Indian Antiquary Vol 14

SR No.: 032506
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 418
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
The question as to whether the founder of the dynasty was named Gupta or Srigupta, appears to me to be still an open one.
I must confess to having followed earlier authorities too implicitly with regard to Ghatotkacha. My critic has proved that the coins hitherto referred to this prince cannot be his; and I agree with him in thinking it probable that Ghatotkacha did not coin in gold. I believe that, as suggested in the review, these coins belong to the time of Samudra Gupta.
The goddess on the reverse strikingly resem. bles the standing goddess on the Aswamedhapieces,
As to these latter, I admit that it is not demonstrated that they were issued by Samudra
THE LIFE OF BUDDHA AND THE EARLY HISTORY OF HIS
ORDER. Derived from Tibetan works in the Bkahhgyur ond Bstan-hayur. Followed by notices of the early history of Tibet and Khotan. Translated by W. WOODVILLE ROCKHILL. (London: Trübner and Co., 1884).
Gupta; but it appears most probable that they
were.
To the already numerous Lives of Buddha that have appeared within the last twenty-six years, since the first edition of Bishop Bigandet's was published, Mr. Rockhill has added still another. Being a translation from the Tibetan, however, this volume has a special interest, and will be welcomed by scholars. The Tibetan Dulva or Vinayapitaka, which is probably the oldest and most trustworthy portion of the Bkah-hgyur, contains many historical or legendary texts, together with Játṭakas (several of which are not found in the Pâli versions), Avadanas, Vyakaranas or Prophecies, Sútras, and Udânas; and the first part of this volume presents us with a full and connected analysis, and frequently literal translations, of most of the former, and the more interesting of the latter. Especially important are the accounts of the Coun. cils of Rajagriha and Vaisali, and of the spread of Buddhism in Kasmir (pp. 148-180), taken from the eleventh volume of the Dulva, and which differ materially from the accounts previously translated from the Pâli and Chinese.
[JUNE, 1885.
Professor Tawney informs me that the name Ghatotkacha is familiar to him in Hindâ legend as the son of Bhima by Hidimbâ, and that the name occurs in the Mahabharata as quoted in the St. Petersburg Lexicon, thus ;
BOOK NOTICE.
घटी हास्योत्कच इति माता तं प्रत्यभाषत । अब्रवीत्तेन नामास्य घटोत्कच इति स्म ह ॥
The reference is to Mahabharata I. 197, in the Calcutta four-volume edition, which, however. Professor Tawney was unable to consult in order to verify the quotation.1
V. A. SMITH.
Basti, 15th March 1885.
compilation from that of Vasumitra, and from the Bhikshu-varshagrapricha, and has thus elucidated some obscurities in Vassilief's translation of Vasumitra's work, from which that of Bhavya materially differs.
Two chapters are devoted to the early histories of Bod-yul (Tibet), and Li-yul (Khoten), which are specially interesting; and, in an appendix, are given extracts from Bhagavati, XV., on the intercourse between Mahavira (i.e. Nigantha Nataputta) and Gosala Mankhaliputta-translated by Dr. Ernst Leumann, and on the doctrines of the Six Heretical Teachers, according to two Chinese versions of the Samana-phala Sútra, by Bunyiu Nanjio.
In his notes, Mr. Rockhill has given everywhere references to the parallel passages in other works on Buddhism and the life of its founder, which will be of great use to the reader. The Index of names is full, and the special index of Tibetan words with their Sanskrit equivalents will be of use to those who may wish to study the original Tibetan works.
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Vassilief, in his unfinished work on Buddhism, has translated the Samayavadhóparachana chakra of Vasumitra, on the schismatic schools; and Mr. Rockhill has here added the Kayabhétro vibhanga of Bhavya, which immediately follows it in the Betan-hgyur, and treats of the same subject; and with the information contained in it, he has combined further particulars from the Samayabhédúparachana chakra of Vinitadêva, which is a
Throughout the book, however, we note a want of uniformity in the transliteration of Sanskrit names and words: the long vowels are marked, but not always, and not unfrequently wrongly, and the same word is spelt in more ways than one: thus we have the names of Buddha's three wives as Yaçôdhâra' and Yacôdhâra,' Gôpâ,' and Mrigadja' or 'Keissa Gautami;' and we find Adjatasatru,' 'isvara,' 'Jeta,' 'tchaitya' and chaitya,' Kachmere,' Gâyâ,' &c., 7 being represented by c. c, s, and ch; by dj and j; and by sh, ch, and tch, &c. This ought not to have been: uniformity at least, if not conformity to some of the systems in vogue among English scholars, should have been preserved.
1 [See also Fitz-Edward Hall's edition of Wilson's Translation of the Vishnu-Purana, Vol. IV. p. 159.-ED.]
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