntakarehirdpakam mankata.
This inscription
is
quite perfect
:
but as
have formed only a part of a longer cannot even make a guess as to
its
it
seems to
I The
inscription,
meaning.
donor was an inhabitant of Vidisa, and was perhaps
named Kehiddnta. No. 190.
Rajnye Siri S&takanisa Avesanisa Vdsithi-putasa
Anandasa ddnam. " Gift of
tha,
Ananda,
son of the neophyte Vasish-
Sni Satakarni."
in the reign of
This valuable inscription
is
carved on the bas-relief
of a Tope, in the middle of the upper architrave of the south gateway. the third* of the
The King,
Sri Satakarni,
Andhra dynasty
* Wilson's
Vishnu Purana,
of p.
was
Magadha; and 472.
INSCRIPTIONS.
265
from the year 19 to 37 A. d.
his reign extended
The
word ; which I have translated neophyte, occurs No. 161 may have
in
;
but in this instance
also
possible that
it is
it
A'vesan means another signification. " simply entrance/' from vis to enter ; but as there is a separate inscription on the middle architrave (see
No. 191), and another on one of the pillars of the gateway (see No. 189), it is clear that the whole entrance could not have been the gift of Ananda.
A'vesani must therefore have some other meaning*
which a
ploughbeam,
may
ishani
we
thus there
is
from
derived
is
f;*?,
isha,
as ishd,
have ava + ishani
but one s in Pali)
gateway
was the
why the danam for
real
meaning,
term should
•
is
;
an entrance-
As ava means
seems
difficult
if
say
to
have been separated
in the pillar gifts the
to
But
quite legitimate. it
and
aveshani, or (as
avesani,
architrave.
"enter/' this derivation
=
go,
to
be taken for a beam of any kind
shall
beam, or
this
Now
not given in the dictionaries.
is
from
word thabho
in-
variably precedes or follows danam.
After a careful examination of
all
the inscriptions
on the gateways of the Sanchi Tope, and a comalphabetical
parison of their
characters
with those
of other inscriptions of known dates, such as those of
Asoka,
B. c.
250
•
those of the
Sah
coins of Gujrat,
and those of the Guptas, A. D. 400 to 500 ; both Lieutenant Maisey and myself had concluded that the Sanchi gateways were erected about the A. D.
300
j
THE BHILSA TOPES.
266
beginning- of the Christian era. satisfaction therefore that
name
It was with great
I afterwards discovered the
of Sri Satakarni in a conspicuous situation over
This successful result of
my
long experience in Indian archaeology has given
me
the southern gateway.
sufficient confidence to
inscription
forms of
may
its
say that the age of any Indian
be determined approximately by the
alphabetical characters.
No. 191. —Ayachudasa Dhamakathikasa Atevasino Bala Mitasa d&nam.
"Gift of Bala-Mitra, pupil of Arya Kshitdra, the reciter of Dharma."
This inscription
is
taken from the bas-relief of a
Tope on the middle architrave of the south gateway. Prinsep, No. 23, reads the "well-tonsured pupil/' but Antevdsin, H|*Hlf%«T, means simply a "pupil/' being derived from to
"abide"
— that
one
is
as a pupil near a master.
name:
see
anta, near, and 7p%, vasa,
^Sf*f[,
inscription
who
Aya-chuda No.
hathaka at the end of the
near
lives
193.
is
another;
the teacher's
Prinsep
first line;
but
reads
my
fac-
simile impression gives kathikasa, the possessive case
of ^rf^RT, kathika, a "narrator, or story-teller," as
Prinsep has translated
it.
——
267
INSCRIPTIONS.
On the West Gate. Kirhraya Ndgapiyasa Achhavada Sethi-putasa
No. 192.
cha Sanffhasa.
" Gift of the son of Nagapriya Achhavada, the master of the weavers, and of
Sanqha."
See No. 182 for the term which I have translated " weavers." I rather suspect that it must be the
name
of a place, Kirdra. Aya-chudasa
No. 193.
Bala
Atevdsino
Mitasa
danam
thablio.
"
Bala-Mitra; the Kshudra."
Pillar-gift of
Prinsep, No. 22.
me is
to be
In
pupil of
this inscription there
Arya-
seems to
no doubt that Aya-chuda or Aryya-kshudra
the teacher's name.
Nos, 194; 195, 196.
These show that the inscrip-
were carried on from one line to another. The word d&narn, " gift/' is carved at the end of the
tions
upper band of the column, and thabho, "pillar," begins the second
band. j\*
Here
line,
the sense
which is
is
carved on a central
complete
;
and the swastika,
separates this inscription from the following one
which, although baffled all
my
it
looks legible
attempts to read
it.
;
enough, has quite
S68
THE BHILSA TOPES.
It
is
worthy of remark that upwards of one-third
of the gifts recorded in these inscriptions were
by the
sex;
fair
who
remarkable,
have been
in all countries
noted for their pious donations.
when we remember
could not possess property
j
made
The number
very
is
that in India
women
but were entirely de-
pendent on their fathers, their husbands, their brothers, or their sons.
Another point which I have noticed tremely rare use of compound
is
the ex-
Only three
letters.
instances occur throughout all these inscriptions
they are certainly exceptions to the
common
;
and
practice
of Asoka's age, which adhered to the simplest Pali forms.
The compound sw occurs twice
in
aswa
(see
Nos. 80 and 83), but the true Pali form of Asa occurs in the ink inscription found inside the steatite casket
XXX. Dhama
from No. 3 Tope at Andher,
The compound sth sthiri (see
No. 160)
is ;
(see
see
see Plate
found only once in
for pratisthiya
Nos. 40 and 41), and once in mila
thiti for mila-
the inscription on the southern pillar.
compound nh occurs once No. 152.
of the
but the regular Pali
form of th occurs twice in patithiya
sthiti in
lid
in the
name
The
of Jonhaha,
OPENING OF THE SANCHI TOPE NO. ;
CHAPTER
SC9
1.
XVII.
OPENING OF THE SANCHI TOPE, NO.
1.
The persons who tried to open the great Sanchi Tope in 1822 made a large breach on the south-west 1.
side,
and carried the excavation to the foundation;
but they failed in reaching the centre of the
building'.
The Tope was thus partly ruined without any discovery having been made to repay its destruction. Lieutenant Maisey and myself determined to proceed in a different manner, by sinking- a perpendicular shaft down the middle of the Tope, so as not to injure After a number of careful its external appearance. measurements, the centre was determined as nearly as possible, and a shaft or well, 5 feet in diameter, was sunk through the feet, or
brickwork to a depth of 48
6 feet below the level of the terrace, at the
base of the Tope.
made
solid
consisted of
But
the only discovery which
numbers of spiral
which had been gathered in the bricks were cemented together.
we
shells (Planorbis),
mud
with which the
These will be valu-
270
THE BHILSA TOPES.
able curiosities to the naturalist, as they certainly date
as high as B. c.
300, and are probably not less than two thousand four hundred years old. The bricks are large
— 16 by 10 by 3
inches.
From the non-discovery objects, we are left to guess at 2.
of any relics or other the age and destination
of the great Sanchi Tope, from less certain although
From
very probable sources of information.
have deduced that the Tope
itself
was
these
I
in existence not
long after the period of the Second Synod in B.
c.
443; that the massive stone railing was erected in the reign of Asoka, between 260 and 250 B. c, and that the gateways were added in the reign of Sri Satakarni,
between the years 19 and 37 A. d.
The age of the Tope itself depends on the identification of Wessanagara with Chetiya; a point which has been already discussed and settled. Wes3.
sanagara
by the ruins of Besnagar, the north of Bhilsa; and Chetiyagiri represented
is still
two miles to
(or Chaitya-hill)
is
undoubtedly the
hill
of Sanchi,
on which the great Chaitya now stands. It was here that Asoka rested, on his way between Pataliputra
and Ujain. gara, and
Buddhaghoso
Mahanamo
The Tope was
calls the place
calls it
therefore
in
Wessana*
Chetiya and Chetiyagiri. existence
in
270
B.
c,
during Asoka's government of Ujain; but as one of the eighteen heresies which prevailed after the meet-
ing of the Second Synod was named the " Chetiya
Schism" date
it is
certain that the Sanchi Chaitya must"
as high as the fourth century before our era>
OPENING OF THE SANCHI TOPE, NO. and perhaps even a century
271
1.
or about b. c.
earlier,
500,*
The date of the colonnade
4.
or railing
1
might be
determined approximately to belong to the age of
Asoka, by the alphabetical characters of the inscriptions,
which are exactly similar
But
edicts.
there
a
is
still
to those of the pillar
more
certain proof of the
correctness of this date in the short inscription,
No.
110, which records the " gift of Subahita, son of Goti
This Goti was a descendant of Kodini (Sans. Kohudinya), one of the principal disciples of Buddha. As he was the teacher of Vachhi
the royal scribe."
Suvijayata, he must have taken the vows
His
eldest son, Ootiputra,
Buddhist teachers of his day. from the
two
relic inscriptions
himself.
was one of the most famous
We
learn this fact
which record the names of
Of these, the most celewho conducted the proThird Synod in B. c. 241. The other
disciples of Gotiputra.
brated
is
that of Mogaliputra,
ceedings of the pupil 6.
was Vachhiputra.
A
third son of
Goti,
named Kakanava Pra-
bhdsan, was the donor of Suvijayata's relics to the
Sanchi Tope, No. 2
;
and
his
own
relics
were found
Andher Tope, No. 2. A fourth son, named Bhanduka, is mentioned in the colonnade inscription,
in the
* I suppose that the interior brick b.
c, and that the stone
addition tisso,
stone.
casing;
was not unusual.
king' of
Tope may be
was added by Asoka.
See Mahawanso,
p.
as old as
500
This kind of
202, where Lajji-
Ceylon, encloses the Thuparamo with a case of
272
THE BHILSA TOPES.
No. 33.
Thus three sons of Goti had taken the vows, whilst a fourth became the King's Scribe, or Secretary (Raja'Lip&kara). As the eldest of these brothers was
was probably some-
the teacher of Mogaliputra, he
what
older than his pupil, although not necessarily
The younger brother may
so.
upon
the
as
therefore be
contemporary of Mogaliputra, which
will fix his date
from 260 B.
to 230, during the
C.
most flourishing period of the Buddhist 6.
looked
religion.
The age of the gateways has been ascertained
from an inscription carved on a bas-relief representa-
Tope on the upper architrave of the southern
tion of a
This inscription (No.
entrance.
"
190) records the
an entrance architrave by Ananda, the son
gift of
of Vasishtha, in the reign of Sri
Satakarni."
This
Macommon
Prince was the third of the Andhra kings of
gadha
;
and
consent of first
his reign has been fixed,
all archaeologists, in
by the
the early part of the
According to
century of our era.
my
chrono-
logy he reigned from 19 to 37 A. D. 7.
The
fact that the
gateways are of
than the colonnade or railing,
more recent character
of
the
is
later date
confirmed by the
which
inscriptions,
approaches that of the Sah coins of Gujrat.
For
the sake of comparison, I have collected all these
gateway
inscriptions in Plate
ancient record
of
the
XIX., beneath the more
Southern Pillar.
arrangement, a single glance is sufficient to
By
this
show the
great change which had taken place in the alphabetical characters in about
two centuries and a
half.
OPENING OF THE SANCHI TOPE, NO.
But
8.
there
is
still
273
1.
one more convincing
1
proof
that the gateways are of later date than the railing.
In the plan of the Tope, in Plate VIII., the old railing on which the more ancient inscriptions are carved, is shaded lightly, and the additional railing and gate-
way
pillars,
found, are
on which the
made
less ancient inscriptions are
By
quite hlack.
this it will be seen
that a half pillar of the more recent railing
abut against the third
pillar
of the
is
made
to
older railing.
Now, as most of the old pillars were seemed probable that one inscription at
inscribed, least
it
would
be found hidden by the half pillar of the less ancient
And
railing.
is
the fact at the northern
where a long hidden inscription on the
entrance, pillar
such, indeed,
of
the
old
railing
now
is
revealed
by the
separation of the two pillars of different ages. 9.
The
and of
different dates of the Tope, of its colonnades
gateways, have been satisfactorily settled
its
within certain limits the building
is
more
;
but the destination or object of
difficult to
the non-discovery of
relics,
I
be ascertained.
infer that this great
chaitya was dedicated to the Supreme Buddha. conjecture
From This
strengthened by the existence of statues
is
of the four mortal Buddhas at the entrances.
For
modern Buddhists of Nepal, when they dedicate a Chaitya to Adi Buddha, to place four statues of the Dhyani Buddhas at its base. it is
the practice of the
Vairochana ani
(or light), the first of the
Buddhas,
building.
is
Pancha Dhy-
supposed to occupy the centre of the
It seems quite possible, however, that this
274
THE BHILSA TOPES.
Tope contained some believe, the relics
relics of
Sakya; but
if,
as I
of the holy teacher were always
kept in some easily accessible place, for the purpose of being-
shown
to the people
on stated
festivals, it
seems probable that they would have been carried
by the monks, on the general break-up
of the
dhist monastic establishments throughout India.
off
Bud-
;
NO. 2 TOPE.
—SANCHI.
CHAPTER
275
XVIII.
NO. 2 TOPE.— SANCHI.
In 1819, when Captain Fell visited Sanchi, this Tope was " in perfect repair, not a stone having fallen " * but in 1822 it was half destroyed by the 1.
same amateur antiquaries who ruined the larger Tope. It stands half
way down
the slope of the
about
hill,
400 yards from the great Tope, from which it bears 109^° west. The hill has been carefully levelled, and the western side built up to form a court 100 feet square, in the midst of which stands the Tope sur-
rounded by the usual Buddhist 2.
The
rough
Tope
is
a
railing.
hemisphere
solid
stones, without mortar)
39
feet in
(built
of
diameter,
springing from a cylindrical plinth of the same dia-
The basement is 6 meter, and 3f feet in height. feet in height, with a projection of 5 feet 4 inches, which forms a terrace shippers.
by
The
terrace
for the perambulation of is
wor-
reached on the eastern side
a double flight of steps
(now in ruins) 5
* Prinsep's Journal,
iii,
494.
feet
2
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
276
inches wide, which meet at a landing-place, 7 feet
6 inches square.
The hemisphere was flattened at top to form a terrace ; which, when measured in its perfect state by Captain Fell, was 19 feet in diameter.* This was most probably enclosed by a coping*, or cornice, 3.
similar
that which
to
terrace of
No.
Buddhist
pedestal,
railing-
being only 4
Tope at Andher.
1
stood a square
centre
its
whole height
The fragments of
this railing,
which I measured, were
:
—
height, with a section of rails,
In the
surrounded by a square
of small dimensions,
feet.
around the
represented
is
pillars,
3
inches
"7\
feet
1^ inch in
by 5§ inches
by 8J inches broad, at intervals The pedestal was of course originally
10|- inches long
of 2f inches.
surmounted by a
chattel,
but of this no trace -now
remains. 4.
The whole
is
in height, with four
7 feet 6 inches
wards the four pillars
are 5
inches
sides
of the
entrances to-
square
The
court.
feet 11 \ inches in height, with a section
of 15 \ inches
the
surrounded by a Buddhist railing
broad,
middle.
The
by 11^
inches.
with
thickness
The
a
are
18
inches
in
rails
of 5^
inter - columniation
varies
from
17 to 18 inches; and, as in the great Tope, seems The coping is to be equal to the depth of rail.
21 inches in height, and 14 inches connected
to
the
the large Tope.
pillars
in
the
and same way as thick,
is
in
This railing, like that of the great
* Prinsep's Journal,
iii.
494.
NO. 2 TOPE.
Tope,
west being 74|
and the shorter diameter from
feet,
north to south only 69
feet.
By
all
8 feet
pre-
is
round the base of the building.*
The
5.
ellipticity of
this
form, a clear breadth of more than served
277
the longer diameter from east to
elliptical,
is
—SANCHI.
pillars of the
Buddhist railing which have
already been described, are perfectly plain
;
but these
by medallions containing a variety of and numerous animals, both known and The medallions are circular in the middle
are ornamented flowers,
fabulous.
of the pillar, and semi-circular at
The
its
head and base.
semi-circular medallions are nearly
flowers
;
but the
and winged
Many
bulls.
are generally coarse
The
men and
animals
and clumsy.
pillars of the entrances are'covered
reliefs, all
with
of the flower orna-
ments are pretty, but the figures of
6.
all filled
men and women,
and elephants, centaurs, winged
horses, bulls, lions horses,
medallions have
full
with bas-
of the same inferior style of art, save a few
remarkable exceptions at the eastern entrance, one of
which
is
much
superior, even to the best bas-reliefs of
This represents a female standing in
the great Tope.
a doorway, with her right hand resting on her hip,
and
in her left
hand a
parted on the right
lotus flower.
side.
She
is
Her
hair
is
naked to the waist,
is drawn over the The graceful proportions and easy atti-
from which a single piece of drapery left thigh.
tude of this figure place
its
sculptor almost in the
same rank with the carver of the *
See Plate
XX.
for a plan
beautiful lions of the
and view of
this
monument.
;
278
THE BHILSA TOPES.
south there
On
pillar.
another face of the same
pillar
a two-horse chariot containing two figures, 1
is
and attended by an elephant carrying a standard-
On
bearer.
a second pillar
is
represented a wheel, or
symbol of Buddha, standing- on an
Two
mented with garlands.*
bowing down 7. is
On
altar,
and orna-
kneeling figures are
to the steps of the altar.
one of the
pillars of the south entrance there
a representation of a Tope, enclosed with a Budand surmounted by a square
dhist railing,
by the usual
chatta.
On
pedestal,
a second pillar
is
and
repre-
sented an isolated column surmounted by three lions
bearing a wheel or symbol of Buddha. 8.
On
relief of
a pillar of the west entrance there
is
a bas-
a single column surmounted by three ele-
phants carrying the same wheel emblem of Buddha.
The base
is
enclosed
outside which
paying 9.
two
by a square Buddhist
figures, a
railing
male and a female, are
their adorations.t
On
a pillar of the north entrance, the wheel or
emblem of Buddha is represented resting on the On peculiar monogram or symbol of Dharma.J suranother pillar is shown an isolated column, mounted by an elephant, and two the wheel emblem of Buddha. 10.
The colonnade of
Great Ohaitya, bears * See Plate
this Tope, like that
many
XXXI.,
t See Plate XXXI., j
carrying
lions,
inscriptions,
fig. 6, fig. 1,
See Plate XXXII.,
of which
of this work,
of this volume,
fig. 1,
of the
of this volume.
