Some Notes On Buddha Sahajayani Siddha Natha Tradition

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: ZZ_Anusandhan
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269118/1

Page #1
Some Notes on the Bauddha Sahajayani Siddha-Natha Tradition H. C. Bhayani 1. Saraha's mAtRkA-prathamAkSara-dohaka in Apabhramsa Matrka or Kakka (The Alphabet) has been a favourite type or genre in early Indian regional literatures. In 1997 we edited and published its earliest known instance so far, viz. Barahakkhara-kakka of Mahacandra Muni. A paper mostly based on its Introduction was read at the Eighth International Conference on Early Indian Regional Literatures, held at Venice in 1996. Therein we had drawn attention to the fact that in the biography of Gautama Buddha given in the Lalitavistara it is stated that when the teacher began teaching the Alphabet to the boy Gautama, he immediately recited verses in which the first words began with the letters of the Alphabet in their traditional sequence. Now the Barahakkhara-kakka was in post-Apabhramsa language and although we had listed the Matrka poems known till now in Gujarati, Rajasthani, Hindi etc. no instance of an Apabhramsa Kakka was known. Somehow we missed one such Apabhramsa poem, that preceded Mahacandra's poem by several centuries and that was published as far back as 1957 ! Only quite recently I came to know about a Buddhist Sahajayani Siddha's poem belonging to this genre. In his Dohakosa Rahul Samkrityayan has published (pp.129139), on the basis of the Tibetan Tanjur (Stan'gyur), that is an old collection of Tibetan translations of Indian texts, the

Page #2
94 Tibetan translation of Saraha's Ka-kha-Doha (from the Tantra Section of the Tanjur). The original Apabhramsa text is lost. Samkrityayan has given the Tibetan text in Nagari characters and has given its Hindi translation. Saraha's works are dated in the eighth century. I have no knowledge of Old Tibetan and I consider Samkrityayan's translation quite reliable. Below I give some idea of Saraha's Matnka poem. Like many poems of this genre its original was in Doha metre. The Hindi translation of the Tibetan Colophon reads as follows : sfa --G TITT HEMAT I HER OTTENU sarahamukhokta samApta / kosala deza-janmA mahAyogI vairocanavajra ke ha afera 19-37%arg Il The poem had 34 Dohas. They covered the letters of to 81. In the introduction to the Barahakkhara-kakka we have given information about the different alphabetical modes adopted by the various poems. Some follow the sequence of consonants only, others have verses beginning with syllables i.e. either each consonant followed by a and a, while others have verses in which each initial consonant is followed in order by the whole series of vowels beginning with 37 and ending with 37:. The last type is known as bAraha-akkharI. The earlier ones are known as a cheti in Hindi or 41%97-9971877-187 in Sanskrit. Saraha's poem was of the latter type. It seems to have each half of the Doha in which the first word began with the consonants etc. in sequence. The contents of the poem

Page #3
95 N M . pertains naturally to the Sahajayana ideas and beliefs and it is in the familiar Sahajayani terminology. In the Ka-kha-doha in each half of the Dohas the first word after the particular letter seems to have begun with the same letter. 1. kakkA : (a) kamala ; (b) kumArI. 2. khakkhA : (a) kha-sama ; (b) khAhi. 3. gaggA : (a) gagaNa ; (b) gamaNAgamaNa. 4. ghagghA : (a) ghaNaghaNa ; (b) ghariNI. 5. GaGA : (a) nija sahAva; (b) niraMtara. 6. caccA : (a) cautha ANaMda ; (b) cau-khaNa. 7. chacchA : (a) chaDDaho ; (b) chaDDi. 8. jajjA : (a) jamma-jarA ; (b) jasau. jhajjhA : (a) jhajjha kusuma (= bahu kusuma) (?); (b) .... 10. xx xx xxxx 11. TaTTA : (a) (?); (b) TAlamAla. 12. ThaTThA : (a) ThavaNi ; (b) 13. DaDDA : (a) DoMbI ; (b) Damaru. 14. DhaDDA : (a) Dhalai ; (b) Dhalia. 15. NaNNA : (a) Nija-sahAva ; (b) Nija-ghariNI. 16. tattA : (a) ti-kAya ti-gaMtha ; (b) tulla. 17. thatthA : (a) thira kari ; (b) thANa. 11 daddA : (a) dui saraha ho vAya ; (b) dui biMdu. 19. dhaddhA : (a) dhobI ; (b) dhobiNi. 20. nannA : (a) nANA-paAra ; (b) nAsa-bhaa. 21. pappA : (a) paMca amia ; (b) pauma-puppha.

