Indian Antiquary Vol 10

SR No.: 032502
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 440
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 147

APRIL, 1881.)
READINGS FROM THE BHARHUT STUPA.
119
maddakart chetiyan, and be equal to Sanskrit ments, such as the sculptured scene shows. But I mrigasarmardakan chaityam.
am not sufficiently acquainted with Indian games (2.) The third inscription, on No. 2 of to say whether there actually exists a game called Plate XLIV, and No. 20 on Plate LIII, is explained by either of these two names. The name of on p. 95, where it is given as Raja Janako Sivali chess, chaturanga, however, is not unlike it. The Depi. The actual letters of the legend are
other word may be read as intended for either sili Janako rdja sivala devi.
"rock" (Skr. sild) or silam," practice," "habit." The consonant 1 has no vowel-sign (4), and The whole legend, then, would mean, either "the therefore reads la. The name intended is clearly rock with the gaming board" or " devotion to the sívali (Skr. Sívalt), as the Burmese story quoted gaming board," "the practice of gambling." In any by General Cunningham has it. There is, case the word sila is inaccurately spelt. Among therefore, here the same mason's error, as in the the Jatakas, there is one which narrates the birth preceding legend: here la for it, as there ta for ti." of Buddha as a gambler ;' and the sculpture possibly Another error is the omission of the vowel sign (4) refers to this story. in raja which ought to berdja. Further, in sitola (4.) The sixth inscription, on No. 8 of Plate and devi the long vowel is not distinguished; XLVI and No. 15 in Plate LIII, and referred to though, probably, this is not an error, as distinct on p. 76, reads sechha jataka, or, as it would be marks for long and short vowels were not always in full, sechchha-jdtakarit. I would propose to transused; in the Kaithi alphabet they are not used late it, "the probationer-or, norice-Jataka"; takto the present day. The legend, then, spelt cor- ing sechchha to be an alternative form of the more rectly, would run janako rdja sívali devi, and usual sekkha (Skr. Saikshya). The closely-croptranslated "King Janaka (and) Queen Sivali." ped hair on the head of the two men in the sculp
(3.) The fourth inscription, on No. 9 of tured scene would seem to indicate novices. Plate XLV, and No. 21 on Plate LIII, is explained (5). The eleventh Inscription, on No. 2 of on p. 94, where it is given as chitu-pada-sila, and Plate XLVIII and No. 2 in Plate LIII, and referred said to mean "split-rock," the word pada being left to on p. 78, reads untranslated, and the word chitu being taken as an
maghddeviya[vi], jataka error for chhitu. Even allowing the possibility of or as it would be in full, maghadeviyan játalar. the mis-spelling, the word ought to be chhitu (not After the ya, the stone shows a very shallow indentchhitu), the past participle chhita "split" of the ation, apparently indicative of the anusvára, too root chho, I suppose, being intended. 'I would sug- slight to be seen in General Cunningham's photogest that chitupada is one word meaning " four- graph, but just recognizable on a squeeze taken sided," and refers to the draught-board depicted by me. The meaning is : "the Jataka referring in the sculpture. Spelt correctly and fully, it to Maghadeva." The latter name has been very would be chatuppáda (Skr. chatushpada). Double ingeniously, but probably correctly, identified by pp is, as usual, written singly (p); and the vowell General Cunningham with that of King Makhai, for a, is perhaps not so much an error as a pro
de va of Miyula, or rather (according to the vincialism. In modern Hindt we have chiúr or Dipavamsa III, 34, 35) of Mithila, one of the early "on all four sides," chilotarsau "one hundred and
| fabulous ancestors of Buddha, of whom it is said: four," &c., which seems to show that the vowel a "When he had reigned 252,000 years, he saw the of chatur always had a tendency to be changed to i first grey hair, upon which he resigned the king. by the illiterate. However, as the marks of the dom to his son and became an ascetic." The sculpvowel u and of the subjoined r are much alike, it is ture represents the moment when the first grey hair not impossible that the word intended may be was found. The King Makhadeva is seated on chitrapada, which means, "divided into various a throne, attended by two servants, who assist him parts." In that case, it would also refer to the in his toilet; the usual knot of hair is opened, and playing-board. Either word, chatushpada or the long hair depends, to the shoulders, on both chitrapada, would be a very appropriate name for a sides of his head; one of the servants had been square gaming-board consisting of 36 compart- attending to it; with one hand he holds the royal
3 The words might also be divided migasa maddakam chetiyan (8kr. mrigasya mardakar chaityah). But the reading, given above, and first suggested to me by Mr. Tawney, is much better.
* In the Ditpa varsa, however, both forms sívald and sfvalt occur as names of different persons.
In Skr. one of the meanings of chitrapada is a metre consisting of four lines of 23 syllables each.
And there is the popular chaupat of cha usar. -ED. In Hindt also champar.-R. H.
See Spence Hardy's Manual of Budhism, p. 102.
Skr. ksh usually becomes kkh in Pali, but sometimes also, chehh, e. K., PAli akkhi or achchht "eye" for Skr. akshi; see E. Kuhn, Beiträge zur Pali Grammatik.
Conf. Fausböll's Jataka, Vol. I, 137,--the Makhadevaja. taka, translated in Rhys Davids's Buddhist Birth-Stories, vol. I, pp. 186 ff.; conf. Makhd-deva satta, No. 83 in Majjhima Nikdya.-ED.
10 See Spence Hardy, Manual of Budhism, p. 133. This JÁtaks is given in Fausboll's edition, vol. I, p. 187, and in Rhys Davids's translation, pp. 1864f.