NO. 3 TOPE.
—SANOHI.
279
These inscriptions are
none have yet been published.
chiefly valuable for the light that they
throw on the
changes which had gradually taken
place
in
the
these
is
the
substitution
The most remarkable of of Bhikhu for BMchhu.
exceptions,
the
language.
latter
is
the
only
With
spelling
five
used
throughout the numerous inscriptions of Asoka' s age
on the colonnade of the Great Tope at Sanchi the former
is
the only spelling used in
all
;
while
the gate-
way But on
the colonnade of this Tope
spellings
bhikhu being used ten times, and bhichhu
inscriptions of the age of Sdtakarni.
five
;
times.
From
the colonnade
was
this
fact
we may
we have both conclude that
certainly erected at
some period
between the ages of Asoka and Sri Satakarni. is
This
borne out by the forms of the alphabetical charac-
ters,
which, though generally like those of Asoka's
time, yet present
some
differences
which undoubtedly
The principal change is seen manner of attaching the vowel u at the foot of In the Asoka inscriptions, this is done by the kh.
point to a later date. in the
the intervention of a dot, or point the present Tope, the circle.
dot
is
;
but in those of
replaced
by a small
— —
280
THE BHILSA TOPES.
CHAPTEE INSCRIPTIONS.— NO. PI.
XXI V
No.
2
XIX. TOPE.— SANCIir.
Ndgildsi ddnam Ayasa-atevasino.
1.
" Gift of Nagilasi, the pupil of Aryya."
No.
Dhama
2.
Bakhitasa sejhasaka.
" (Gift) of Dharma Rakshita No.
3.
.
.
P&dulml&lidyag&masa ddnam.
" Gift of Aryyagrama, of the P&ndu
The
."
celebrated
name
with, for the first time,
met on a genuine ancient monuof the
Pandus
race."
is
here
The use of the cerebral d, and the affix of the term hula, " race or tribe," prove that I am right in ment.
attributing this gift to one of the race of also
No. No.
8, for another inscription of a
4.
5.
See
Budhilasa-bhogavarhanakasa ddnam.
" Gift of Budhila, the No.
Pandu.
Pandu.
—
.
.
increaser of enjoyment."
ma-devaya ddnam Mitamajheya Antevd-
sini(ya).
(Dhar)ma Deva, Madhya."
" Gift of
No.
6.
the pupil of
Isilasa bhikhuno ddnam. " Gift of Isila, the mendicant monk."
Mitra
——
INSCRIPTIONS.— NO. 2 TOPE.— SANCHI.
281
— Sagha Mitasa bhikhuno danam.
No.
7.
No.
8.
" Gift of Sangha Mitra, the mendicant monk."
Budha
Paliiasa Sethino Padukuliniyase danam.
Budha
" Gift of
PAlita, the Sreshti
(or
master of
a trade*) of the race of Pandu."
No.
9.
—
yapana «Gift0f(AB)YYAPANA
No. 10.
.
.
.
.
kasa danam.
.
..."
Budha Sakhitasa anammitakasa d&nam. " Gift of Rakshita ." .
.
— Vijhasa bhikhuno d&nam.
No. 11.
" Gift of Vidta, the mendicant monk."
No. 12.
— Yakhilasa bhichhuno d&nam. " Gift of Yakshila, the mendicant monk."
N&gap&yasa Achhava(da)sa Sethisa d&nam.
No. 13.
" Gift of
NAgapaya Achhavada,
the Sreshti."
See Nos. 182 and 192 of No. 1 Tope, which both give
name
the
of
N&gap&ya
(or
friya) Achhavada, but the
persons cannot be the same, as there
is
a difference in
the dates of the inscriptions of the two Topes of about
two
The two donors must, however, have
centuries.
been of the same family. No. 14.
—
sapaMya Soraya d&nam bhikkuniya. " Gift of (Ka)syapaki Sora, the mendicant nun."
No. 15.
.
.
—
ValayA Korariye bhikhunaye d&nam. " Gift of Vala Korari (the weaver ? ), a mendicant nun."
No. 16.
Bhama Sanaya " Gift of
Korariya ddnambhi
Dharma
.
.
.
Sena, Korari, the mendicant
nun." *
The meaning of
this
term has been given before; but
De as well to repeat here, that Sreshti is
equivalent to the modern Chaodri.
is
it
may
the head of a guild, and
—
282
THE BHILSA TOPES. No. 17.
"
Naga Palitaya ddnam ihabho. Naga Palita."
Pillar-gift of
Phagulaya bhikhuniya ddnam.
No. 18.
" Gift of Phaoula, the mendicant nun."
Balakasa Ayasa Arapa Grutasa sdsd
No. 19.
(nan)-
.
dakasa atevasino ddnam.
" Gift of
Balaka Aryya,
Gupta, the
the pupil of
Arapa -
(delighter) in Scripture."
Balaka may mean simply a boy, and Balaka Ayasa will signify only the child
Arapa ; but I No. 20.
Aryya. name
believe the true
My copy reads to be
Araha.
— Yama Rakhitdya bhikhuniya ddnam. " Gift of Yama Eaeshita, the mendicant nun."
No. 21.
"
Muldya ddnam-thabho Yadaya Atevasiniya. MulI, the pupil of Yada."
Pillar-gift of
Sagha Rakhitaya mata
No. 22.
.
.
daka Isiddsiya
bhichhuniya ddnam.
" Gift of Sangha Eakshita, the
.
of Isidasi,
.
the mendicant nun."
No. 23.
— Yasa Budha Rahhitasa Pokhareyakasa ddnam. Yasa Budha Rakshita,
" Gift of
of Pokhare-
yaha."
No, 24.
— Vindkdye " Gift of the
This inscription
wheel
pillar
is
of the
Vddyuvahanikdye ddnam. lute-player,
Vadyuvahanika."
carved on the bas-relief of a
western entrance.
There has
been an attempt to render some double letter, and I am not satisfied that I have read the middle part of the inscription correctly.
If
we might read ^j
3^, vadhu, instead of vadyu, which seems
or
perfectly
—
— —
INSCRIPTIONS.— NO. 2 TOPE. allowable, the translation
Vinaka
;
— SANCHI.
283
would be simply " Gift of
the daughter-in-law
(son's
wife)
of
Va-
HANIKA." No. 25. " No. 26.
Pedaya bhikhmiya thabho ddnam. Penda, the mendicant nun."
Pillar-gift of
Isadakaditisisasa ddnam. " Gift of Isabakaditya (?)
No. 27.
.
(or Isadakanditi)."
Isddekadiyd ddnam. " Gift of ISADEKANDI."
No. 28.
No. 29.
(I)saddkadiya Patolaya ddnam. " Gift of Isadakandi, of Pratold."
Budha " Gift of
This inscription it
Pd(litd)sdkodiya ddnam.
Budha Palita is
much
.
.
."
mutilated; but I believe
to be the same as No. 8. No. 90.
Sagha Mitasa Sonadakasd ddnam. Sangha Mitra, of Sonadaka."
" Gift of
No. 81.
Budha " Gift of
No. 32.
(Miti)sedakadiya ddnam.
Budha Mitra
Abha(ti)sd
ddnam
" Half-gateway
.
.
."
adha-porikasa.
gift of
Abhrati
(the brotherless)."
Adha-porikasa I have taken for arddha-paurikasya, " of half an entrance/' which is not an unlikely gift to
have been made to the Tope.
Plate, No. 33.
— Hasogirino ddnam bhichhuno. " Gift of Yasogiri, the mendicant monk."
No, 34,
AraJiakasa bhichhuno chanakaya ddnam. " Gift of the holy bhikshu Chanakya."
This inscription will admit of several readings, such as
——
284
THE BHILSA TOPES. "
Gift of Arhdka, the
mendicant monk of Cha-
nakd."
" Gift of Arhaka, the mendicant monk, and of
Nak&r No. 35.
Bahulasa ddnam.
"GiftofBAHULA." No. 36.
Gadaya Nadinagarikaya. " Gift of Ganda, of Nadinagarikd."
No. 37.
Idagi(riya)sa ddnam. " Gift of Indragiriya."
No. 38.
Aya Nandahasa bhikhuno ddnam. " Gift of Aryya Nandaka, the mendicant monk." Naga
No. 39.
Rakhitasa
bhiohhuno
Pokhareyaliasa
ddnam.
" Gift of Naga Rakshita, the mendicant monk, of
PoMareyaha." No. 40.
Sagha Rakhitasa bhichhu danam hma. " Gift of Sangha Rakshita, the mendicant monk."
No. 41.
(Ya)khihanakasa Udabaraghariyasa danam. " Gift of Yakshihanaka, of Udabaraghariya."
No. 42.
—
.
.
.
Udabaraghariyasa.
...
"
(Gift) of
"
Pillar-gift of
of Udabaraghariya."
Sediya bhikhuniya thabho ddnam.
No. 43.
Sendi, the mendicant nun."
OPENING OF NO. 2 TOPE. —SAN CHI.
CHAPTER OPENING OF NO. 1.
On
2
285
XX.
TOPE.— S^NCHI.
looking at this Tope, which Captain
had seen perfect in 1819, I must confess that I
Fell felt
a
secret satisfaction that the labours of the bung-ling
who had half ruined it in 1822, had ended nothing. But at the same time I had some mis-
amateurs, in
givings, from the large size of the breach, whether their
workmen had not reached
several careful
tenant
After
measurements, however, both Lieu-
Maisey and
actual centre
the centre.
myself
had not
satisfied
felt
that the
quite been attained, although
the excavators must have been within a single foot of
After a few hours' labour in clearing
it.
away
the
loose stones from the middle of the breach, we began
carefully to sink a shaft
In three hours more from the western
down
the centre of the Tope.
the removal of a single stone
side of the shaft, disclosed
a small
chamber containing a stone box. 2.
The chamber was made of
on edge forming the the top and bottom.
sides,
six stones, four set
and two
laid flat forming*
The chamber was not
in the
— THE BHILSA TOPES.
286
centre of the building-, but two feet to the westward of
the measurement from the south side being 18^ 1
it,
or exactly half the diameter, while that from the
feet,
was 20J feet, or 2 feet more than the The bottom of the chamber was semi-diameter. eastern side
exactly 7
feet
above the terrace or upper surface
of the basement, and 3J feet above the centre of the
hemisphere.
The
3.
formed of white sandstone,
relic-box,
is
11
9^ inches broad, and the same in height, It was standing- with one of its including the lid. inches long,
long sides to the east, towards the Great Tope.
removing
from the chamber, we found the follow-
it
ing inscriptions carved in three lines on face
On
its
eastern
:
Savina Vinaydk&na Aran Kasapa
Gotam Up&diya Aran cha Vdchhi Suvijayatam Yindyaka.
" Teacher of all branches of Vinaya, the Arhat KAsyapa
Gotra, Up&diya
(or
Abbot) ; and the Arhat
Vachhi Suvijayata, 4.
teacher of Vinaya."*
Up&diya, in Sanskrit UpadMya, was the Abbot
or head of a Buddhist monastery,
who had accom-
plished Updddna, or the complete restraint of
all
organs of sense, and the consequent suppression of earthly desires.
religionists
;
all
Vinaya was the lowest of the three
advancement
grades of
the
and the
taught
fact that
by the
Buddhist
Kasyapa-Gotra was
a teacher of Vinaya will account for his mission * See Plate
XX.
OPENING OF NO. 2 TOPE.
Hemawanta, where,
the
to
—SANCHI.
we
as
learn
287 from the
Chinese travellers, the active mountaineers preferred the practical teachings of the doctrines of the for
Arhata
Araha
is
Vinaya
Abhidharma.
The
peculiar, as this title
in the
inscriptions
to the esoteric
spelling of is
Aran
always written
of the colonnade of the
Great Tope.
On removing
5.
the lid of the stone box,
we found
inside four small caskets or boxes of mottled steatite,
of which one
is
represented of half size in Plate
Each
of these caskets contained
burnt
human
XX.
small portions
of
bone, and each was inscribed with the
names of the holy men whose ashes were enshrined therein.
Plate
All
these
inscriptions
will
be found
in
XX. No. I.— STEATITE
BOX.
Outside Lid. Sapurisa(sa) K&sapa Gotasa Sava Hemavatachariyasa.
"
(Relics) of the emancipated
Kasyapa Gotra,
the missionary to
the whole Hemarvanta."
Inside Lid. Sapurisa(sa) Majhimasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated
Madhyama."
Bottom.
" (Relics) of the emancipated Haritiputra."
THE BHILSA TOPES.
288
No. II.— STEATITE
BOX.
Outer Circle. Sapurisasa Vdchh&ya Suvijayatasa Gotantevasitw. '
(Relics) of the emancipated
Vachha Suvijayata,
the pupil of
Gota."
Inner Circle. Kdhanava-p&bh&sasahana d&nam. " The gift of Kakanaya PrabhAsana."
No. III.— STEATITE BOX.
Outside Lid. Sapurisasa
Maha Yanayasa— Sapurisasa
" (Relics) of the emancipated
Maha Vanaya,
cipated
Apagirasa.
(and) of the eman-
Ipagira."
Inside Lid. Sapurisasa ICodiniputasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated Kohudinya-putra."
No. IV.— STEATITE
BOX.
Outside Lid. Sapurisasa Kosikiputasa. " (Relics) of the emancipated Kausikiputra."
OPENING OP NO. 2 TOPE.— SANCHI.
289
Inside Lid. Sapurisasa Gotiputasa. " (Relics) of the emancipated Gotiputha."
Bottom. Sapurisasa Mogaliputasa.
"
(Relics) of the emancipated
6.
Maudgalaputra."
REMARKS.
—
No. I. Box. The names of Kasyapa and Madhyama are recorded in the Mahawanso as two of the five missionaries
wanta country,
who were
after the
despatched to the
Hema-
meeting of the Third Synod
241 B. c. A second casket of Kasyapa's relics was discovered at Sonari, and from the inscription we learn that he was the son of Koti. Of Haritiputra nothing- is known ; but another portion of his relics was found enshrined alone in No. 3 Tope at Andher. in
—
a
No. II. Box. Vacchi-suvijayata must have been of some consequence, for his name is placed on
man
the outside of the
Kasyapa.
Relics
stone
of
his
box,
along*
son,
with that of
Vacchiputra, were
found at Andher, along with those of Kakanava
Prabhasan and Mogaliputra. connected with Kakanava,
He
who was
is
thus doubly
the donor of his
u
THE BHILSA
290
Sanchi Tope.
relics to the
TOPES.
Colonel
Low
gives a story
from the Pali books of Burma, regarding a sea 1
named Kakd-bhasd, who traded
captain
in the reign of
to Takkasila
Kdkd-bhdsd appears
Asoka.*
to be
only a contracted form of Kdhanava Prabhdsan.
The Captain was a servant whose subjects were famous therefore,
hidden
employed
relics,
and
of the
for
King
magic
Kdkdbhdsd
Mom,
of
spells.
Asoka,
some
discover
to
to superintend their enshrinement
in a splendid Chaitya,
which was duly accomplished
with the recital of one hundred and eight
Pah
invo-
I presume that Kdkdbhdsd was a native of
cations.
Multan, or Sind, and that he traded to Takkasila for rock
Kdkanava Prdbhdsdn was
salt.
the son of Ooti,
and a descendant of Kodini or Kohudinya, one of Buddha's eighty
disciples.
The name
is
a remark-
able one, and as both parties were contemporaries of
Asoka,
it is
at least quite possible that they were the
same person.
—
Of Maha Vanaya and Steatite Box. nothing; but Kodini'putra was know Apagira I No. III.
probably a son or descendant of the celebrated Kohudinya, one of Buddha's eighty disciples.
No. IV. kiputra
Andher
;
Steatite
Box.
— I know nothing of Kosi-
but Gotiputra, as inscriptions,
we
learn from one of the
was a descendant of Kodini
Kohudinya, who has just been mentioned.
or
Mogah
Maudgala putra was the well-known head of the Buddhist Church, who superintended the proceedings
or
* Journal of the
Bengal Asiatic Society,
xvii,
91, 92.
OPENING OF NO. of
the
Third
in BiC. 241*
TOPBj—SANCHI.
291
Synddj during the reign of Asoka
He
died at eighty years of age, in
B. c. 233.
The discovery
7.
in
Tope consisted of the
this
of no less than ten of the leading
men
of the
Buddhist Church, during the reign of Asoka.
One
relics
them conducted the proceedings of the Third Synodj in 241 b. c, and two others were deputed
of
to the
Hemawanta country
meeting of the Synod.
as missionaries, after the
]?rom this
we may
con-
clude that the date of the Tope cannot be earlier
than about 220 b. c^ by which time the Asoka's contemporaries would have
The
last
of
away.
passed
most probably of the same period,
for
the use of the term BhikJiu instead of
BhichM
(of
which
amongst the
railing is
latter there are only five instances
numerous
inscriptions
on the colonnade df the great
Tope); might readily be supposed to have" extended in fifty
years to that proportion in which
Tope
in the inscriptions of No. 2
we
find
it
used
The
at Sanchi.
general forms of the alphabetical characters agree too closely with those of Asoka'S owft age", to permit the
assignment of a later date than 200
b.
C,
for
the
erection of this Tope. 8.
The Tope
itself
Would seem
at first to
have been
intended only for the relics of Kasyapa Gotra, and of
Vacchi Suvijayata, whose names alone are found on the outside of the stone box.
But I suppose
during the several years of
erection the Sanchi
its
community gradually became possessed of the
that
relics
— 292
THE BHILSA TOPES.
men who had worked
of other distinguished
and well
for the extension
religion,
during'
long"
and glory of the Buddhist
the long and
prosperous reign of
Asoka.
A
9.
comparison of
all
these different inscriptions
which existed be-
establishes the intimate connection
tween many of the principal leaders of the Buddhist faith
The family of
during the reign of Asoka.
Kodini, in two generations alone, would appear to
have furnished no
less
than six leading* members of
His son Majhima was the in 241
the Buddhist priesthood.
missionary sent to the B.C.
•
and
Hemawanta country
his grandson, Gotiputra,
member of the Bauddha community the
title
was
so eminent a
as to have merited
of ddyado, or, " brother" of the faith ; which
proves that he must have dedicated some of his children to the service of his religion. also,
would appear
to
own
This family,
have been equally celebrated as
successful propounders of
Buddhism,
for Goti is re-
corded to have been the teacher of Vachhi Suvijayata,
have been the teacher of
and
his son Gotiputra, to
the
famous Mogaliputra, who was the head of the
Buddhist Church at the Assembly of the Third Synod in B.C. 241.
members of
The connection between the this family
the following table
:
and
their pupils is
different
shown
in
OPENING OF NO 2 TOPE.
