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XXIII. Note on a Jain Inscription at Mathura
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Extract
On page 230 above, and in this Journal, 1904, p. 706, I have had occasion to refer to an inscription at Mathurā which was edited by Dr. Bühler in the Epigraphia Indica, vol. i, p. 396, No. 33, with a plate giving a reproduction of the original from an ink-impression.
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- Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1905
References
page 635 note 1 The ka of the word śaka stands right at the end of the line. A portion of the right-hand part of the central stroke is broken away. And the remainder of the letter is shewn as not having been so boldly engraved as the rest of the record. Also, the lithograph seems to be not altogether an actual mechanical facsimile. But, in all the circumstances, there is no good reason for questioning the reliability of the reproduction. And the position of the word kālavāḷasa, between the lines and immediately under the syllables pōṭhayaśa, indicates that there was not anything following after the ka.
page 635 note 2 The three syllables which are broken away and lost at the beginning of line 2, are quite appropriately understood to be bhāryāyē.
page 636 note 1 Dr. Bühler restored this name into Śivamitrā. But it seems preferable to cite it exactly as it stands in the original record.
page 636 note 2 As a matter of fact, while the Gōtiputra of the Mathurā record was a Jain, the Gōtiputa-Āgaraju of the Bharaut record was of course a Buddhist.
page 638 note 1 In the large majority of cases, the final long ī of the mother's designation was shortened in the Prākṛit form; as, indeed, seems to have been frequently the case in Sanskṛit also, under Pāṇini, 6. 3, 63. Here, however, and in a few other instances, the long ī seems to have been retained. Sometimes, when the characters are at all ornamental, it is not easy to decide whether the long or the short vowel was intended.
The second component is in some inscriptions puta, in others putra.
page 639 note 1 Regarding these three names, see a separate article, “Notes on three Buddhist inscriptions,” page 679 below.
page 642 note 1 Compare the preceding page.
page 643 note 1 A sarabha, śarabha, is a fabulous animal, supposed to have eight legs and to inhabit the snowy mountains, which is represented as stronger than the lion and the elephant.
page 648 note 1 The only suggestion that I have been able to find for the occurrence of the form Sākya in Pāli writings is in Dr. Muller's List of Pali Proper Names, in JPTS, 1888. 94, where he has given the word Sākyaputtiya, citing for it Mahāvagga, 1. 24, 7 ff. Referring, however, to the text, Vinayapiṭaka, ed. Oldenburg, 1. 44, 57, 72–77, 79, 86–88, I find that the reading is always Sakyaputtiya with the short a. Dr. Muller seems to have taken his entry, without verification, from the index (2. 338b), where the word is shewn, but evidently only by some mistake, as if the text gave Sākyaputtiya.
As regards epigraphic records, Professor Dowson, in his treatment of certain undated Brāhmī inscriptions from Mathurā, gave the form Sākya, in the word Sākyabhikshu, in his texts and translations of one mixed-dialect record and two Sanskṛit records (JRAS, 1871. 186, No. 14; 187, No. 18; 188, No. 24), and in his translation of a third Sanskṛit record (187, No. 19). But the published reproduction of the mixed-dialect record (JASB, 39, 1870. part 1, 130, plate 5, No. 7) shews distinctly that the original has Śakya, with the palatal ś and the short a. And the published reproductions of the three Sanskṛit records (JRAS, loc. cit. plate 3, Nos. 18, 19, 24; JASB, loc. cit. plate 5, Nos. 11, 12, = Dowson's Nos. 18, 19) shew that they all have Sākya, with the palatal ś and the long ā.
page 650 note 1 The Benares edition presents:— Mātṛīṇām=api maṇḍala-krama-vidō.
page 650 note 2 These words in connection with the genitives Vishṇōḥ, etc., are to be supplied in accordance with the idea contained in the words yē yaṁ dēvam=upāśritāḥ in the last line of the verse.
page 650 note 3 In connection with this passage, a few remarks may be added from Bhaṭṭōtpala's commentary (finished A.D. 966) as given in the Benares edition.
He has explained the names Vishṇu, Śaṁbhu, and Brahman by the specific appellations Nārāyaṇa, Mahādēva, and Pitāmaha.
He has specified the Magas more distinctly as Maga-Brāhmaṇs. The commentary says:— Magān=Maga-brāhmaṇān.
He has given to the worshippers of Śaṁbhu, the “ash-smeared Dvijas,” the more specific name of Pāśupatas. The commentary says:—dvijān=brāhmaṇān=sa-bhasma-sahitān=Pāśupatān=ity=arthaḥ.
On the other hand, in respect of the name Vipra for the worshippers of Brahman, he has only said:— viprān=brāhmaṇān.
He has allotted to the worshippers of the Mothers the appellation Sthāpakas. Following the reading maṇḍala-krama-vidō, the commentary says :— yē maṇḍala-kramaṁ pūjā-kramaṁ vidanti jānanti tān=Sthāpakān=viduḥ.
On the reference to the Śākyas he has given us the following comment:—sarva-hitasya Buddhasya śānta-manasō jit-ēndriyasya Śākyān=raktapaṭān=viduḥ. And he has thus given raktapaṭa, ‘red, blood-coloured, robes,’ in the place of the usual Buddhist word kāshāya (Pāli, Kāsāya, kāsāva), which, I think, is more customarily rendered by ‘ yellow, or reddish yellow, robes.’
He has specified the Nagnas, “the Naked Ones,” more distinctly as Nagna-kshapaṇakas. Here the commentary runs:— Jinānām=arhatāṁ nagnān=nagna-kshapaṇakān=viduḥ.
On the last line of the verse he has given the following comment, explaining the proper guide to the correct rites in each case:— yē narā yaṁ dēvam=upāśritāḥ śaraṇyaṁ bhakti-bhāvēna praptās=tair=narais=tasya dēvasya sva-vidhinā ātmīya-darśan-ōktēna vidhānēna | pañcharātra-vidhinā Vishṇōḥ | saura-darśana-vidhānēna Savituḥ | vātulatantr-ōktēn=ānya-tantr-ōkta-vidhinā vā Śaṁbhōḥ | Mātṛīṇāṁ sva-kalpa-vihita-vidhānēna [|*] brāhmaṇair=vēdavihita-karmaṇā [|*] Buddhasya pāramitā-kramēṇa | Arhatāṁ tad-darśana-vidhinā kriyā kāryā iti ‖