Page #4
96 22. phaphphA : (a) phaDakAra (?) ; (b) phaDakAra. 23. babbA : (a) baNaha baMbhapuphpha ; (b) basa-majjhe. 24. bhabbhA : (a) bhaga hI bhaga ; (b) bhuMja. 25. mammA : (a) mairA ; (b) mUla-citta. 26. yayyA : (a) jAvahiM ; (b) jaisau. 27. rarrA : (a) ravi-sasi ; (b) rasaNA. 28. lallA : (a) lehu pavaNaho ; (b) lalaNA. 29. vavvA : (a) vara vAri ; (b) vajrajoiNi (?). 30. zazzA : (a) sahAva ; (b) saraha. 31. SaSSA : (a) sahaje ; (b) sama-visama. 32. sassA : (a) sama eu savva ; (b) sahajANaMda. 33. hahhA : (a) hAsa ; (b) harahara. 34. kSa-kSA : (a) kSale ; (b) kSa-kSa. Saraha's Matnka poem provides us definite evidence of there being an early tradition of writing such poems in Apabhramsa.

Page #5
97 2. Were Santi and Bhusaka the same or different ? We know very well that regarding the identity, succession, chronology, life, authorship etc. of the Siddha-Nathas there is so much disagreement among various traditional lists and legendary accounts, that largely we have to depend upon speculation and guess-work to separate facts and beliefs. With respect to santipada and Bhusukapada, we are faced with two problems : First, whether these were the names of the same person or of two different persons ? Second, who were they in their early life, prior to renouncing the worldly life ? In his treatment of santideva's Siksasamuccaya and Bodhicaryavatara, Winternitz has touched upon these problems on the basis of the traditional accounts and views of earlier scholars. I quote him below : 'As the most prominent among the later teachers of Mahayana Buddhism, who also shone as poets, we have to mention santideva, who probably lived in the 7th century A.D. According to Taranatha, he was born in Saurastra (in the present-day Gujarat) as a king's son, but was instigated by the goddess Tara herself to renounce the throne, whilst the Bodhisattva Manjusri, in the form of a Yogin, initiated him into the sciences. He acquired great magic powers, and was for a time the minister of King Pancasimha, but finally he became a monk. He was a pupil of Jayadeva, the successor of Dharmapala in Nalanda. Taranatha ascribes to hiin

Page #6
98 the works Siksa-Samuccaya, Sutra-Samuccaya and Bodhicaryavatara." Now there are two pieces of evidence which so far have not come to the attention of the scholars, and which inditcate that there is some basis for the tradition that santideva was a prince in his early life and that he was the same person who was called Bhusuku in several Caryas as their author. In Carya no. 41 Bhusuka is referred to as 7371 = T4F) (37374 af 1 4013, verse no.5). The same is the case with Carya no. 43 (475 / 137 4075). In the 3790091 01 given in the fifth issue of Dhih, published from Sarnath, there is cited an Apabramsa passage (p. 34) from the Sekoddesa-Commentary in which twice the names of Bhusuka and Santi occur and there is 1) Taranatha, Geschichte des Budhdismus, ubers. von Schiefner, p. 162 ff. The biography of Santideva, which Haraprasada Sastri (Ind. Ant.42, 1913, pp. 4952) found in a Nepalese manuscript of the 14th century, agrees in the main with Taranatha. In this MS. Raja Manjuvarma is mentioned as his father. It is said here that he had the additional name "Bhusuka", because he was well versed in the meditation called "Bhusuka". He is also said to have been the author of a Tantra, and Haraprasada found works of the Vajrayana school and songs in the Old Bengali language, which are attibuted to a certain Bhusuka. This biography, too, speaks of three works of Santideva. The assumption of P. L. Vaidya (Etudes sur Aryadeva, p. 54) that by Siksa-Sainuccaya, the text of the Karikas is meant, and by Sutra-Samuccaya thc conmentary containing the quotations from Sutras, is indeed very tempting : nevertheless, I regard it as far more likely that the statement about the three works of Santideva is merely based upon an erroneous interpretation of the versc) Budhicaryavatara V.105 f., where Santideva recommends the study of his Siksa-Sauccaya or the Sutra-Samuccaya of Nagarjuna; s. Winternilz is WZKM 26, 1912. 246 ff. Cf. also P L. Vaidya, I. c., p. 54 ff. and Kieth, HSL, pp. 72 f., 236.

Page #7
99 ao mention of Guru-sisya relation between them, as for example we find in the case of Krsnapada's Giti (Samkrityayan's Dohakosa, p. 369), wherein he specifically mentions Jalamdhari as his Guru. These facts clearly point out that Santi was a Rajaputra and that Bhusuka and Santi were probably different names of the same person. One point, however can be looked upon as going against such a conclusion. In the Caryagitikosa, Carya no. 15 and 26 bear the name of Santi, while Carya no.6, 21, 23, 27, 30, 41, 43 and 49 bear the name of Bhusuka. This would clearly indicate that like other authors of the Caryas Santi and Bhusuka were different Siddhas. In the list of Saraha's Guru-parampara given by Samkrityayan on p. 21 of the Introduction Bhusuka bears the number 41, while Santi is numbered 12. Thus the problem of identification remains unsolved so far.