—SANCHI.
293
KODESTI had three
I
sous,
I
I
KODINI-PUTEA,
GOTI,
MAJHIMA,
Belies at Sdnchi.
had 4 sons and 1 pupil.
Missionary to the
__ I
GOTI-PUTEA, Missionary to Ddrddbhisara,
I
A ,
I
pupils.
BHANDUKA,
SUBAHITA,
PBABHASAN,
a Bhikshu or
the royal
Presented Relics of Vdchhi to Sdnchi.
GOTPS
Monk.
scribe.
See Sdnchi
See Sdnchi
Inscriptions, No. 33.
Inscriptions,
No. 110.
VACHHI-SUVIJAYATA,
pupil was
Eelics at Sdnchi,
|
GOTI-PUTEA had 2
,1
I
KAKANAVA
Eelics at Andher, Mendicant
Eelics at Sdnchi & Sondri,
had 2
Hemawanta, Eelics at Sdnchi and Sonari.
had
1
son.
pupils.
MOGALI-PUTEA,
VACHHI-PUTEA,
Head
of the Buddhist Church in b.o. 241. Eelics at
Eelics at Andher.
Sdnchi and Andher.
10. This genealogy, obtained from the inscriptions
of the Bhilsa Topes, shows what
we might reasonably
expect to get from the numerous Topes which exist in the ancient
still
Kapila and Magadha, the scene
of Sakya Sinha's birth, teaching, and death. A few more genealogies, similar to the above, would pro-
bably give us a complete succession from the time of
Sakya Sinha down
to the age of
blish the accuracy of the date
Asoka, and so esta-
now
assigned to the
great founder of the Buddhist religion.
already discovered
relics of his
putra and Mogalana,
who
As we have
contemporaries, Sari-
date from the middle of
294
THE BHILSA TOPES.
the 6th century B.C., and of Mpgaliputra and others
who
assisted at the
Third {Synod in
b.c. 241, there is
every reasonable expectation that a complete examination of the
existing
1
still
many
the nanies of
monuments would
yield us
of the principal leaders of
Bud-
dhism during the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries before 1
Christ,
complete,
We
should thus, perhaps, obtain one or more
genealogical successions (Juring the
eventful period of Indian history.
most
tope.—sAnchi.
NO. 8
395
CHAPTER XXL NO. 3
At
TOPE.— SANCHI.
Tope presented a mere mass of ruins * but a closer inspection showed the lower 1.
first
sight this
;
and the terrace of the although hidden amongst
courses of the hemisphere
basement tolerably
perfect,
a heap of fallen stones. sphere
is
40
was formed
feet
;
6
is
still
by a
and and
feet,
original level of the soil floor
is
4^
is still
its
7£
quite perfect
feet square,
about 3^ feet in diameter.
on
height above the
feet
;
but only 6 feet
of the entrance door-way which
standing to the south. pedestal
the hemi-
the breadth of the terrace, which
of single slabs,
the western side,
above the
The diameter of
is
The dome was crowned which supported a chatta
A
once formed part pf the pedestal,
square, is
now
slab,
which
lying to the
south of the Tope, and a fragment of the chatty to the north-east. 2.
The Tope was surrounded by a Buddhist
railing,
of which the only reinains, are a few pf the curve.d •
See Plate XXII.
;
296
THE BHILSA TOPES t
coping stones, and some fragments of two 1
The coping The
thick.
may
stones are 9 inches high and
have the same section
pillars
pillars.
7% inches and we ;
was someThe railing of
therefore conclude that the railing
what
less
than
five feet in height.
1
Tope
at Sonari, of
inches
by 8
inches, is only
No.
The
enclosure
which the 4
feet
pillars are
9J
8 inches in height.
most probably had four gateways
one to the south
is
still
standing, and I
thought
that I could trace the remains of a second on the east.
The
3.
inches
The
pillars of
southern entrance are
the
square, with an interval of 5 feet 4 inches.
clear breadth
between the railing and the base
of the Tope must have been about 12^ feet side of each of the pillars, to
attached,
same
14
is left
plain
;
;
one
which the railing was
and as the arrangement
is
the
as that of the entrances of the Great Tope,
seems certain that the gateways of
this
have been of a later date than the railing. reliefs of
it
Tope must
The bas-
the pillars and architraves are so strikingly
similar in subject
and
in style to those of the Great
Tope, that there can be
work of the same
period.
sentations of Topes
surmounted by
little
doubt that both are the
There are the same repre-
and Trees, the same
lion pillar
a wheel, and the same figures clad in
the same dresses.
The Tope stood in the midst of a square enclosure, and was surrounded by a very thick wall, the foundations of which still remain on three sides. The 4.
TOPE.— SANCHI.
NO. 3
was 90
enclosure
feet square,
297
and the walls were
built
due north and south, and east and west.
A
5.
and
was sunk
shaft
in the centre of this Tope,
a few hours' labour we came to a large slab
after
upwards of 5
feet in length, lying in a direction
On
north to south.
raising this slab
from
we saw two
large stone boxes each bearing a short inscription on to the south bore Sdriputasa, " (relics)
That
its lid.
Sariputra"
of
Mogalanasa, "
;
(relics)
box was a cube of 1^
The
the
north bore
MaM
Maha
Mogalana."
Each
that of
to
foot,
position of the relics
with a
lid
6 inches thick.
was on the same
level as the
terrace outside. 6.
In
casket,
Sariputra's
covered
earthenware
2 inches. surface
9^-
by a very
lustrous.
Close to the steatite casket were
polished.
half-size
\
4^ inches
in length,
The only other thing
relic-casket is of
been turned on a lathe
and
black
but the colour of the inside
off,
pieces of sandal-wood, one
The
of
inches in diameter with a depth of
had peeled
still
thin saucer
in
The saucer was broken, and the upper
and the other 2J inches. this box was a live spider. 7.
steatite
upwards of 6 inches broad and 3 inches
height,
was two
box we found a large
and
white steatite. its
surface
is
in
It has
now hard
In Plate XXII. I have given a
sketch of this antique casket, which con-
tained only one small fragment of bone, scarcely an
inch in length, and seven beads of different kinds.
These are no doubt the " seven precious things" which
— THE BHILSA TOPES.
398
were usually deposited with the holiest the skull of
Buddha*
were two distinct the one
j
as with
at Hilo near Jalalabad.
There
relies
sets of the seven preeious
containing the precious
things
metals as well as
1
precious stones, the other precious stones only, 8.
According to the Chhiese the
first
series con-
sisted of Chinese.
Sanscrit.
Suvama Rwpya
1. Su-fa-lo 2.
A-lu-pa
3. LieuJi
Silver.
Vaidurya, ,,,. Lapis
, ,
4. Serphortiikia ..,,..,. Spfyatika 5.
Gold.
Meu-pho-lo-kie-la-pho
.
.
,
lazuli.
Rocfc-prystal,
,
....
(A
....
(Variegated agate).
pale blue stpije— ame-
thyst). (?) 6. Mo-lo-kia-li 7.
Padmardga .Ruby.
Po-ma-lo-kia
9.
.
The second
series consisted Sanscrit.
Chinese.
Prab&la
1.
Po-lo-so
S.
A-cby-ma-kie-pho
3.
Ma-ni
4.
of—
. .
,
, , , , , , , .
Coral.
AmagyrbhaiJ) Amber.
Mani
, .
,
Pearl,
(A
Chin-shu-kia
red stone— garnet),
(The most excellent of
5. Shy-kia-pi-ling-kia
(?)
pre-
cious stones). 6.
Mo-lo-kia-pbo
Marakala .... Emerald.
7.
Pa-che-lo
Vajra
Diamond.
The seyen precious things found with putr^'s relics differ somewhat from both of 10.
series
;
but the correspondence *
Fp-kweM,
c.
is
xiii.
still
S&rithese
very striking.
;
TOPE.— SANOHI.
NO. 3
a
1st,
pearls
flat piece
of pearl; 2nd, 3rd, two small seed
4th, a garnet bead
;
of lapis-lazuli
;
299
5th, a star^shaped bead
;
crystal bead
6th, a
;
7th,
an oblong
The same custom
bead of pale amethyst.
still
amongst the Buddhists of Ladak, who
vails
place with the ashes of a chief, or the dead
a
Lama,
bits of gold, silver, copper,
garnets, and turquoises
;
pearls,
and white sandal-wood ; and
BMkpa,
the holy
body of
grains of wheat, barley, and
;
rice; specimens of red
of
and iron
pre-
usually
pencil
or
(Juniperus
eedar
excelsa).
11.
In the northern stone box we found another It
Sariputra.
fop the surface like
somewhat
casket,
steatite
chalk
;
the colour
is
than
that
of
apparently of a softer substance
when
but this
was white and powdery has now nearly disappeared, and
first
seen
almost the same as that of Sariputra's
is
Inside
casket.
smaller
we found only two minute fragments
of bone, of which the larger was rather less than half
an inch in length. 12.
there
In
On is
the inner surface of the lid of each casket
a single ink
letter,
half an inch in height.
Sariputra's casket the letter
Maha
Mogalana's
letters
of their respective names.
13.
The
significance
it
relative :
for
is
ma;
position
in
their
is
sd,
and in that of
these being the initial
of these relics has religious ceremonies
ancient Indians always sat facing the therefore
south
east,
they named the front, para;
and
north
were
respectively
the
its
the
which
while the
u right,"
THE BHILSA TOPES.
300
dakshina, and the " left/' vcima.
Now
apara, "behind."
The west was
called
Maha Mo-
Sariputra and
galana were the principal followers of Buddha, and
were usually styled
his right
and
left
hand
disciples.
Their ashes thus preserved after death the same positions to the right
and
themselves occupied in
left
Buddha which they had
of
life.
was the son of the Brahman Tishya,
14. Sariputra
and of the beautiful-eyed Sari or Sarika, who received her
name from
the resemblance of her eyes to those
of a Saras or Cyrus bird. is his
Sariputra, or son of Sari,
most common name ; but he
the patronymic of Upatishya.
Brahmans Sarika herself was a
griha.
all
the
also
Tishya was the most
or Sari's son.
Sha-ri-hi-bu,
learned of
known by The Tibetans call him is
at the court of Rajaproficient in the four
Vedas, and had overcome her brother in disputation. But her son excelled them both; and was much
His
celebrated for his wisdom. attributed to his moral
and
talents,
which were
religious merit in former
were so great, that Sakya himself proclaimed! that the " profoundly wise Sariputra was competent births,*
to
spread abroad the wisdom of Buddha;" and his
fellow-disciple
Kachhayano
declared that a excepting
the Saviour of the world, there are no others in exist-
tence whose
wisdom
is
equal to one sixteenth part of
the profundity of Sariputra." *
Csoma de Koros
in Asiatic Society's
Researches,
p. 52.
f Tumour, Introduction to Mahawanso,
p. xxvii.
vol.
xx.,
NO. 3 TOPE.
— SANCHI.
301
According to the Japanese chronology,
15.
1
Buddha embraced a monastic
wisest of the disciples of
four years after Sakya's attainment of
life,
hood, that
is
in
584
He, and
B. c.
Maudgalyayana, had attended schools of the
this
all
Buddha-
his fellow-student
the philosophical
day without obtaining
conviction, until
they heard the preaching of Buddha, when they gave
up
and followed him.
all
In a Mongolian wort
16.
Sanskrit, and Parables),
we
Uligerun
entitled
read,* "
Buddha was bent on
(the
dala'i
When Sabiputba
Sea of
learnt that
entering nirvana, he experienced
profound sorrow, and said to himself,
and contrary to
indeed,
from the
translated
all
f
It
is
soon
expectation, that
the
Tathagata hath resolved upon entering nirvana j who
him
after
will be the protector
and
of beings enveloped in darkness
Buddha,
'
It
impossible for
is
nirvana of Buddha.'
when Buddha Sanskrit,
V He me to
then said to witness the
Thrice he repeated these words, '
replied,
come, then do thy
and
shield of souls
If thou believe thy time
like
will,
Nirmmanhaya,
all
the
Khutukhtu
incarnations),
Nirvana of tranquillity/
Sariputra,
who
(in
enter the
having heard
these words of Buddha, arranged his
dress
;
and,
having a hundred times walked round Buddha, he repeated a great number of verses in praise of him.
He
then embraced the
them
thrice
upon
his hands, said, *
Fo-kwe-M,
'
c.
feet
his head,
of the latter, placed
and joining the palms of
I have been found worthy to apxxviii.,
note 7, Laidlay's translation.
:
302
THE
BHIIigA TOPES.
He
proach the gloriously accomplished Buddha/
then worshipped Buddha, and proceeded with his
monk
servant^ the
town.
When
Yontij to Rajagriha, his native
arrived there, he
into the town, into the suburbs,
said to Yonti,
and
f
Go
to the palace of
the king , and to the houses of the high functionaries, 1
and of such as give alms, and thus say to them " The Kutukhtu Sariputra hath resolved upon entering nirvana—^come and prostrate yourselves before
him.'"
The monk Yonti executed
the orders of his
master, went to the places indicated, and thus delivered
message:
his
hath arrived here ) out
The Kutukhtu SaripIjtRA
you Would
if
When
delay.'
'
visit
him^ come with-
king Ajatasatra^ the
the
dis-
penser of alms, the great dignitaries, the officers of the army, and the heads of families, heard this an-
nouncement, they were
all
with heavy hearts said,
{
filled
Ah
!
With sorrow^ and
what
will
become of
us when the second head of the law, the leadef of so
many
beings, the
Kutukhtu SaRiputha
down and becomest nirvana who him, bowing
that of so
many
saying, shall
'
Kutukhtu!
the
have
end of
all
is
if
thou
be our protector,- and
other beings?'
addressed them the following words perishable,
shall
Hurriedly they proceeded towards
entered nirvana!
Sariputra then :
death.
'
Since
As
ye,
all is
too,
belong to this world of torment, ye, too, will ndt
remain long; death career.
But
as
you
Will all,
come and terminate your
in consequence of meritorious
works in a former existence, have had the happiness
;!
80S
NO. 3 TOPE.-— SANCHI. of being; in the
merits,
from
ton
in tile World with
human
Buddha, and that too
form, do you add other accumulative
and accomplish such works as
Shall save
When Sariputra
Sansara.'
had
you
finished
preaching thus to the bystanders the inexhaustible law, and had comforted their spirits with salutary
medicaments, they bowed doWn before the Rutukhtu,
and each returned to
SaripuTUA all
sat in a perfectly erect position
the faculties of his soul
pointj
After midnight,
home.
his
and entered the
entered the second
;
directed these
first
nihility. 1
Samtidhi of the
From
this
upon one
and from the
;
the fourth he passed into the
Saniddhi of the births of boundless then into the
gathered
Thence he
Dhytina.
thence the third
From
third the four th*
\
;
celestial space
births
of complete
Samddhi he entered that of
neither thinking, nor not thinking f then into that
of limitation ;
and
lastly into Nirvana.
"
17. When Khourmousda, the king of the Gods, learnt of the Nirvdna of SariPTjtra, he came with
several hundreds of thousands in his suite, bearing flowers^ perfumes,
They
and other
diffused themselves
of heaven ) their tears
objects
meet
for sacrifice.
through the whole space
fell like
rain
;
they scattered
their flowers so as to cover the earth, saying,
he whose wisdom was as the depth of the
had passed through
all
'
sea,
Oh who
the gates of knowledge, whose
musical speech flowed sweetly as a running stream,
who was
perfect in the fulfilment of every duty, in
self contemplation, in all
wisdom— the
sublime chief of
304
THE BHILSA TOPES. Sariputra
the doctrine, the excellent Khutulthtu
hath too hastily entered nirvana.
Who
—
shall suc-
ceed the gloriously accomplished
Buddha and Tatha-
gata to spread ahroad the law?'
All the inhabitants
of the town and neighbourhood, as soon as they were apprised of the nirvana of Sariputra, came, bearing-
much
oil,
perfumes, flowers, and other things appro-
priate for sacrifice.
They wept loudly with
accents
of woe and sorrow, placing upon the ground the objects
fit
the
for
Khourmousda, the
sacrifices.
prince of the Gods, then
commanded Vishwamitra
to
prepare a car of various precious materials for the
When
body of Sariputra.
finished,
Sariputra was placed thereon
the corpse of sitting position, all
was
the car
and taken forth
in
a
to a beautiful plain,
the while the JNagas, the Yakshas, the king, the
commanders of the army, the
people, uttering cries of sorrow. pile of
with
chandana (sandal) wood.
oil
and
butter, they placed
There they raised a After moistening
upon
Then
Sariputra, and applied
fire.
and each went
home.
to his
and the whole
officers,
it
it
the body of
bowed down, was
all
When
the fire
completely extinguished, the priest Yonti collected
from the ashes the sdrira of
his master,
and conveyed
them, as well as his pot and ecclesiastical dress, to
Buddha.
He
placed these things
Buddha, announcing,
at the
at
the
feet
of
same time, the death of
his master. When Ananda learnt this from the lips of Yonti, he was much grieved, and said to Buddha, 1 Oh, Buddha the first of our band has entered !
"
;
NO. 3 TOPE.
nirvana; to
and
whom
Buddha
whom now shall
replied,
—SANCHI. we unbosom
shall
we regard e Ananda
305 ourselves,
as our protecting- sun?' !
although
Sariputra
hath entered nirvana, neither the charge of your duties, nor samddhi, nor understandings nor plenary
redemption, nor the prajna of plenary redemption,
nor the nature of occult properties, hath become so
many
moreover,
generations ago Sariputra once be-
came nirvana, because he could not endure enter upon nirvana.' 18.
As
the funeral pile
or sandal,
it
seems highly probable that the two
with Sariputra's
We
me
was formed of chandana,
pieces of this fragrant wood, which
the pile.
to see
relics,
know
we found along
must have been taken from
that a Tope was built over the
charcoal with which Buddha's body was burned, and that the Moriyans of Pipphaliwano celebrated a festival*
From
in honour
of their much-prized
this account there
acquisition.
would seem to be nothing
improbable in supposing that fragments of sandal-
wood from
the funeral pyre of Sariputra should have
been held in almost equal estimation. 19.
Mogalana,
or
Maha Mogalana
as he
was
usually called to distinguish him from others of the
same name, was the son of the Brahman Mudgala. His proper name was Kalika or Kolita, but he
was generally called by his patronymic Maudgalyayana, or Mogalana. Csoma de Korosf calls * Tumour, in Prinsep's Journal,
vii.
1013.
f Asiatic Researches of Bengal, xx. 49.
X
THE BHUSA TOPES.
306
him Mongalyana, that but his true Sanskrit
is
name
one of Mongol extraction ;
Maudgalyayana.
is
20. The relics of these two famous disciples of Buddha would appear to have been almost as widelyscattered as those of Buddha himself for we found :
another portion of their relics enshrined together in
No. 2 Tope
Hian
that
She-li-foe
We
at Satdhara.
learn also from
Mathura* there were Topes both of Sariputra) and of Mou-lian (or Mo-
at (or
galana), while
we know
griha, where a
Tope was erected over
was
still
21. It
Fa
that the former died at Rajahis ashes
which
standing in 400 A. D. is
not possible to
fix the
date of this Tope,
more nearly than between 550 and 250
B. c.
Sari-
putra died a few years beforef Sakya's attainment of nirvana, in 543 b.
o.
It
is
therefore just possible
Tope may have been built as early as 550 and if there was any proof that Buddhism had
that the B. c.
;
extended so far at this early period, I should have no hesitation in ascribing the
sixth century before our era. it
is
recorded that
Tope
In
to the middle of the
the Tibetan
Katyayana, and
five
Duha£ hundred
other monks, were despatched
by Sakya to convert the King of Ujain to Buddhism. This would seem to show that the religion of Sakya had been established as far as Ujain, even during his lifetime
that the omission of Ujain amongst the * Fo-hme-hi,
c. xvi.
f Fo-kwe-hi,
c. xxviii,
X Asiatic
;
and
names of the
Researches of Bengal, xx. 89, Csoma de Koros.
NO. 3 TOPE.
life
of Buddha,
is
307
had witnessed various
celebrated cities which
the
—SANCHI.
to be accounted for
that the people of Ujain were converted
yana the
by
disciple of
Second Synod, in
by the fact by Katya-
Buddha, and were never
the Great Teacher himself.
(or
acts in
At
visited
the time of the
Avanti
b. c. 443, the fraternity of
Ujain) furnished no less than eighty orthodox
Bhikshus to
assist the
holy Yaso in suppressing- the
As
schisms of the community of Vaisali.
conversion
must have preceded the establishment of fraternities and monasteries, the propagation of Buddhism
may
throughout Ujain
500 B.
B.
c, and with probability even as high as 550
c, during the 22.
be dated with certainty in
On
lifetime of
the other hand,
Sakya.
it
seems to
that the relics of Sariputra were
Tope at Rajagriha
all
me more
deposited in the
and that they remained there
;
undisturbed until the time of Asoka
Buddha
distributed the relics of
;
who, when he
over India, would
most probably have done the same with the Sariputra and of stated that the
Maha Mogalana.
still
likely
existing
gateway of
this
Tope
of the same date as those of the Great Tope, that the early part of the railing
I
attribute to the
period I suppose
although
first
it is
it
of
relics
I have already
century of our era.
is
is,
The
age of Asoka, at which
probable that this Tope was built,
quite possible that
it
may
date as early
as the middle of the sixth century before our era. The great Topes at Sanchi and at Satdhara were built principally of brick
:
and these I presume to be
THE BHILSA TOPES.
308
the oldest of the Bhilsa Topes, most of the others,
which are of
stone,
were certainly of the age of
Asoka.
OTHER TOPES AT SANCHI. masonry marked Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Plate IV., were all opened without any results. They were built of large stones set in mud. 23.
The
In No.
solid
mounds
4, the solid
of
rock was reached at 8| feet
the earth was reached at 13 feet
in
No.
9,
and 10, are merely circular foundations.
7,
;
;
and
Nos. 8
SONABI TOPES.
CHAPTER
309
XXII.
SONARI TOPES. 1.
The
little
village of Sonari is situated
spur of a sandstone
hill,
on a
low-
between the Betwa and Besali
Rivers, six miles to the south-west of Sanchi,
and
about twenty-one miles to the north-east of Bhupal.
The name is only the spoken form of Suvarnari, or the " golden wheel/' which is a symbol of Buddha as the
Maha
Chakravartti Baja.
The
Buddhists say that when the age of
traditions of the
man
attains four
thousand years, there appears a Xing of the Golden Wheel * " who is born in a royal family, and obtains
supreme dignity on succeeding
his father
For
baptized in the water of the four oceans.
days he bathes in perfumed water, and ascends an elevated tower, surrounded ters
and
courtiers.
and
fasts
by
being* fifteen
-
then
his minis-
Suddenly there appears a golden
wheel in the east, shedding a brilliant light, and
advancing to the place where the King
is
standing.
If the King would proceed towards the East, the * Fo-hwe-ki, c. xviii., note 12.
";
THE BHILSA TOPES.
310
wheel turns in that direction, and the King, accompanied by his troops, follows. four genii, there does
Before the wheel are
who serve as guides. Wherever it stops, The same thing the King in like manner.
takes place in the direction of the south, the west, and
the
—wherever
north
follows;
and where
it
the wheel
King same. In the
leads,
he does the
halts,
the four continents he directs the people to follow
the ten right ways, that steal,
is
to say, not to
not to commit adultery, not to
kill,
lie,
not to
not to be
double tongued, not to calumniate, not to speak with
lusts,
abandon
refinement, not to
elaborate
one's-self
to
not to entertain anger and hatred, and not to
have immodest
looks.
He
is
called the
King of
the
Golden Wheel, or the Holy King turning the wheel
and he possesses the seven precious things, of which the
first is
'
the treasure
of the
Golden Wheel.'
The monarch who u the Holy King who causes the
This wheel has a thousand rays. possesses
it is
called
wheel to turn," because from the moment of possessing
it,
the
wheel turns and traverses the
universe, according to the
Other wheels of
his
silver,
mentioned j but they are
thoughts of the King.
copper, and iron, are all
also
nearly the same symbols
of Buddha. 2.
From
name,
this explanation of the
it
seems
probable that Sonari once possessed a golden wheel,
which mu3t have been elevated on a in so
many
kind
is
of the Sanchi bas-reliefs.
described
by Fa Hian, as
pillar, as
shown
A pillar of this still
standing at
SONABI TOPES.
311
Shewei or Sravasti in Gudh, when he
400 A. D. " There are/' says
visited
the
place in
stone pillars
on the
j
the figure of a
now
executed
pillar to the left, is
wheel— on
the figure of an ox."
a pillar
" two pavilions and two
he,
that to the right
There
at Sonari
;
is ;
placed
is
however, no trace of
but the polished cylindrical
shafts of these columns could be so readily converted into sugar-mills, that their entire disappearance offers
no proof of their non-existence. 3. hill,
The Sonari Topes
are situated on the top of the
about one mile to the south of the village.*
To
and south of the Topes, the
hill
the north,
east,
extends for some distance almost
westward
it is
level,
but to the
broken into narrow ravines, which give
rise to clear springs that
once furnished the fraternity
of Sonari with drinking water.
The
hill is
covered
with trees and low thorny jungul j and the place
now
as wild and desolate as
flourishing
when
the
hymn
it
is
was once cheerful and was chanted by
of praise
several thousand voices. 4.
The Great Tope
at Sonari
midst of a square court,
240
south-west corner there
is
masonry, from 12 to 15 each
side.
of steps, 4^
feet
is
situated
each
in
the
In the
side.
a solid square mass of
feet in height,
In the north-east corner
and 36
there
feet wide, leading to the top.
is
feet
a
The
on
flight
object
of this building and of similar structures at Satdhara
puzzled
me
very much, until I had seen the ruins at * See Plate V.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
312
Bhojpur, amongst which there
is
a very large build-
of the same description, but in a
ing-
As
more perfect
was undoubtedly a temple, I presume that the Sonari structure was only the basement or state.
this
terrace of a Buddhist temple.
The Tope
5.
itself* is a solid hemisphere,
This
is
drical plinth 5|-
raised above the terrace on a cylin-
4
The
feet in height.
broad by
feet
feet
cement or
in diameter, of dry stones, without either
mud.
48
6^-
terrace itself
is
The Tope
is
feet in height.
nearly perfect, not more than 6 feet of
height having been
entire
its
It was once surmounted by
lost.
a square Buddhist railing, of which only a few frag-
ments now remain. 3
feet in height,
inches side.
The
pillars
were rather
with a section of 6^ inches face, by 6
There were three
The
deep by 3^ inches thick.
rails,
railing
each 8 inches
was
all
of white sand-stone, from the Udayagiri the Tope itself
than
less
was
formed
hill,
while
built of the claret-coloured sand-
stone of the Sonari
(See
hill.
figs.
2 and
3,
Plate
XXIII.) 6.
The base of the Tope was surrounded by a
Buddhist
4
feet
8 inches in height, of which
now remains but
nothing
two
railing,
a few broken
or three small fragments of coping.
were 3
feet
inches
face
railings,
pillars,
The
and
pillars
8J inches in height, with a section of 9|by 8 inches side. There were three
each 15 inches long, 11 inches broad, and
3£ inches
thick.
The coping was *
See Plate XXIII.
different
from that
——
SONAKI TOPES.
313
It was 11^- inches
of the Sanchi railings,,
iii
height,
and the upper half had a projection of 2 inches on the outer face.. The pillars were ornamented on the outer faces with medallions: of full and flowers, as
railing
shown
was
Sanchi,
in the fragment, Plate
erected in the
by the
Two of these simple records XXIII, figs.. 8 and 9). Fig. 8.
IX.
This
same manner as those at
many
of
gifts
half lotus
different individuals-
still
Aya-pa&analiasa Atevas(ino)
remain
(see
Plate
Dhama Gutasa Navaka-
manasa ddnam. " Gift of
Dharma Gupta, the pupil of
new man (». e., the regenerated) Akyya Prasannaka." the
(A)yapamnakasa Atevasino Sagha Rakhitasa adnam.
Fig. 9.
"Gift of Sangha Eakshita, the pupil of Aryya Prasannaka." 7.
In No. 13 of the
inscriptions
from the great
we have a record of a gift made by Abyya Prasannaka himself, who is there called a BMkshu, or mendicant monk. As the name does not Tope
at Sanchi,
appear again amongst nearly three hundred inscriptions, it
seems highly probable that the Bhikshu of
the one record and the teacher of the others are the
same person.
This would fix the date of the Tope in
the latter end of Asoka's reign, coeval with that of the neighbouring Tope, No. 2, which will presently be described. 8.
A shaft was sunk
and at a depth of
little
down
the centre of this Tope,
more than 5
was reached, which on being raised
feet a large slab
disclosed the relic-
chamber strewn with fragments of stone boxes.
The
;
314
THE BHILSA TOPES.
fragments were carefully collected and afterwards put together, but no trace of bone or of other relic discovered.
The
largest of the relic-boxes
is
was
a cylin-
der 4 inches in height and upwards of 8 inches in
by a domed lid of the same fine sandmore than 2 inches. Inside was a smaller stone box of the same description
breadth, covered
stone having a rise of this
but only 5 \ inches in diameter and 3| inches in height.
total
Inside this, again, there was a third stone
box or casket only If inch in diameter, and of a different
shape, being nearly spherical with a pin-
nacled top.
Lastly, inside
this
there
crystal casket only seven-eighths of
meter.
This
little
was a small
an inch in dia-
must once have enshrined
casket
some minute portion of bone, or perhaps a single tooth of the holy
Buddha
;
but, after the
most careful
search of the chamber, no trace of any relic was dis-
As
was near the summit of the Tope, the probability is that the villagers had opened it long before, and that when the relic-boxes were broken the minute fragment of bone was dropped into the chamber, and after the lapse of years had become mingled with its kindred dust. covered.
the relic-chamber
NO. 2
tope.— sonAri.
CHAPTER
315
XXIII.
NO. 2 TOPE.—SONARI.
The
1.
second of the Sonari Topes*
is
situated north
by west from the Great Tope at a distance of three The bearing 103 deg. W., very nearly the same as that between Nos. I.
hundred and is
so
fifteen feet.
and II. Topes at Sanchi, that I cannot help suspecting- that there must have been some peculiar significance
angle
is
109 deg\,
106 deg.
The Sanchi and the mean between the two is
in this
At
particular
Sanchi the
angle.
line is
At
eastward to a lofty temple.
prolonged to the Sonari also
it
is
extended in the same direction to No. 3 Tope which bears 102 E. from the Great Tope.
No. 2 Tope
an enclosure 165 feet It is a solid hemisphere of dry stone, 27^ square. feet in diameter, raised on a cylindrical plinth 4J feet 2.
in height.
12
The
feet in height.
is
situated in
terrace
is
This
is
5
feet
8 inches broad, and
gained by a double flight
of steps each 20 feet long, which meet at a landing
6J
feet
long by 6 feet broad. • See Plate
No XXIV.
trace of railings or
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
816
pinnacles could be discovered
;
but the Tope
other-
is
wise tolerably perfect, not more than 5\ feet having
been
lost.
A shaft was
3.
which at 7
feet
reached the slab forming' the
The chamber
relic-chamber. depth, and
its
sunk down the centre of the Tope, lid
was 1^
itself
of the
foot in
bottom, where the relics were deposited,
was on the same level as the base of the hemisphere. 4. In the chamber was found a large steatite vase profusely but coarsely ornamented with elephants and horses,
and indescribable winged animals of rude
The vase was covered by a
execution.
secured by lac.
plain
were found
Inside this vase
relic-caskets, each containing portions of
human
lid,
five
bone,
with an inscription recording the name of the person
whose 5.
relics
No.
were enshrined therein.
1 Relic-casket is a
round
flat
box of
crystal,
2 inches in diameter, and six-tenths of an inch in height.
As
the crystal
be inscribed, the
was too hard a substance
name and
title
of the holy
man
to
were
carved on a small piece of stone three quarters of
an inch long and only half an inch broad. inscription,
which
is
engraved on both
the most interesting of these discoveries -
Sapurisasa Goti-putasa Sava
Hemavata
sides, is
in
a
my
full
one of
:
Dadabhisd-
i
c -sa
$
\ -ra d&y&dasa.
" (Kelics) of the emancipated Gotipdtra, the brother of among-st the Dardabhisdras of the Heniawanta."
As
The
religion
explanation of this legend has been given
account of
the
different
religious
missions
NO. 2 TOPE.
—SONAEI.
317
despatched by Asoka to different countries bordering
upon India, place. 6.
nothing-
(See Plate
more need be added
in
this
XXIV.)
No. 2 Relic-casket
is
of a dark mottled steatite,
nearly hemispherical in shape, with a
bottom and
flat
pinnacled top, similar to the smallest of the stone caskets found
in
No.
The
Tope.
1
engraved on the outside of the
inscription
is
lid.
Sapurisasa Majhimasa Kodini-putasa.
Majhima, the son
"(Relics) of the emancipated
Majhima
Madhyama
of Kodini'.'
and Kodini
is
perhaps the vernacular form of Kohudinya, which
is
is
the Sanskrit
•
name of one of the eighty principal disciples of Buddha. In No. 2 Tope at Sanchi the relics of a second, or of the same Majhima were found, but in the
the inscription the patronymic relics
is
omitted.
As
the
of Kdsyapa-gotra were found in both Topes,
it
seems probable that the two Majhimas were the same person,
who was placed
at the
head of the Hemawanta
Mission after the meeting of the Third Synod in B.
c.
His father Kodini was probably a descendant of the great Kohudinya the companion of Buddha. 241.
7.
to
No. 3 Relic-casket
No.
2,
and
mottled steatite. the outside of the
is
is
of the
The
similar in shape
and
size
same dark-coloured and
inscription,
engraved around
lid, is
Sapurisasa Kotiputasa K&sapa Ootasa Sava Hemavat&chariyasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated son of Koti, KAsyapa-gotra, the missionary to the whole Hemawanta."
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
318
The Tope his
relics of
Kasyapa were same
at Sanchi with the
mission to
also
found in No. 2
inscription recording
Hemawanta, hut
the
omitting* the
patronymic.
No. 4 Relic-casket
8.
The
inscription
is similar to
Nos. 2 and
engraved on the top of the
3.
lid is
Sapurisasa Kosikiputasa. " (Relics) of the emancipated Kosikiputha."
Another portion of Kosiki's
relics
was found
in
No.
2 Tope at Sanchi. 9.
No
5 Relic-casket
shaped somewhat
is
of black steatite, and
a pear.
like
The
outside
is
is
or-
namented by a succession of triangles, alternately plain and crossed. triangles
The
inscription occupies the plain
on the lower half of the casket. Sapurisa(sa) Alabagirasa.
" (Relics) of the emancipated Alabagiba."
Allakappo or Alawi was one of the eight
which obtained a portion of Buddha's perhaps the name of Alabagira at Sanchi
names are the same
and
have been de-
Relics of Apagira were found
rived from the city. in No. 2 Tope
may
cities
relics,
;
;
and I suspect that the two
the letter
^J Z, having been
in-
advertently omitted in the Sanchi inscription. 10.
The
relics of
no
erection of this Tope, less
which contained the
than four of the Buddhist teachers
whose ashes had already been discovered in No. 2
Tope at Sanchi, must evidently be referred to the
;
NO. 2 TOPE.
same
—SONAR!.
319
end of the third century
period, towards the
by which time all the eminent misemployed by Asoka for the propagation of
before our era, sionaries
his religion
must have
closed their earthly career.
OTHER TOPES AT SONART. The remaining Topes at Sonari are all of small dimensions.* The most perfect were Nos. S, 5, and 8 but even these had been opened before, and on the 1
11.
removal of a
little
rubbish in No.
3; the broken
chamber was discovered quite empty. Nos. 4; 6, and 7, were mere circular foundations. No. 3 has a diameter of 15^
feet,
with a present height of 6
The bottom of the chamber No. 5
is
a nearly perfect
is
feet.
3 feet above the ground. Tope.
little
It
is
14
feet
4
inches in diameter at base with a height of 9 feet.
The upper diameter is
2\
is
10
feet
feet in breadth, and
4
1^
inches. foot
The
whole height could not have been more than
No. 8 feet,
is
very
much
ruined.
terrace
in height.
Its
12|- feet.
It has a diameter of 12|-
with a terrace 3 feet broad and 3 feet high.
* See Plate V.
320
THE BHILSA TOPES.
CHAPTER
XXIV.
TOPES OF SATDHAKA. The group of Topes known as the Satdhara Topes are situated on the left bank of the Besali River 1.