Page #8
100 3. One more instance of the Jhambadaka Song in Apabhramsa ___ In my note on occurrences of the jhamba Daka - gIta (Anusamdhan, 4, 1994, p. 24-25; 5, 1995, p. 82-83 ; reprinted in zodhakhoLanI pagadaMDI para 1997, p. 191-193), I had noted two instances, one from the prabhAvakacarita (1278 A.C.) and one from the vinodakathAsaMgraha (14th century), which is characterized by a dhruvapada (kahauM ji bharaDai jaM jaM kiu). From the kriyAsamuccaya the following passage is quoted in the apabhrazavacanasaMgraha (Dhih, p. 35) (the corrupt text is re. stored): huu dekhu ghaNu saMsAra-taru / daMdAliMgaNa-joga-dharu // hevajra tuhuM tennAhUM tennA teM teM hUM / / 1 sura-Nara-vaMdita-caraNa-dharu / karu mahu xx_xx tosu karu / / __ hevajra tuhuM tetrAhUM tennA teM teM hUM // 2 bhAva-vimukka visesa-guNa / xx xx Namu Namu he // * hevajra tuhaM xx xx xx xx xx x ||3 This instance is noteworthy in that it has a musical dhruvapada with song syllables, which must have been characteristic of the Jhambadaka song. We have here the actual songform preserved. In this connection it is significant to note that in

Page #9
101 Svayambhu's Apabhramsa epic Paumacariya (end of the ninth century) teNa teNa teNa citteM occurs as a dhruvapada with each Pada of the Apabhramsa metre Jambhettia (Sandhi 81, Kadavaka 1). This is similar to on etc. we find in the lines of the Jhambadaka song discussed here. I think these are instances of what is called at tilfe in musicological texts like the cast, and that mode of performance continues till today under the name of Trut in the North Indian musical tradition. (See, Bhayani, Indological Studies 1, 1993, p. 9599).

Page #10
102 4. On the Names of Some Siddha-Nathas We have with us various published lists of the SiddhaNathas, some partial and some complete, some comparatively early and some later and modernized. The traditional figure of eightyfour is quite obviously the result of frequent revisions and alterations. The forms of many names that figure in the lists are evidently corrupt and modernized. Even then, I think it is worthwhile to speculate about their linguistic sources. A large number of the names are in Sanskrit. They are usually respectable and complimentary. To illustrate : triga (91. 37vda), 00 (M. Tur), siel, prifcat (UI. 3quicy), TEFL, T , TETET (91. HTET), HUMI, TEM, , Fifi (H. hifa), H474. But several have Prakritic form and a number of them are of obscure origin. They are perhaps based on regional usages. It is proposed here to discuss a few of all the three types, because they have some significant social implications. ogia (abridged pac), pocit : He who wears a woolen blanket. ( T. 9. 06. TAL. 2771, 2773 ). to of up : He who wears wristlet. f : He who keeps a dog ( 67, . dog. IAL. 3329 ). Isfi: He who lives in a tent ( 91. T$tent').

Page #11
103 ghaMTA : He who puts on little bells. caTTila : He who is fond of tasting. ( prA. caTTa 'lick'. IAL 4573). carpaTa : Palm of hand; small flat piece of wood (* saM. carpaTa IAL. 4696 ). Grci eft : He who carries a fishing net, a fisherman. DeMgI : A boatman ( * DeMga small boat, canoe. IAL. 5568 ). DoMbI : A man of the pomba caste ( saM. prA. DoMba IAL. 5570). DheMDhaNa : (?). taMtI : He who plays on the lute or he who knows Tantras. .. ( Compare vINApAda ). tello : An oilman ( saM. tailika, prA. tellia. IAL 5963 ). bhAde : saM. bhadradeva (prA. bhaddadea > bhaddade > bhAde). The form be longs to the post-Apabhramsa stage. bhusukka : Chaff (bhusa + diminutive ukka) ( saM. busa, prA. bhusa. _IAL. 9293). mekhalA : Girdle. lUI : saM. lUtA 'spider ; a cutaneous disease.' IAL. 11093. virUvA : Ugly ( saM. virUpa, prA. virUva ). zabara : A man of the Sabara tribe ( saM. zabara , prA. sabara, savara ___ a wild, mountainous tribe ). saraha : A wild animal ( saM. zarabha, prA. saraha, IAL. 12331 ). hAli : A ploughman ( saM. hAlI, prA. hAlI ).

Page #12
104 2. Remarks : 1. The names out and a 10146 indicate close associa tion with those musical instruments. $415, TSYG, ghaMTApAda, kaMkaNapAda, kaMbalapAda, carpaTapAda, mekhalApAda indicate characteristic association with those objects, things, etc. ofer 47 indicates a characteristic habit. jAlaMdharipAda, DeMgipAda, DoMgIpAda, tellopAda, hAlipAda indicate low caste professions. 46, Yay indicate the caste. ETIC (THC) is a flattering name like FHEGA, quuta etc. 641415, T 4 , T54G are obviously pejorative assumed names. 3. se w Of these the names of the first and second category were possibly given by the devotees and followers. The third and fourth categories are interesting in this sense that they suggest that the Siddhas were closely associated with the lower castes and tribals. Samkrityayan, Majumdar and others have made observations about the changed social mileu and the intimacy of the Siddhas with the lower stratum of the society. Names of the fifth category can be explained as either the childhood bye-names or more probably to show that they considered their worldly selves as of little value. WANN.