Ghora-pachar River.*
just below the junction of the
Sat-dhara means
literally the
"hundred streams/'
and the place most probably received its name from number of streams which meet at this point. The
the
hill
on which the Topes stand here forms a perpen-
dicular
cliff,
beneath which flows the Besali River
The view up the
through a deep rocky glen. is
river
one of the most beautiful I have seen in India.
Above
are the Topes, those mysterious piles which
have baffled the great destroyer Time
two thousand years.
for
Beneath are the
upwards of
clear emerald
waters of the Besali; on one side darkly shadowed
by
the overhanging trees and frowning
cliffs
;
other side sparkling bright in the noon-day sun.
on the
The
selection of this lovely spot
shows that the Buddhist
Bhikshu was not without a
lively appreciation of the
* See Plates
I.
and V.
TOPES OF SATDHARA.
331
beauties of that nature which he worshipped under the name of Dharma. 2.
The Topes
W.S.W.
are situated about two miles to the
of the small village of Firozpur, and about
three miles from the village of Sonari.
of the Topes
now a
is
vast ruinous
The
mound
largest
of brick-
work that has once been faced with stone like the great Tope at Sanchi, which it almost rivals in size.* The base of the dome is 101 feet in diameter ; but its present height
is
only 30
wide with a height of IS total height therefore
as the
is
The
feet
42
terrace
is
9 feet
above the ground.
The
feet.
feet as it
now
stands
;
but
hemisphere was an essential part of every
Tope, the height could not have been
less
than the
50^ feet; and was most probably somewhat more. The Tope was crowned by a Buddhist
radius, or
railing,
of which several pillars
together upon the terrace. pedestal also remain this
;
Some
still
remain lying
pillars of the square
and there can be no doubt that
Tope was once completed with the chatta
which has already been described
pinnacle,
in the account of
the Sanchi Topes. circular railing
which surrounded the top
consisted of pillars 2 feet
4J inches in height with a and 7 inches side. There
3.
The
section of 9 inches face,
were only two inches thick.
rails,
each 10 inches
deep,
and 3|
The whole was surmounted by an
archi-
trave or coping, 10^ inches high and 9 inches thick. The square railing of the pedestal had pillars of the * See Plate
XXV.,
fig. 3.
Y
THE BHILSA TOPES.
322
same
section
were 3
but as there were three rails the pillars
;
They were ornamented
5 inches in height.
feet
with the usual medallions of
full
and half
lotus
flowers. 4.
10
A
perpendicular shaft was sunk to a depth of
brick Tope at Sanchi
we were
as
As
hut without any discovery.
feet,
had not yielded any
pressed for time,
My
opening of this Tope. these large Topes
the great relics,
and
we gave up the farther own opinion regarding
that the relics were always placed
is
near the top so as to be readily accessible for the purpose of showing them to the people on stated
Now
festivals.
as the great Satdhara
tainly lost at least ten feet of
more,
me
seemed to
it
would be found
in
should have carried
it
its
height,
Tope has
and probably
very unlikely that any
:
down
cer-
relics
had time permitted, I
but,
the shaft to the level of the
ground. 5.
Around
markable
Tope there are three of those remasses of building, of which one has
this
solid
my
already been described in
Tope
The
at Sonari.
first,
account of the Great
which
is
the northern wall of the court -yard,
from east to west, and 48
feet broad,
height of from 16 to 18
feet.
half engaged in is
55
feet
long
with an average
The second, which
is
immediately outside the western wall of the courtyard,
60
is
80
feet
feet broad.
long from north to south, and nearly
The
third
is
in a
more
perfect state.
It stands due west from the second, and on the very
edge of the
cliff
overhanging the river ; the wall on
TOPES OP SATDHAKA.
up
this side being- built
building
333
to a considerable height.
This
about 98 feet long and 55 feet broad, with
is
an average height of 16
feet
above the ground.
It
is
pierced on the eastern side with a doorway leading into
an open passage, from which a
feet wide, ascends
flight of steps, 4|-
towards the north to the top of the
All of these buildings were most probably
platform.
temples, of which nothing but the raised basements
now remain. The people know them by the common name of Siddh-ka-makdn, or " saints' houses." As the term Siddha, the " perfected," or " finished," was
a
common
title
of the Bodhisatwas,
is
it
probable
that these places are only the remains of their residences.
TOPE.-SATDHARA.
NO. 2 6.
This ruined Tope stands at a distance of 230
feet to the
N.N.W.
of the great Tope.
in diameter, but only 8 feet in height,
of a small raised terrace.*
depth of 6
feet,
when some
It
is
24
feet
and has a trace
A shaft was sunk in stones falling in,
it
to a
two small
were seen lying at the bottom. The stones were loose ; there was no trace of any chamber ; and the caskets were both much discoloured on the steatite caskets
upper surface.
It
is
evident therefore that the Tope
had been opened before by the
villagers
;
who, find-
ing nothing but a few calcined bones, had replaced * See Plate
XXV.,
fig. 2.
324
THE BHILSA TOPES.
the relic-caskets, and
up the holes again with
filled
loose stones. 7.
These caskets are of a pale mottled
each
steatite,
three inches in diameter, and two inches in height.
They
are inscribed inside the lids, the one with Sdri-
putasa "
Sariputra," and the other with
(Relics) of
Maha-Mogalanasa " (Relics) of See Plate
XXY., figs.
The history of these two hand disciples of Buddha,
4, 5.
holy men, the right and
left
my
has already been given in
Maha Mogalana."
account of the opening
The only
of No. 3 Tope at Sanchi.
real difference
between the alphabetical characters of the Sanchi and Satdhara inscriptions, which, in the
is
in the position of the
Sanchi legend,
is
the m, whereas in the Satdhara legend
it
is
This variety
to the middle of the letter.
vowel
o,
attached to the top of
attached
may
have
been only a mere matter of taste with the engraver but as
it is
also possible that
difference of date,
NO 8.
This Tope
it is
7
it
may
;
be the result of a
worthy of remark.
TOPE.— SATDHAKA.
is
similar
in
respects
all
to
that
which has just been described, but somewhat more
The diameter of the hemisphere
perfect.*
the terrace
is
present
9
is
2
feet
feet.
broad
A
;
shaft
centre to a depth of 4 feet,
shaped
slab,
is
feet
and the whole height
was sunk down
when
XXV., %.
;
at
to the
a large irregular-
8 inches thick, was reached. * See Plate
24
1-
On
this
TOPES OP SATDHARA.
we saw
being raised 1
325
a chamber, 1 foot 8 inches long
from north to south, by
1 foot
3 inches broad, and 1
foot 6|- inches in depth. The bottom of the chamber was therefore only 1 foot 3|- inches above the terrace. In the chamber there were two red earthenware pots,
or covers, shaped like beehives.
8 and
9.
On 7|-
we saw a
mouth of whose
relics
On
9.
Ill-
by a domed of any kind. The
inches in diameter, closed
this vase is
believe that
was
cylindrical red earthen-
There was no inscription
lid.
XXV., figs.
raising the larger cover, which
inches in height,
ware box,
See Plate
it
broken in two places
;
and I
was an alms-dish of the holy man
were here enshrined.
raising the
inches in height,
smaller
we found
cover,
which was 9f
a similar red earthenware
box, containing two small caskets, one of steatite and
the
other
of
inscriptions.
red
earthenware,
and
Of
these
therefore,
relics,
both without nothing
more can be said, than that they are probably the remains of some of the principal teachers of the Satdhara fraternity.
The remaining Topes at Satdhara are now little more than mere circles of stone, from IS to 20 Two of them are hollow in the feet in diameter. 10.
centre,
and contain
trees
that these circular walls
;
and
may
it is
therefore possible
once have been only the
enclosures around different holy trees.
It
is
remark-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
3S6 able,
however, that at Satdhara
we found one
solitary-
trace of the real builders of these Topes, in the
Buddha name still of
Bitha, or " Buddha's Topes/' which current amongst the
massive and mysterious
piles.
people for
name is
the
these
TOPES AT BHOJPUR.
CHAPTEK
327
XXV.
TOPES AT BHOJPUK: 1.
The
visited
Buddhist remains at
my
hy
brother,
this
who gave
place were
first
a brief notice of
them under the name of "the Pipaliya-Bijoli Topes."* The former name is so common in this part of the country, that it is the usual practice to add the name of Bijoli to distinguish
it
In the same way Sanchi Kanakhera, to distinguish the same name. village,
my
this
hill
name
is
invariably called Sanchi-
it
As Bhojpur
from two other places of has long been a deserted
brother probably never heard of
The ruined houses on the
from the other Pipaliyas.
of Bhojpur, however,
name.
its
still
remain
between the Topes, and I have adopted
in preference to the others, as
it
may
possi-
bly have had some connection with the monastic establishment in the midst of which •2.
it is
situated.
The Topes of Bhojpurf stand on the southern
end of a low range of
hills,
6 miles to the S.S.E. of
Bhilsa, and 7 miles to the E.S.E. of Sanchi. * Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, xvi. 752.
t See Plates VI. and
XXVI.
To
THE BHILSA TOPES.
328
the S.S.W. stands the celebrated Fort of Raysen,
which offered so gallant a resistance Shir Shah.
On the west
the east the
Andher Topes
The Topes
3.
of the
hill,
to the treacherous
the great SanchiTope, and on are all distinctly visible.
are situated on the south-east corner
on four successive stages, rising one above
the other, and separated
by rocky
ledges,
and there have been formed into rude
which here steps.
The
principal Topes stand on the uppermost stage, and
are very nearly in a straight line from north to south.
On
the same stage, to the east, are the ruined houses
of Bhojpur, and to the west are the remains of a
by 84 feet of a second building known by two
large square solid building, 96 feet long
broad.
The ruins
names, either as Siddh-ka-makdn, the " Saint's house
;"
M&dhu-Deo-ka-mandar, the "Temple of Madhava Deva," that is, Krishna, are 113 feet long from east to west, and 82 feet broad, and upwards of 20
or, as
The walls
feet* in height.
are supported
the corners.
from which a terrace,
which
end there *
is
slope considerably,
by square towers of small projection at The entrance is in the north-east corner, flight of steps leads to the top of the is
covered with grass.
At
the western
a small ruined temple,t of which the
Seventeen feet high on north and east
feet
and
high on the other
sides.
The
sides,
and twenty-eight
walls have a slope of one inch
for every cubit of height.
f Amongst Sir Charles D'Oyly's lithographed sketches on the new road from Calcutta to Gya, there is one of an old temple at Budh-Gya or (Bodhi Gya), which stands upon a solid terrace, the
same
as this at Bhcjpur.
—
TOPES AT BHOJPTJR.
doorway and a few enshrined figure of
mannerj with the
329
pillars are still standing . 1
Buddha
The
squatted in the usual
is
soles of the
feet
turned up, the
hand lying over the knee, and the left placed in the lap. To the right and left of the head there are
right
representations of Topes and other ornaments.
low, there
is
Be-
the following inscription in characters of
the seventh or eighth century, similar to that which I
extracted from the Sarnath Tope near Benares. Ye Dharmma hetu prabhava, hetun tesh&n Taih&gato Hyavadat tesh&n cha yo nirodha, evam vddi Mahasram&nas. " Of all things springing from cause, that cause hath the Tathagata explained. The cause of their extinction the great 1
ascetic
hath also declared."
Dharma
personified Nature, or
is
Maha Srdmana
Tathagata and
all
are
existing things.
names of Buddha.
Besides this figure of Buddha., there are some small
broken images, of which one
recognizable as Surya,
is
or the Sun, with his seven-horsed chariot represented
on the pedestal.
UPPERMOST STAGE OF TOPES. No. 1 Tope, A.
4.
There
side of this is
is
Bhojpur.
a considerable breach on the south
Tope
;
but the hemisphere of dry stones
otherwise nearly perfect, excepting the upper sur-
face,
which
is
wanting in
meter of the hemisphere
is
all
the Topes.
66
feet
The
dia-
2 inches, and the
"
THE BHILSA TOPES.
330
height of the cylindrical plinth above the terrace
The
feet.
terrace itself
The
feet in height.
A
is
llf
feet in
was sunk
8 inches.*
feet
without any discovery being
shaft
4
breadth and 5 is
24
to a depth of
13
height above the terrace
feet
is
made
;
and
as
we
were pressed for time, we were reluctantly obliged to excavation unfinished.
leave the
I
confident,
feel
however, that the complete excavation of this Tope will lead to
some important discovery, perhaps more
any that has yet been made. The situated in an enclosure 252 feet long- by 214
interesting than
Tope
is
feet broad.
No. 2 Tope, 5. This is
B.— Bhojpur.
one of the most perfect of
The top
around Bhilsa.
is,
the double flight of steps to the west
and the
traveller
may mount
bulate the Tope.
feet long,
hemisphere
is
gone, but
is still
complete,
the terrace and peram-
It stands just 200 feet to the south
of the great Tope, and
240
the Topes
all
of course,
is
surrounded by an enclosure
and 210
feet broad.
39
in diameter,
feet
The base of the and its present
height, including the cylindrical plinth of 4 feet, 14|- feet.
high. feet in
It
The terrace is
is
6 feet broad and
7
feet
reached by a double flight of steps,
breadth, which
meet at a landing,
square, on the outside of the terrace. built of dry stones, without * See Plate
XXVI.
4|-
7 feet
The whole
any mortar or mud.
is
is
TOPES AT BHOJPUB. 6.
A
331
was sunk down the middle, which,
shaft
at
the end of two hours' labour, had reached the relic-
chamber, at a height of 9|
The chamber was a square 1^ foot.
we found
Inside
feet
above the terrace.
of 1^ foot, with a depth of
a hemispherical cover of red
earthenware, 9 inches in height, and 1 foot 4 inches
which was a red earthenware
in diameter, beneath
box, 8J inches in
its
greatest diameter, and 6 inches
The
lid
had been thickly coated with
in height.
whitewash, on which the traces of ink visible
;
much
but so
letters
were yet
of the whitewash had peeled off
in the lapse of ages, that not even a single letter
This
legible.
is
relic-casket found inside is the
of
all
The
our discoveries.
washed
inside,
was
the more to be regretted, as the
most curious and costly
lid
of the box was white-
and the white colour
On
had been recently done.
is
as fresh as if
it
seeing this I could not
help wishing that the inscription had been placed inside the lid. 7.
The
relic-casket
is
a small crystal Tope, with
its
terrace, plinth, hemispherical dome, square pedestal,
and double chatta pinnacle, in half size
(in
Plate
all
complete.
XXVI.)
earthenware box in which
it
It
is
shown
placed inside
was found.
the
The top
is
pierced with a small perpendicular shaft, to which
the pinnacle forms a stopper. shaft
is
The bottom of the we found some
the relic-chamber, in which
In the red earthenware box small pieces of bone, and a series
minute pieces of bone. there were several
of the seven precious things usually placed along with
332
THE BHILSA TOPES.
the relics of an eminent person.
4
thin,
round
few grains,
1
These consisted
of
weighing altogether only a
bits of gold,
bead of garnet, or Badakshani ruby,
crystal bead, 2 beads of pale greenish crystal,
some minute fragments of
pearl.
of the seven precious things, see
For another
my
1
and
series
account of the
opening of No. 3 Tope at Sanchi, in which the precious metal
is
omitted.
No. 3 Tope, 8.
C— Bhojpur.
This was a ruinous-looking mound, 14 feet in
height, but with a slight trace of circular form on
one
side.
The
depth of eight
was sunk down the centre to a but without any discovery. From
shaft
feet,
the best measurements that I could make, the dia-
meter appeared to be about 40
than that of No. 2 Tope.
feet, or
Now,
one foot more
the relics of that
Tope were found at a height of more than 15
feet
above the ground, and as the remains of this Tope
were only 14
feet high,
we concluded
that the relics
had long ago been removed along with the upper half of the Tope.
One
curious fact which
was that the Tope had been
we observed
built in four distinct
quadrants of masonry, meeting at a point, by which
means the centre of the structure was accurately preserved.
—
.
TOPES AT BHOJPUE.
No. 4 Tope, D. 9.
333
Bhojpue.
This Tope stands in an enclosure of 130 feet
square, and
750
due south from No.
feet
of the hemisphere
is
31
feet
2.
The base
2 inches in diameter. It
is
raised on a cylindrical plinth 3 feet in height above
the terrace, which
is itself 3^ feet in breadth, and 4J 16 The present height of the Tope is feet in height. A shaft was sunk down the centre, which feet. reached the relic-chamber at a depth of 5^ feet. The
chamber
itself
was 2
5 inches deep
feet
;
the level
of the bottom being 4 feet 4 inches above the terrace. In the chamber we found a black earthenware box (see
Plate
XXVI.,
bowl covered by a is
the
word
O
containing an earthenware
of the same material, on which
Mun, "the holy"
Buddha
applied to
fig. 6),
lid
himself.
—a
is
generally
Inside the bowl was a
small crystal casket, with a perfectly casket
title
This
flat lid.
remarkable for the thinness of
its
sides,
which in such a hard material must have been most difficult
but a
of execution.
little
This casket contained nothing
brownish-red powder, which I believe to
be only a portion of the dust which had found
its
way
into all the relic-chambers in the lapse of ages.
presume, therefore, that
this
I
Tope had been opened by
the villagers. 10.
To the
east of this Tope, at a distance of 60
of another Tope, feet there is the circular foundation
18
feet in diameter,
with a terrace 3 feet in breadth,
—
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
334 and beyond
this,
again, there
another of the same
is
dimensions.
SECOND STAGE OF TOPES. No. 7 Tope, 11. This
Tope
is
Bhojpur.
a.
situated on the eastern edge of
the second stage, at a distance of 850 feet from the
The
Great Tope, on the uppermost platform. meter of the hemisphere present height
which is
is
only
is
32
feet
1 foot
8 inches in
very small for a Tope of
The whole height of the Tope 12.
its
11 feet above the cylindrical plinth,
is
The
heig'ht.
this
being only 1 foot 8 inches, and
than 14
4 inches,
dia-
and
is
size,* its
its
height
therefore
terrace
breadth 1-J
little
foot.
more
feet.
A shaft was
sunk as usual, down the centre
but at a depth of
than 3
less
feet the
edge of the
relic-chamber was discovered on the south
On measurement,
excavation.
chamber was found centre of the Tope.
side of the
the centre of the relic-
to be 3 feet to the south of the
In
cases of this kind, I always
suspect that a second chamber has formerly existed,
such
as
we found
(See Plate
XXX.,
when opened by
in fig.
Tope No. 17, k, at Bhojpur 5), and that it was destroyed
the villagers.
A
presumptive proof
of this supposition was found in the disposition and contents of the relic-chamber. *
See Plate
XXVIL,
One of the figs.
1 and 2.
side stones
;
TOPES AT BHOJPUR.
was
displaced,
and
end thrust some three inches
its
The
into the chamber.
335
lid of the
red earthenware
box was separated from the bottom, and each half contained an earthenware vase, both without
and
The whole chamber was
one with a broken neck. full
lids,
of leaves and earth, and small stones, amongst
which rubbish we found the
Now,
lids
the relic- chamber, which
above the terrace, was only 15
was 9
8 inches
feet
and 8 inches
feet square
scarcely, therefore, have
It could
deep.
of the two vases.
been
in-
tended to hold both of the vases which were found in
One
it.
of these vases was,
no doubt, originally
placed in the red earthenware box other vase
that the
may
corner of the chamber bable that
it
;
;
and
possible
it is
have been placed in the
but
it
seems to
me more
should have been placed
in
pro-
another
chamber. 13.
Both of these earthenware vases
are inscribed
and as these are the only inscriptions that were found The red at Bhojpur their occurrence is remarkable. earthenware box
is
shown
in Plate
XXVII.,
a scale of one-eighth of the original vase
is
given in
fig.
size.
fig. 3,
on
The larger
4 of the same Plate.
It
is
—
4£
inches in height and 6J inches in breadth the width The of the neck, which is broken, being 3 inches.
upper surface figures,
is
ornamented with a succession of dotted
and on the body of the bowl
Patito, " the degraded."
is
the legend
This simple inscription
is
a
curious and unexpected illustration of the most com-
mon punishment
for
breaches of discipline in the
336
THE BHILSA TOPES. The punishment of a de-
ancient Buddhist Church.
gradation" was awarded for indecent conversation or
immoral behaviour, or
for
amongst
the
causing-
for
The
fraternity.*
Patito
dissensions
(Sanskrit
Patitya) must therefore have been guilty of one of these three
The
sins.
ceremony \ of degradation
in turning the offender's alms-dish upside
consisted
down^ in which position it was left until reconciliation had taken place, when the alms-dish was again set upright. In the present case we may suppose that the offending
and that
own
his
his
monk had
died during his degradation,
alms-dish had been thus inscribed at
mark of
request as a
his
penitence
and
humility. 14.
The
smaller vase
of red earthenware,
is
inches in height and nearly 5 inches in width.
the upper surface of the bowl kasa, ' Relics
name
the
of
is
4^
On
the legend Upahita-
Upahitaka," which was no doubt monks of the Bhojpur
of one of the leading
fraternity.
15. It is scarcely possible to
alphabetical characters in
that
its
date cannot be
plinth
most
;
later
than the end of the
while the lowness of the
on which the dome stands shows that
it
was
probably erected in the beginning of Asoka's
Csoma de Koros
— Analysis
searches of Bengal, xx. 82.
f
The forms of the the two inscriptions show
much
third century before our era
*
determine the age of
Tope except conjecturally.
this
Ditto, ditto, p. 87.
of the Dulvaj in Asiatic Re-
TOPES AT BHOJPUR.
The date may
reign.
mately as the
337
therefore be stated approxi-
latter half of the
third century before
the Christian era.
No. 8 Tope, 16. This
the
Tope
Tope on the second stage of base of the dome being 38J feet in
the largest
is
the
hill,
diameter.
It stands to the south-west of the last
at a distance of
No. 4 Tope.* terrace, which feet
in
b.—Bhojpur.
The is
height,
height of the
260
plinth
feet in the is
5 feet 4 inches in breadth, and 6^
with a slope of 6 inches.
mound
is
now only
at that the shaft
level of the terrace should
No. 9 Tope, 17. is
At 160
another of
of the dome
feet to the
less size is
29
As
19|- feet, or only
thirds of the original height of the Tope,
wondered
direction of
raised 3 feet above the
it is
not to be
which we sank down have yielded no
c.
the
two-
to the
relics.
—Bhojpur.
S.S.E. of the Tope, there
but equally ruinous.
feet in diameter,
and the
The base heig'ht of
The terrace is 2^ feet is 1^ foot. with in height, a slight slope outand feet broad, 5\ wards. The whole height is now only a little more than 14 feet. The usual shaft was sunk to a depth the cylindrical plinth
of nearly seven feet to the relic-chamber, in which * Fig. 6, Plate
XXVII.
—
—
THE BHILSA TOPES.
338
Inside this was
was a large box of red earthenware,
a double steatite vase* of a mottled purple colour, containing
1
an abundance of human bones amongst
which the following are recognizable 1
:
Portion of temporal bone.
Portion of parietal bone.
The
internal surface
branching lines called sulci meningei. skull are very much solidified,
still
retains the
These portions of the
which proves that they belonged
to an old person.
Three
incisors, or front teeth.
One molar,
or back tooth, not fully developed, and therefore the
backmost, or wisdom tooth. Portions of ulna, forming the lower end of long 1
arm bone.
Portions of tibia ?
Portions of femur, or thigh bone, with the
linea
aspera
still
strongly marked.
Portions of phalanges unguium, or finger bones.
No. 10 Tope, d.
Bhojpur.
Tope had a diameter of 19 feet, with a terrace 2 feet 8 inches broad and 3 feet in height. The whole height was only 7% feet. On removing a few stones we found a chamber, 1 foot 18. This ruinous
filled with leaves and rubbish, and containing one complete earthenware box, and a
square and 1 foot deep,
In the box there were a few small of bone mixed with leaves and gravel. This
part of a second. pieces
* See Plate
XXVII.,
formed into a small box.
fig. 8.
The
lid
of the large box
is itself
—
TOPES AT BHOJPUR.
Tope had therefore
339
certainly been opened before
by
the villagers.
No. 11. Tope,
19.
A
tree
e.
was growing-
ruined Tope which
is
Bhojpur.
in
the
middle of this
only 15^ feet in diameter, with
and 5
a terrace 3^
feet broad,
west a double
flight of steps
3^
feet high.
feet
On
the
broad meet at a
The removal
landing 6^ feet long by 4§ feet broad.
of a few stones showed a chamber 18 inches square,
and 13 inches deep, the bottom being on a level with the terrace. In the chamber we found a round earthen jar
Like the
full
of bits of bone, leaves, and rubbish.
last Tope, this had evidently been opened
before.
20. the
The remaining Topes on the second stage of
hill
may
No. 12
be described in a few words. Tope,
diameter of 17
f,
feet.
and No. 13, g, have each a No. 14, h, has a diameter of
i, of 18£ feet, the present height 17f, and No. 15, being only 4 feet. No. 16, j, has a diameter of 23£
with a terrace 3 feet broad. No. 17, k, has a diameter of 19£
feet,
of 6
feet.
On removing
feet,
a few stones
and a height
we found two
relic-chambers at a height of 5 feet above the ground. The chambers stood respectively to the N.E. and
;
340
THE BHILSA TOPES.
S.W-
of each other, although the direction of their
sides corresponded with the
west.
See Plate
XXX.,
north, south, east, and
fig-.
One chamber was
5.
9 iuches square, and the other only 7 inches square. Inside
and
we found also
been opened by the villagers.
No. 18, 1, has a diameter of 19, m, of 13 feet ; No. 20, n, foundation
earthenware pots
bone mixed with leaves and rubbish. This
bits of
Tope had
the remains of
No. 21,
;
and No. 22,
p,
10|- feet, is
and No.
a mere circular
has a diameter of 18J feet of 9^ feet, with a terrace of 1 foot 1 o,
inches.
THIRD STAGE OF TOPES.— BHOJPUR. 21.
The
third stage
platform of the
or
very narrow, and has only a few Topes,
all
hill
is
of which
are of small size.
No. 23, of 1^ foot.
q,
has a diameter of 19
A
feet,
chamber was found in
and a terrace
this
height of only 3 feet above the ground. foot long,
Tope It
at a
was
1^ foot broad, and 9 inches deep j and
contained three earthenware jars
filled
1|it
with earth and
leaves.
No. 24, r, is 6 feet in diameter, and is the smallest at Bhojpur ; No. 25, s, is 9 feet in diameter, with a No. 26, t, is 8 feet in diameter with a terrace of 14 inches No. 27, u, is 7^- feet in diameter No. 28, v, is 10 feet ; and No. 29, w, is 7 terrace of only 6 inches
;
;
;
feet.
TOPES AT BHOJPUE.
341
LOWERMOST STAGE OF TOPES.— BHOJPUR. There are only eight Topes now remaining'
22.
on
platform of the
this
hill
from north to south, and parallel
No. 30 Tope,
a,
lying in a direction 1
all
to the other series.
diameter and 2 feet
feet in
is 85-
high; with a terrace of
10 J 8, is
17-g-
1 foot 6 inches ; No. 31, |3, is No. 32, y, is 9 feet ; No. 33, 13 feet ; No. 34, e, is 10 feet and No. 35, I, is All these Topes are standing feet in diameter.
feet in
diameter
;
;
close
together at the northern end of the platform.
At 600 Tope,
the south are the remains of No. 36
feet to
t),
and again
No. 37 Tope,
0,
at
which
600 is
feet to the
now
a mere
south of this
mound
with a diameter of between 30 and 40
is
of stones
A shaft
feet.
was sunk down the centre of this Tope to the rock without any discovery. 23. A more careful examination of all the
solid
little
heaps of stones lying about these different stages of the
hill
would no doubt discover some ten or even but as they have j
twenty more of these small Topes all
long ago been
rifled
by the
villagers the labour
The
would be completely thrown away. of Bhojpur was no
taken from these
little
few
Topes
as not
;
largest
of
stones
Topes, and from the surround-
ing walls of the great Topes. for the
old village
doubt entirely built
This will fully account
discoveries of interest
more than
five,
amongst
so
many
or perhaps six, of the
had escaped the hands of the
spoilers.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
342
CHAPTEE ANDHER The
1.
little
village of
XXVI.
TOPES.
Andher
situated
is
at the
foot of a hill 10|- miles to the south-west of Bhilsa,
and 5 miles to the west of Bhojpur.
The Topes are
perched on the northern declivity of the
hill
just
miles from Andher, and on the very edge of the
about 500 feet above the plain.
The
position
two cliff,
is
a
very fine one, from which the eye wanders over the
whole of the Bhilsa
by
district to the north,
the blue hills beyond Gyaraspur, a
The Great Tope
twenty-five miles.
Lohangi rock giri,
at Bhilsa,
and the holy
till
checked
distance of
at Sanchi, the hill
of
Udaya-
are the most conspicuous objects in the landscape.
Nearer, and almost beneath one's
feet,
are the nu-
merous Topes of Bhojpur.*
NO 2.
This
is
1
TOPE.—ANDHER.
one of the few Topes which has a
Buddhist railing
still
* See Plates
standing.-)" I.
Its preservation
and V.
t See Plate XXVIII.,
figs. 1
and
2.
ANDHEB is
no doubt due
TOPES.
343
and
inaccessible posi-
to the secluded
tion of the Topes, which
enough
are not large
to
attract the eye, although they can be distinctly seen
when 35
The base
pointed out.
of the dome, which
is
2 inches in diameter, rests on a cylindrical
feet
The
plinth only 4 feet in height.
wide and 5
feet high,
terrace,
5\
feet
has a stone coping, along
its
outer edge, 15 inches in height, and 13 inches in
This
thickness.
that
now
the only instance of terrace-coping
is
From
exists.
the style of the bas-reliefs of
Topes on the Sanchi gateways, we had expected
to
have found some terraces surrounded by Buddhist
we were
railings, but
disappointed, for not one of the
numerous Topes excepting
this
of a ledge of any kind.
The rounded and massive
coping forms an appropriate
basement.
4
steps,
On
feet
has the slightest trace
finish
the west there
is
to
massive
the
a double flight of
4 inches in width, which meet
at
a
landing-place 7 feet 2 inches in length and 5j feet in Several of the steps are perfect, 13J inches broad and 10 inches high j and, as the gateway is breadth.
still
standing,
we have
here one of the most complete
existing specimens of the second-rate Tope.
The base
3.
is
enclosed
feet in height, with
in the
The
by a Buddhist
railing 7
an entrance on the west formed
same manner as those of the Sanchi Topes.
are 5 feet 8f inches in height, with a section of 14J inches face and 10^ inches side. There pillars
are three railings each 18 inches broad, and Q\ inches thick.
The coping
is
the
same as that of the
terrace.
— THE BHILSA TOPES.
344
The
pillars
are ornamented with full and half
formed of lotus and other flowers.
dallions
quadruple emblem of Dharma, which
is
meThe
seen on so
many of the old coins, here occupies a medallion.* On one of the pillars there is a short inscription in the usual style
:
Dhama Sivasa Mdtu ddnam. " Gift of Dharma-Sjva's mother."
The
characters, which are very neatly cut
and well
formed, are apparently as old as those of the great
Sanchi Tope which dates in the reign of Asoka.
The
pillars of the
entrance are carved on both sides,
and the two outer ones on three subjects are
two
lions
:
principal
a wheel-pillar with a capital formed of
and an elephant, a holy
a chatta, and a Tope.
which several
The
sides.
There
is also
fig'ures are seated in
small square couch.
This
tree
may
a
surmounted by
another scene in circle,
each on a
perhaps represent the
The Tope
meeting of one of the Buddhist Synods.
surrounded by the remains of a walled enclosure,
is
and to the south there tions
70
is
one of those massive founda-
which have already been described.
feet long-,
and between 30 and 40
It
is
nearly
feet broad,
but
not more than 6 feet high at present. 4.
A
shaft
was sunk down
hemisphere, where square,
and 18 inches
in height
inches on the opposite side. * See Plate
to
the centre of the
we found a chamber 10
XXXII.,
on one
side,
inches
by 10
Within was a round
fig. 4,
of this work.
ANDHEE
TOPES.
345
stone box, 5^ inches in height, 6| inches broad at
bottom, and only
which
3^ inches deep and 4 inches wide, contained
is
nothing- save
a
quantity of black ashes and
small
The
something- like calcined nut-shells. is
The chamber,
inches at top.
5f-
2^ inches
beneath.
of the box
domed, and slightly hollowed
in height,
See Plate
lid
XXVIII.,
fig.
6.
Three
feet
beneath this deposit, and on a level with the terrace,
we found a second chamber, somewhat slightly formed, containing a hemispherical red earthenware vessel 10 inches in diameter turned with the mouth downwards.
Beneath
this
8^ inches
was a second
vessel of red earthenware,
in diameter, containing a black earthenware
bowl 7 inches
in diameter
and 3£ inches in height. was a black earthenware
Lastly, inside the bowl there
vase 5 inches in diameter and 4| inches in height, with a small lid of the same material.* This vase
was empty.
See Plate
XXVIII.,
fig. 7.
NO. 2 TOPE.—ANDHEE. 5.
One hundred and twenty
of the
last,
there
is
dimensions, but in a
feet to the south-east
a second Tope of
much more
much
smaller
perfect state than
The base of these buildings are usually met with. the dome, which is 18 feet 10 inches in diameter, rests on a cylindrical plinth 4 feet in height above the and 6 feet terrace, which is 4 feet 4 inches broad •
The
a bright
glaze of these black vessels metallic lustre.
is
beautifully smooth, and of
THE BHILSA TOPES.
346 high.
It
reached by a double flight of steps; 4
is
8 inches broad, each step being- 6 inches high and
feet
14 inches in width. as
it
6.
now
The whole height of the Tope
stands, is only 14 feet 7 inches.*
A shaft was
sunk down the centre of the Tope
to the depth of 3|- feet, 1|- foot
when we found The
broad and 1 foot deep.
chamber were not in the meridian as 57|- deg.
Inside
we found a
sides of this
usual, but bore
W.
and 147|- deg. E. and
the chamber
respectively.
large box of red earthenware, 9£
inches in diameter and 7^ inches in height, f containing a small flat casket of red earthenware and a tall steatite casket,
both inscribed.
Beside the earthen-
ware box, and mixed with the leaves and rubbish which half filled the chamber, we found a large steatite vase
with the neck partly broken, but luckily
with the inscription complete. evidently been opened before 7.
The
flat
This chamber had
by the
earthenware casket
villagers.
is
3 inches in dia-
meter, and nearly 1| inch in height. J The inscription on the outside of the lid is partially obliterated, but
by supplying a few
letters,
the sense
is
easily
com-
pleted. Sapuri&asa V&chhiputasa Gotiputa Atevdsino. " (Relics) of the emancipated VAchhi-putra (son of Vachhi), the pupil of
The
relics
of
Goti-putra."
Vachhi
himself were found in No.
Tope at Sanchi. * See Plate t Plate
XXIX., figs. XXIX., fig. 4.
1 and
2. j
Plate
XXIX.,
fig. 5.
2
— —
ANDHEB 8.
The
tall steatite
at bottom, and inches.
TOPES.
casket
2£ inches
347
3 \ inches in diameter
is
at top, with a height of
5|
ornamented on the outside by bands of moulding-, between which the whole surface is divided It
is
into triangles, alternately plain inscription
"
on the top of the
and barred.*
The
lid is
Sapurisasa Gutiputasa Kahanava Pabh&sanasa Kodinyegotasa. (Relics) of the emancipated son of Goti, Kakanava Prabha-
sana, of the race of Kodini (or Kohudinya.)"
In my account of the discoveries made in No. 2 Tope at Sanchi, I have already stated all that I can suggest regarding Kahanava Prabhdsan, who was the donor of Vachhi Suvijayata's relics to the Sanchi fraternity. 9.
The large
steatite
vasef
is
made
which were fastened together with
ments are similar
of two pieces, Its
orna-
to those of the great vase
found
lac.
in No. 2 Tope at Sonarij but the Andher vase has a narrow neck and no lid, and was once furnished with a spout, for which the hole still remains. No trace
of this spout could be found in the relic-chamber, but
I presume that
it
represented in the
XXXIII, neck
figs.
was
similar to those which are
Sanchi
20 and 21.
bas-reliefs.
On
See
Plate
the upper rim of the
there is the following inscription
:
Sapurisasa Mogaliputasa Ootiputa Atevdsino.
"
(Relics) of the emancipated
Moqaliputra,
the pupil of Goti-
putra." 10.
Every thing that I can
* Plate
XXIX.,
fig. 3.
collect
t Plate
regarding this
XXIX.,
fig. 8.
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
348
personage
celebrated
As
has already been mentioned.
was of course a con-
the pupil of Gotiputra, he
temporary of Goti's other son, Kakana Prabhasan
and
it
is
therefore very natural that
we should
find
This Tope must of
their relics enshrined together.
course be of the same age as No. 2 at Sanchi, or
rather a few
was
still
may
alive
r
j
ears later, as
when
zeal
some certainty
therefore be fixed with
a, when the
B.
the latter
Kakanava Prabhasan was erected. The date by the
religious enthusiasm excited
and example of Asoka was
still
200
in
fervent.
NO. 3 TOPE.—ANDHEE. 11. This
little
Tope, which was the last that
we
had the pleasure of examining, was likewise one of the most complete in its preservation, and one of the most interesting
in its contents.
It stands
to
the
north-west of the other two, at a distance of rather
more than 200 15 is
feet.
feet in diameter,
just 12 feet.*
The base of the dome
The base stands on a
plinth 3|- feet above the terrace, which
width and the same in is
heig'ht.
On
12.
flight of steps,
A shaft was
only
3
feet
cylindrical
is
4
feet in
the east there
a landing place, 6 feet by 4 feet, which
by a double
is
and the whole height of the Tope
is
reached
2 inches in width.
sunk as usual down the centre of
the Tope, and the relic-chamber was reached at a
height of 1 foot 8 inches above the terrace. * See Plate
XXX.,
figs.
1 and 2.
The
——
ANDHER
TOPES.
349
chamber was 14 inches long by 13^ inches broad, and the same in height. The side stones were placed so as to overlap at one end, thus forming" a Swastika
or mystic cross of the relic-chamber. See Plate figs.
3 and
Inside there was a large box of thin
4.
red earthenware, containing a
Kakanava,
7|-
inches high and 7 inches broad, casket,*
tall steatite
which
was
found
the outside, with the exception
bands.
It
On
bone.
scription
quite
is
full
the outside
is
of
similar to that of
the
in
This casket, however,
described.
XXX.,
is
Tope just
quite plain
of the
on
ornamental
fragments of burnt
carved the following in-
:
Sapurisasa H&ritiputasa.
"
(Eelics) of the emancipated Haritiputba (son of Hariti)."
Inside the lid in ink
is
the following inscription, written
:
Asa Devasa ddnam. Aswa-Deva."
" Gift of
13.
The
relics of
sented to the
Hariti-putra were therefore pre-
Andher
fraternity
by Aswa Deva.
As
relics
was found in No. 2 Tope
at Sanchi, enshrined in the
same casket with those of
another portion of his
Majhima and Kasapa Gota, the two missionaries to that he was the Hemawanta, there can be little doubt men; and a contemporary of those once celebrated that he
was one
of the principal Buddhist teachers of
the age of Asoka.
The date
* See Plate
of the
XXX.,
fig. 6.
Tope may there-
THE BHILSA TOPES.
350
fore be fixed with
some certainty in the end of the which
third century before the
Christian
make
two than that of the Papyri of
era,
the ink writing of the relic-casket about
centuries
1
and a half older
Herculaneum and Pompeii.
will
;
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. 851
CHAPTER
XXVII.
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. In
1.
my
account of the sculptured ornaments of
the different Topes, frequent mention
is
made
of the
symbols of Buddha and Dharma, which occur either singly or united amongst the bas-reliefs at Sanchi,
and on many of the most ancient coins of India. The summits of the Sanchi gateways are crowned with They occur as objects of worship these symbols.
amongst the on
altars.
bas-reliefs,
supported either on pillars or
They form ornaments
standards of the soldiers
;
for the
arms and
and they are frequently
placed both at the beginning and end of inscriptions.
The Triad of the Buddhists, which has already been explained, consisted of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Buddha was Spirit, or Divine Intelligence 2.
Dharma was
Matter, or Concrete Nature
;
and San-
gha, the " union" of the two, was the universe.
was
This
the esoteric or metaphysical explanation of the
terms
;
but according to the exoteric doctrine, Buddha
was Sakya Sinha, the mortal author of
the Buddhist
THE BHILSA TOPES.
352 faith:
Dharma was
or the
the religion,
"Law,"*
and Sangha was the " congregation" of the
By
the orthodox believers,
Buddha
and the Supreme First
the chief person of the Triad,
Cause and Creator of exalted
Dharma
Buddha, or
all
faithful.
was held to be
things
but the Materialists
;
and taught that
to the chief place,
was only an emanation from Prajna, or Nature, which was the Divine Source Spirit,
of all.
The symbol of Buddha was, I believe, the wheel; which in its revolution was emblematic of 3.
the passage of the
through the
soul
circle,
was
typicial of
circle of the
Hence, the wheel, or whole
various forms of existence.
any one who,
after obtaining
nirvana, or emancipation from this mortal
coil,
had
completed the circle of his existence, and was no longer subject
to
Buddha,
Such
transmigration.
was
person
a
the founder of the Buddhist religion,
who
was commonly called the Maha Chakravartti Maja,-\ or Supreme Lord of the Universe ; or, more literally, the Great
King who hath turned
migration).
In the
institutes
the wheel (of trans-
of
Manu,J transmi-
gration is compared to the wheel of a car ; and again, in the Vishnu Purana, § " the mark of Vishnu's dis*
The Buddhist reverence
for
Dharma,
or the
Law,
will
remind
the English reader of the law in the Old Testament.
t See Fo-kwe-ki, vol. vii., p. 106,
c.
xx., n.
where Tumour
10; and also Prinsep's Journal, states that as
were those of a Chakravartti Raja, 124.
t
Chap,
§
Wilson's Translation, p. 101.
xii., si.
so
was he
Buddha's attributes
called
by that
title.
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHABMA, AND SANGHA. 353 cus"
said to be
"
visible on the hand of one who born to be a universal emperor" (Chakravartti).
4.
is
The wheel
is
the central
emblem on the summit
of each of the Sanchi gateways.
have been
its
is
This would seem to
usual position, and
it
was, no doubt,
supremacy of Buddha.
significant of the
In the Mahawanso, Eaja Sirinago of Ceylon is stated to have inserted gems in the centre of each of the four emblems of the " Sun" on the Maha Stupo, or Great Tope.*
This, perhaps, points to the absorption of the
ancient sun-worship into
Buddhism
;
for the
wheel
was one of the most common and obvious emblems of the sun. 5.
In Plate XXXI., I have
together
collected
several illustrations of the wheel-symbol of
from the Sanchi Fig.
1.
bas-reliefs,
and from
Buddha
coins.
Bas-relief on a pillar of the western en-
A man and woman
trance of No. 2 Tope at Sanchi.
The
are represented perambulating the pillar.
illus-
tration shows the importance attached to this symbol
by the Buddhists of Asoka's pillar occurs
age.
The same wheel-
again at the northern entrance.
Fig. 2. Central emblem on the summit of each of
the four Sanchi gateways-!
*
Mahawanso,
p.
229.
f See Plate XXXI., fig 7, for the celebrated wheel and club of Surya, from Udayagiri. This was the god whom the Greeks of 1
.
Alexander's army mistook for Hercules j but one of them has preserved the true
name
in SopoaSiios, or
Surya Deva, the " Sun-
God."
A A
THE BHILSA TOPES.
354
Eeverses of coins found at Ujain^-
Figs. 3, 4.
quadruple emblems of the sun. Bas-relief on a pillar of the south gate of
Fig-. 5.
No. 2 Tope, and
also
on a
pillar of the south gate of
No. 3 Tope, both at Sanchi. Fig. 6. Bas-relief on a pillar at the eastern en-
A
trance of No. 2 Tope, Sanchi,
figure
is
kneeling-
at its foot.
On
Figs. 8, 9.
found in
the earliest silver and copper coins
parts of India, from Nepal to Ceylon,
all
and from Kandahar to the Delta of the Ganges. Fig, 10. Ancient
Hindu
coin
covered with Buddhist symbols. bull
;
of brass, literally
On
to the left, a peculiar symbol,
the obverse
which
is
is
(in the middle), ;
Sumeru;
below
is
On
emblem of DJtarma. is
a tree surrounded
a chaitya,
or,
left,
by a Buddhist
more probably, Mount
the symbol of Sangha, being the
united emblems of
Buddha and Dharma.
placed uppermost, which I presume
show over
the reverse
to the right, a swastika, or mystic cross;
and to the
is
Bud-
on one of the Sanchi gateways. Above
the quadruple
railing
a
found on
other Buddhist coins, and on the necklace of dhist symbols
is
the superiority of
Buddha,
Dharma,
is
The
latter
intended to
or Concrete Nature,
or Spirit.
Fig. 11. Coins, both of silver and copper, found
between the Indus and the Jumna. On the obverse is a deer, with branching horns, and before it a chiefly
human
figure with the
emblem of the
sun.
arm
raised.
Behind the deer an
Inscription in old Indian Pali.
—
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHAKMA, AND SANGHA. 355 Rajnya Kunandasa Amogha-bhatisa Maharajasa. "(Coin) of the royal Kunanda, the brother of Amogha, the King."
On
the reverse
is
a chaitya, or
Mount Sumeru,
rounded by the monogram or symbol of
sur-
Dharma ;
to
the right, a tree in a Buddhist enclosure, and to the
a swastika, and the unknown triangular symbol.
left,
Inscription in Ariano Pali the same as on the obverse. 6.
The quadruple symbol
found on the Ujain
Dharma
of
coins,
of Buddha,
which
is
and the quadruple symbol
which occurs on coin No. 10, and on one
of the pillars at Andher, most probably have reference to the other four mortal
The four enSanchi, and at the Great Tope in Ceylon, crowning symbols of Buddha, may, I
naka, Kdsyapa, and trances at
with their
Buddhas, Krakuchanda, Ka-
SdJcya Muni.
think, be also referred to the same, 7.
Dharma,
or Concrete
neatly symbolized by a radical letters
of
the
Nature, was, I believe,
monogram which various
According to the Pwja-kand* " veja-mantras
(radicals),
Hodgson,
all
things with their (the
:
From the vija of the letter From that of the letter From that of the letter From that of the letter From that of the letter One
elements of matter.
came from Swabhdva
self-existent), in this order
*
united the
Y,
air.
E,
fire.
V,
water.
L,
earth.
S,
Mount Sumeru.
of the Sanskrit Buddhist works of Nepal, quoted by p.
105.
356
THE BHILSA TOPES.
Now
curious that the old Pali equivalents of
it is
these letters form,
gram of
when combined
mono-
together, a
exactly the same shape as the symbol which
I have attributed to Dharma. In Plate
XXXII., fig.
3,
I have given this monogram, with the singie letters
which compose
monograms, both of the the symbol
crossed
is
In
placed in a line below.
it
bas-reliefs
by a
and of the
horizontal line
the
all
coins,
in the
middle, which I take to represent the lower stroke of
the Pali letter vacuity."
,
n, the radical of
This, therefore,
" void space, or
must be the
fifth
element,
the dkds of the Hindus, and the mdrip of the Greeks.
The symbol
thus strictly
is
composed of the
radical letters of the five elements, y, air
water ;
earth
1,
;
and
n,
ether
;
;
five
r, fire
;
v,
which when combined
contain the letter £j s, for Mount Sumeru, as well as the letter 6, m, or manas, or mind.* In Plate XXXII.,
I have given
all
the different specimens of this sym-
bol that I can collect from various sources.
Fig. 3
the simple monogram, composed of the
is
five radical letters of the elements.
Pig. 4
a quadruple specimen of this symbol, from
is
a bas-relief medallion on one of the pillars at Andher.
The same
is
found on No. 10 coin of Plate
XXXI.
Fig. 8 shows the elemental symbol crowning the staff of a flag or military ensign. *
A strong proof of
in the
jt|
monogram
,
the correctness of this explanation
is
found
smdstika, or mystic cross, which appears to be only a or literal symbol of the old letters
or suti, which
is
(f
,
su,
the Pali form of the Sanskrit swasti.
and
$
,
ti,
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. 357 Fig-.
9
one of the ornaments from a necklace in
is
the Sanchi bas-reliefs. Fig-.
10
the same
is
Two
ornamented.
monogram, but very highly
of these symbols are placed
on
the summits of the Sanchi gateways, one on each side of the wheel-symbol of Buddha.
Fig. 13
a copper coin from the ruins of the
is
ancient city
The of
of Ayodhya,
inscription in Old Pali
Vijaya Mitra."
matic symbol.
or is
In the
Ajudhya,
in
Oudh.
Vijaya Mitasa, " (coin) centre
the monoo-ram-
is
Vijaya Mitra was most probably one
of the ancient kings of Oudh, although his
not to be found in the fabulous
lists
name
is
of any of the
Puranas. Fig-.
14
the reverse of a copper coin, procured
is
from several old is
the
quadruple
cities
In
around Ujain.
the centre
symbol of Dharma already de-
scribed.
Fig. 15
from one of the Sanchi
is
bas-reliefs,
on a
sword scabbard. Fig. 16
is
from the coins of the Indo-Scythian
Kadphises. Fig. 17 of
from the coins of Kunanda, the brother
is
Amogha. Fig. 18
from the coins of Sasa, of the family of
is
Gondophares. Fig. 19
is
from the Sanchi colonnade
inscriptions.
Fig. 20
is
from the Sanchi colonnade
inscriptions.
Fiff.
21, from
the
symbol placed on an
Sanchi
altar.
bas-reliefs,
shows the
.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
358 Fig-. 22,
from the Sanchi
also
of the
bas-reliefs
South Gateway, gives a triple representation of the symbol of Dharma, which is most probably intended Buddhist triad of Buddha, Dharma, and
for the
Sangha. 8.
The
third
XXXII.
Plate
In
at Sanchi. is
member , fig-.
1,
of the triad
represented in
from a bas-relief of No. 2 Tope
this the wheel, or
monogram
placed above the
is
emblem of Buddha,
or symbol of
Dharma,
perhaps to indicate the superiority of Spirit over Matter.
On the obverse of coin No.
the symbol
is
Buddha
XXXI.,
represented in the contrary manner,
with the monogram of of
10, Plate
below.
Dharma
This,
above, and the wheel
I presume, denotes the
belief of the striker of the coin in the superiority of
Dharma,
or
elemental
Buddha,
Nature, over
or
Spirit. 9.
name
Two
Schlegel writes
of sangha.
Professor
have been given
different spellings
H. H.
"Wilson,
^f
it
for the
Hf* sangga; and
sanggha.
The
latter
appears to be the more correct reading, as the Bhilsa
Tope
inscriptions
invariably
spell
it
sangha, with
the gh. 10.
Plate
The
emblem, represented
triple
XXXII.,
is
in
fig.
22,
one of the most valuable of the
Sanchi sculptures, as
it
shows in the
clearest
and most
unequivocal manner the absolute identity of the holy
Brahmanical Jagannath with the ancient Buddhist The similarity between the Buddhist proTriad. cession of images described
by Fa Hian and
that o
§
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. 359 the modern Rathyattd of Jaganndth was
out by the
Rev. Dr.
Stevenson.*
first
pointed
Colonel
Sykes
discovered that both processions took place at the
same time of the year.f both of these
facts,
Mr. Laidlay,
after noticing
adds his opinion that a the modern
procession of Jagannath originated in the Buddhist practice
described
He
by Fa Hian."
opinion on the fact, that "in the pictures
founds his
ordinary native
of the avatdras of Vishnu, the ninth, or
Bauddha Avatdro,
is represented by a figure of Jaganndth^ or the Bath Jdttrd." \ To these facts I can now add that of the absolute identity in form
of the
and
modern Jaganndtha and
sister
his brother
Balardma,
Subhadrd, with the Buddhist monogram or
symbol of Dharma.
This identity
is
rendered
much
more striking and convincing by the occurrence of the symbol of Dharma in a triple form amongst In Plate XXXII., fig. 23, I the Sanchi bas-reliefs. have given a sketch of Jagannatha and his brother and
side
sister
Dhafma from 11.
But
which, in
*
by
side,
triple
symbol of
Sanchi.
there are
my
with the
still
two points of coincidence
opinion, tend to complete the proof of
Journal of the Eoyal Asiatic Society, vol.
t Journal of the Eoyal Asiatic Sooiety,
vii., p. 8.
vol. vi., p.
420, n.
See his translation of the Fo-kwe-ki, pp. 21—261. and his brother and sister, § Another drawing of Jagannath, of the Journal of the Royal vi., 450, vol. in found p. may be of figure is even more identity the In this Asiatic Society. J
striking.
THE BHILSA TOPES.
360
the Buddhist origin of Jagannatha.
These
suspension of caste during the festival,"
image contains the
Krishna."
The
relips or
faith, that
was promulgated
by the great teacher Sakya Muni, and repugnant to the deeply inwoven pervades Brahmanism, that
we have
is
is
so utterly
which
spirit of caste
we may
The other
a Buddhist origin. manical, while, as
bones of
one of the fundamental prin-
first is
Buddhist
ciples of the
the
and " the
1
helief that the
<(
are,
safely refer
also not at all
it
to
Brah-
seen throughout this work,
eminently characteristic of Buddhism.
it is
When
12.
restored to
its
original
monogrammatic
form, the figure of Jagannath, or the Lord of the Universe,
becomes clear and
intelligible,
but
its
present
uncouth shape has taxed even the ingenious menda-
Brahman to account for. According to the learned, a king named Indradyumna besought the divine artist Viswakarma to make a figure of Jagancity of a
nath to contain the
relics
of Krishna.
The
artist
promised on condition that he should not be turbed.
work
But
the king's impatience interrupted the
in the midst,
gave up
and the enraged
his labour,
A
without arms. the
dis-
and
left
artist
immediately
the figure of Jagannath
trace of the Buddhist origin of
name may perhaps be found
in the fact
one of the cave temples of Ellora
is
still
that called
Jagannath. 13. There
is
to be also of
his
another modern Triad which I believe
Buddhist origin, namely, Vithoba and
two wives Mukmini
(or
Rakhami) and Satyavama.
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. 361 Their statues are represented standing- with the arms a-kimbo. The Hindus generally do not recognise
them
as orthodox;* but their worshippers have at-
tempted to identify
Krishna and
and
Vithoba
who
his
wives
with
named Hukmini Dr. Stevenson was the first to
his wives,
and Satyavama.
are also
point out that u the festivals of Vithoba correspond in
a remarkable manner with the seasons of the
The two principal festivals of Vithoba " the one just four days before the comoccur, Buddhists."
mencement, and the other just four before the completion of the Buddhist Wasso, or season of sacred rest,
which continues from the
The
that of Kartik. -\
full
full
moon
moon
of
of Asarh to Asarh is the
pancha-dasam-sudi, or 15th of the bright
waxing moon
and the
;
full
moon
of Kartik
Four days
15th sudi of that month.
half, or is
the
would be
earlier
the 11th of the bright half, or ekddasi sudi." 14.
I have been thus particular in specifying the
date of Vithoba's festivals, because the latter one at least appears to
the mela, or " city of
me
fair,"
to have
which
is
some connection with held at the old ruined
Besnagar, near Bhilsa, in the same month of
Kartik.
According
on Kdrtik sudi 9;
to one statement this takes place
but another
* Journal of the Koyal Asiatic Society,
the worship of Krishna Christianity,
is
and was a
authority
vii.
5.
makes
I believe that
only a corrupt mixture of Buddhism and
sort of
compromise intended
for the sub-
version of both religions in India.
f From the middle of July
to the middle of
November.
THE BaiLSA TOPES.
36£ Kartik
it
11.
badi,
The
date*
true
however,
is,
Kdrtika sudi eMdasi, on the 11th of the bright half of Kartik
that
;
is,
just four days before the full
According to tradition
of that month.
1
moon
this fair
was
by Raja Rukmangada, from whom it was Rukhm&ngada ekddasi.'f According to the Bhagta-m&la, the Rukhman-
established
named
the
1
15.
gada Ekadasi was
Apsara
(or
instituted in
commemoration of an
heavenly nymph) having* pricked her foot
with the thorn of a Bhangan plant in Rukhman» gada's garden.
According
16.
mangada was
to the
Bukm&tigada
cheritra,
Ruk-
the son of Rohitasvra, and the grandson
He had a son named Dharmanof Harischandra. gada by his wife, whom he neglected for the beautiful Apsara Vismd Mohoni, and his after life was embittered until he
ment of the 17.
Rukmin
who was
An
made
by the establishMukmdngada ehadasi.% Rukam was the name of a prince propitiation
festival called the
slain
or
by Balarama, the brother
existing tradition
says that one
of Krishna.
of the Rajas
had a white horse, which, for security, Was stabled on the top of the precipitous rock of Lohangi, of Bhilsa
*
The
first
date was obtained by
my
brother; the latter by
Lieutenant Maisey, as communicated by Captain ginning- of the
Buddhist Wasso
is
still
The
be-
celebrated at Bhilsa
by
Ellis.
the illumination of the Zi&rat, or shrine of Loh&iigi
" Saint of Lohangi," on the
full
moon
or the
of Asarh.
f
My
%
For these two references I am indebted
Captain
Pir
authority refers to the Matsya Purana for this account.
Ellis.
to the kindness of
$
SYMBOLS OF BUDDHA, DHA&MA, AND SANGHA. 363
But
to the eastward of Bhilsa.
come by the Pandus, who the performance
for
was over-
carried off the white horse
of the asroamedha,
or horse-
This prince was most probably the
sacrifice.
or
the Raja
Rukma
Prem
of the
Rukam,
Sdgar, and the brother of
Rukmani, who became one of the eight wives of Krishna. Bukma, in Sanskrit, means " iron/' and therefore Bukmangada is only a synonyme of LoMrigada, or JLoMngi, the name of the famous Bhilsa It
rock.*
a Pandava
name
latter
true that Krishna
is
was a Yadava and not
but as I have always found that the
;
is
used in a general manner throughout
India to denote any hero of ancient times, the tradi* dition
Pandu conqueror may be
of the
Krishna and
his brother
18. According to 1
applied to
Balarama.
the
Prem
Sagur,
Rukma was
Bhikmak, the Raja of Vidarbha, or Berar. His sister Rukmini is often called Vidarbhaja, or " born in Vidarbha." The name of Vi-darbha implied
the son of
a country in which the holy
and
it
Proper.
is
Kusa
grass
is
not found
generally applied to the modern
But
if
I
am
correct in
my
Berar
identification of
Raja Rukma of Vidarbha with Rukmangada of Besnagar, there can be no doubt that Vidarbha must, in ancient times, have included the whole of Bhopal and Bhilsa to the north of the Narbada. 19. In my account of Asoka's reign, I have already
shown that Besnagar was a large city in 270 B. c, " and that it was also called Chaityagiri, or the hill of * It
is also
called
LoMchal,
or " Iron-hill."
THE BHILSA TOPES.
364
chaityas" because the Tope-covered
Besnagar was
was
in its
1
by Rukmangada,
founded
Dwapur-yug*
hill
According to tradition;
immediate neighbourhood.
(the third age,
in
the
age of copper),
or
one million and three hundred thousand years ago. Triveni, or triple junction of the
It stands at the rivers
Betwa, Bes
the last 20.
(or Besali),
and Granga, of which
believed to flow underground.
is
The
less ancient city of
Bhilsa, or Bhadravati,
Yavanaswa ChanThe same story which I have related above is told about him and the Aswamedha, or white horse with a black ear, which was carried off by The existence of the Pandus in a Pandu prince. this part of the country is proved by the inscriptions said to have been the capital of
is
dravansi.f
No. 2 Tope at Sanchi, which certainly dates as high as 200 B. c. The trough from which the horse of
used to drink
is
still
pointed out
;
but this
is
only a
bell capital of a gigantic Buddhist pillar, of which
nothing more high, and
3£
now
feet
remains.
broad
are only 3 feet, the
nearly 50 feet high.
;
The
capital is 3 feet
and as the Sanchi
Lohangi
The
pillar
capital
capitals
must have been is
now
standing
upside down, and has been hollowed out to a depth of
15 inches, with a diameter of 21 inches, so as to form a large bowl. 21. * first,
A glance at the map (Plate I.) will show the re-
Captain
Ellis's
information says the Satya-yug; that
or golden age.
f Called Alamgirpur by the Mahomedans.
is,
the
SYMBOLS OP BUDDHA, DHARMA, AND SANGHA. 365 Tope stations with respect to Besnagara and Bhilsa. The ancient city of Besnagara extended from the junction of the Betwa and
lative positions of all the
Bes
rivers, as far
south as the Udayagiri
hill,
and
the Lohangi rock of Bhilsa, from which point the Chetiyagiri
(or
Tope range of
hills),
stretching
from
hy Sanchi Kana-khera to Bhojpur and Andher, was only three miles distant. Satdhara and
Sonari,
The presence of
these large monastic establishments
must, for a time at
least,
have brought both wealth
and prosperity to the country ; and the remains of three embankments thrown across the valleys between Sanchi and Satdhara, show that the Buddhist monks were as famous
for practical agricultural, as for phi-
losophical learning.
22.
Let the imagination wander back
for
two
thousand years, and the mind's eye will behold the Chaityagiri, or Tope range of hills, " glittering with the yellow robes" of the monks.
Along the road
and in sequestered spots, will be seen numerous trees, beneath which half-naked ascetics sit silent and side,
still,
brooding upon futurity.
will recal the
Tabasi
and the Tabaso gens
Magorum
The
classical reader
(or ascetic
(or ascetic nation),
Magians),
both of
whom
Ptolemy places to the eastward of Ujain, and who " ascetics" could therefore only be the Tapasyas, or of the Chaityagiri
hills.
—
:
THE BHII^A TOPES.
366 Thrice blest the
man who with
Communion deep ; To lands far distant,
And
himself can hold
and, in his spirit, range into times of old,
view successive ages as they change
Strange countries, and inhabitants as strange
By
Tiber,
Kingdoms and empires long
And
their sway,
where the Kesars held
Attic Ilissus, Nile, and sacred
—
Gange
5
since passed away,
kings and conquerors, the mighty of their day.
Thus, Fancy-led, the aspiring Soul can spring
Her daring
And
flight
beyond the bounds of space,
soar through heaven on unwearied wing,
Leaving slow Time behind her
To crawl Call
this world's
in the race
monotonous foot-pace $
up the mighty of another age,
The men most celebrated in their day, The young and beautiful, the old and sage, And all who 've famous been in this life's pilgrimage.
Or, with prophetic eye and buoyant hope,
See into dim futurity
With
5
and
pierce,
quick-ey'd Fancy, the mind's telescope,
The lengthening
vista of succeeding years,
Before which
Time-past as nought appears,
And
all
Time-to-come, in beautiful array,
Smiling with hope amid her rainbow tears, Trips gaily on, and points the
unknown way,
Bright as the evening sky, and clear as the noonday.
And
blest that spiritual happiness
which sees
Perfect design in Nature's wanderings
A beauty in her strangest images, And in her quaintest forms ; that power which flings Its own bright joyance round the meanest things,
;
;
;
CONCLUSION, And,
like the sun,
That
367
makes gladness general thought which springs
elasticity of
Highest and quickest from the greatest That buoyancy of mind which rises above
And blest, oh more
than
blest, those
memory
of historic
!
Prom The
; ;
the rich
fall; all.
thoughts which spring lore,
lonely heart with gladness deluging,
As moonlight floods the heavens those thoughts of yore, Which haply thousands may have dreamed before, Yet we no poorer are our fancies rove Through distant times, and kingdoms now no more And the bold spirit broods on things above, And human hopes and fears of ancient hate and love. ;
;
Like as an eagle on the wild winds playeth,
Or
as a nightingale dwells on her song
;
Like as a river in a vale delay eth,
Or
as a breeze near rose-fields tarrieth long;
As young steeds loiter the green meads among As bees and butterflies, from morn till even, Amongst the sweetest flowers their sports prolong The
aspiring soul, in thoughts celestial weaven,
Dallies in
How
bygone dreams, the dim
changed the busy scene of former days,
When twice To
foretaste of heaven.
five
thousand monks obey'd the
call
general thanksgiving and to praise;
When
the stone cloisters echoed, and the hall
Resounded with the solemn
festival
And gay processions filled each gorgeous gate. No more do pilgrims round the solid wall Of yon mysterious
No more
to
Budh
pile
perambulate
:
do kings their kingdoms dedicate.
;
;
THE BHILSA TOPES.
368
Nought but the Topes themselves remain
to
mock
Time's ceaseless efforts ; yet they proudly stand Silent
and lasting up
And
still
as cities
their parent rock,
under magic's wand
Till curious Saxons,
from a distant land,
Unlock'd the treasures of two thousand years
And
the lone scene
is
peopled
;
— here a band
Of music wakes the echoes there the cheers Of multitudes, alive with human hopes and fears. ;
THE END.
Plate Uruiilir.il
and Budrlhist Woiuuncnts
_^i
1
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Eg.l
STONEHENCE
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Tig. 3
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INDIA.
ENGLAND. Published by Smith Wdcr
It.
0),
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[]
Plate III
Various Specimens of Topes.
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Plate III.
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39
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tIdayagiii.A.D.401.
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—— — — —
—
—
APPENDIX.
DESCRIPTION OF ANCIENT ARMS
AND INSTRUMENTS
IN PLATE XXXIII.
The
figures in this Plate have been taken from the Sanchi bas-
reliefs,
which date between a. d. 17 and 39
tures at Udayagiri,
Fig.
1
is
which were executed
a dagger from
Sdnchi.
;
and from the sculp-
in a. d. 401.
I
saw a similar weapon
amongst the broken sculptures at Buri Chanderi, which has been in ruins for the last six
Fig. 2.
—
hundred years.
Sword worn by a
porter, or doorkeeper.
Sdnchi.
— Infantry shield. Sdnchi. Fig. 4 and 5. — Cavalry shields. Sdnchi. Fig. 3.
—Pike, or —The Indian
Fig. 6. Fig. 7.
javelin.
Sdnchi.
Vajra, or thunderbolt
versal dominion, usually placed in the
common Fig.
Fig. 9.
Fig.
—Falling —Battle
Fig. 11. Fig. 12.
axe.
axe.
10.— Trisul,
a symbol of uni-
Very
Compare the form of the Vajra of four cen-
at Sdnchi.
turies later, in Fig. 14, 8.
;
hand of a king.
from Udayagiri. Sdnchi.
Sdnchi.
or trident.
Sdnchi.
Anhhus, or elephant goad.
— Sword. — Udayagiri. B B
—
—
—— ——
——
370
—
APPENDIX.
— Shield. — Udayagiri. — Vajra, or thunderbolt. — Udayagiri. Fig. 15. — Trident hand. — Udayagiri. Fig. 13.
Pig. 14.
in porter's
Fig. 16.
— Trident carried by the Bhains&sur, or
buffalo-demon,
at Udayagiri.
Figs. 17 and 18.
Fig. 19.
— Bow and arrow. — Udayagiri.
—Bell attached
Figs. 20 and 21.
to elephant housings.
— Vessels
believe they are the water-vessels (uda-p&tra) of
A
sonages.
of similar shape
vessel
S&nchi.
carried in procession.
is
still
S&nchi.
I
some holy per-
used by the Grand
Lama. Fig. 22.
— Standard
from the S&nchi
The
bas-reliefs.
staff is
surmounted by the symbol of Dharma. Fig. 23. Fig. 24.
— A chatta, —A chaori,
or umbrella, with long handle. or
tail
of the
Yak (Bos
S&nchi.
grunniens).
S&nchi. Fig. 25.
—A long drum.
Figs. 26 and 27.
Fig. 28.
— Looking-glass.
Figs. 29 and 30.
out backs.
S&nchi.
— Kettle-drum and drum-stick. S&nchi.
Morhas, or ornamental
seats, or thrones, with-
Sdnchi.
London
:
Printed by
S&nchi.
Stiwakt and Mckkai, Old
Bailej.
;
December, 1858.
NEW AND STANDARD BOOKS, PUBLISHED BY
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WORKS OF
USKIN. THE STONES OF VENICE. MR.
R
Esq., Author of " Modern Painters," "Seven lamps of Architecture," &c,
By JOHN BUSKIN,
Now
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one which, perhaps, no other man could have written, and one for which the world ought to be and will be thankful. It is in the highest degree eloquent, acute, stimulating to thought, and fertile in suggestion. It shows a power of practical criticism which, when fixed on a definite object, nothing absurd or evil can withstand; and a power of appreciation which has restored treasures of beauty to mankind. It will, we are convinced, elevate taste and intellect, raise the tone of moral feeling, kindle benevolence towards men, and increase the love and " This
book
is
God."— rimes.
fear of
" The Stones of Venice is the production of an earnest, religious, progressive, and informed mind. The author of this essay on architecture has condensed into it a poetic apprehension, the fruit of awe of God, and delight in nature; a knowledge, love, and just estimate of art; a holding fast to fact and repudiation of hearsay; an historic breadth, and a fearless challenge of existing social problems; whose union we know not where to find paralleled." Spectator. " One of the most important works on aesthetics ever published in this country and which not only equals in profundity any single work put forth in modern times upon art, but surpasses in importance any that has heretofore been written upon the subject inasmuch as the writer is gifted with the rare tact to make profound truths plain to common understandings." Daily News. " No one who has visited Venice can read this book without having a richer glow thrown over his remembrances of that city; and for those who have not, Mr. Buskin paints it with a firmness of outline and vividness of colouring that will bring it '
'
;
before the imagination with the force of reality. His descriptions are the perfection of word-painting, and there is this additional charm in them, that the intellect and heart are sure to be gratified by profound thoughts and noble sentiments." Literary Gazette. " This work shows that Mr. Buskin's powers of composition and criticism were never in greater force. His eloquence is as rich, his enthusiasm as hearty, his sympathy for all that is high and noble in art as keen as ever. The book, like all he writes, is manly and high-minded; and, as usual, keeps the attention alive to the last."
"
Guardian.
The whole work
is eloquent and thoughtful, and creative of thought in others. Mr. Euskin invests his dissertation with deep interest, and handles every fragment with a broad grasp. This book is a noble innovation upon the old dead talk of architects and amateurs in architecture." Examiner. "No one who has studied art in Venice will go through this book without such pleasure as belongs to a revival of some of his warmest admirations, and the refreshment of his most delicious associations. This work is full of fine things, and of true things." Athenaeum. " The reputation which Mr. Euskin has earned by his former works will probably receive a great accession of lustre from the ' Stones of Venice.' This work as we had a right to expect from the age and evidently growing powers of the author, may be justly described as his most valuable performance, and fitted to become the most popular of all his productions."' British Quarterly Eevieiv. " Mi-. Euskin has seized on the great principle that all art is the expression of man's delight in God's work. This is his clue through the universe; holding fast by that, he can never get far wrong. His pursuit of truth is as admirable for its clear-sightedness as it is for its honesty." Eclectic Review.
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"Erom the series of works upon which Mr. Buskin is engaged, we can scarcely hope too much for art. The brilliant manner by which the present and other works
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which
rivets
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"This eloquent and for
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m
into its artistic principles."
"We
hail
Guardian.
Mr. Buskin's book: we thank him
earnest eloquence ;
and on almost
na™tdeeTdone
high honor to
The
all
for his industry; we admire his we defer to his judgment. He
great matters
tlfe
architect's calling."-Mr.
W,ghtwick,
m
Architect.
and glowing and thoughtful book; rich in refined criticism of his doctrines, and is always to the purpose poetry Buskin's Mr. eloauencT profound feeling.--.FW5 Magazine. the veMcle of acute thought and
S
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LECTURES ON THE ENGLISH HUMOURISTS OF THE 18th CENTURY. By W. M. THACKERAY,
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ESMOND. By W. M. THACKERAY, Author
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within a few weeks of the issue of the first, * * * * speaks significantly for Mr. Thackeray's growing popularity. Mr. Thackeray has selected for his hero a very nohle type of the cavalier softening into the man of the eighteenth century, and for his heroine one of the sweetest women that ever breathed from canvass or from book, since Raffaelle painted and Shakspeare wrote. ' Esmond ' will, we think, rank higher as a work of art than 'Vanity Eair' or 'Pendennis,' because the characters are of a higher type, and drawn with greater finish, and the book is more of a complete whole. The style is manly, clear, terse, and vigorous, reflecting every mood pathetic, grave, or sarcastic of the writer." Spectator.
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—
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—
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'
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'
will
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The
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is,
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THE SCHOOL FOR FATHERS. AN OLD ENGLISH By
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"The
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is
very
fitly
, , Tftnnvson." Examiner. amusing and deeply interesting"'The School for Fathers' is at once highly a freshness of with written pathos-and half is which full of that genuine humour Waheentitle it to be called a tale in the Vicar of feeling and raciness of style which .
^Stre aftatet as
'
The School
interesting to read,
for Fathers.'
"—Globe.
and
so admirable
.
,
inpurpose and
style,
— —
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