Indian Antiquary Vol 21

SR No.: 032513
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 166

158
THE INDIAN ANTIQUABY.
(KAT, 1892.
follows: "After the time when the Jain Tirthankara) Mahavira attained parinirvana, there "was a certain Bhadrabahustamin, who belonged to a lineage that had been made illustrious " by a succession of great saints who came in continuous order from the venerable Paramarshi "Gaatama, and his disciple Lôharya, and Jambu, Vishṇadêva, Aparajita, Govardhana, Bhadra• babu, Visakha, Prosthbila, Krittikarya, Jayanâ man, Siddhartha, Dhritishêna, Buddhila, and "other Gurus. At Ujjayini, the Bhadrabihusvamin, thus introduced, mastered the science of "prognostication, became a knower of the past, the present, and the futare, and announced a “period of distress that would last for twelve years; and the entire sangha set out from the "north and migrated to the south, and, by the directions of the saint, came to a country "containing many hundreds of villages, and rich in people, wealth, gold, grain, cows, buffaloes, "and goats. Then, on the mountain Katavepra, the Acharya Prabhachandra, perceiving " that the end of his life was very near, and being much afraid of journeying any further, "dismissed the whole szivha, with the exception of one annamed disciple, and engaged in "sasinydea until he died."
In interpreting this record, Mr. Rice made two important mistakes. (1) He took the Bhadrabahusvâmin who announced the period of distress, to be identical with Bhadrabahu I., the Sruta-Kévalin, who is mentioned in his proper place between Gôvardhana and Visakha. But, according to the inscription itself, seven of the Dusa-Pirvins, and after them a break of unspecified duration, intervened between the two Bhadraba hus, - in perfect accordance with the lists of Northern India. And (2), in conseqnence of a mislection in line 6, he translated the inscription as meaning that the Acharya who died at Katavapra, was Bhadrabåhusvâmite himself, i. e., as the result of his identification, Bhadrabihu I., the Sruta-Kérclin, and that the disciple who tended him was Prabhachandra ; to which he attached a note that Prabhâchandra was explained to him as the clerical name assumed by Chandragupta. Bat all this is distinctly not the case; the reading, in line 6, is, - not acháryyah Prabhuchandrénadmaavanitala", "the Acharya, with Prabhachandra ulan, (dismissed the saragha, and engaged in sarinyása till he died]," - but úcháryyah Prabhárhandrs nám=lranitala", "the Acharya, namely Prabhachandra, (dismissed the samgha and engaged in sannyása till he died]."
In short, so far from recording that the Sruta-Kévalin Bladrabâhu died at Sravana Belgola, tended by a disciple named Prabhchandra, who might be assumed to be king Chandragupta of Pataliputra, the inscription simply states that an Achárva named Prabhschandra died there, during or shortly after a migration of the Jain commanity to the south, which was caused by an announcement of famine made, at Ujjain, by a certain Bhadrabahosvåmin who came after an interval of unspecified duration, - but plainly a long one, - after the Sruta-Kavalin Bhadrabahu. And thus the only possible substantial foundation for the fabrio reared up by Mr. Rice ceases entirely to exist.
We may now proceed to examine the real historical bearings of this inscription. It
Mr. Rice gives "Kshatrik Arya," I do not overlook the fact that the name occurs "Kshatriya" in No. 105 in Mr. Bioe's book, and in tho extract from the Maghanandi-Brdvakáchdra giren anto, Vol. XII. p. 22, and MA
Kattiya," explained by "Kobatriya," in the pattavalt of the Sarasvati Gachohha (ante, Vol. XX. p. 348) But Mr. Rice's lithograph distinctly has the namo that I give. - Sipoo writing these remarks, I have seen im pressions of the inscription, which I owe to the kindness of Dr. Hultzsch. They shew that the name really is Kittikarya.
The original saya," on this mountain named Katarapra": i. e. on the hill on which the itscription is engraved 1. e. on Chandragiri itself.
5 See also Introd. PP. 6, 7, where, however, be saya only that, "according to No. 1," i.e. the present inscripfron, Chandragapta" appears to have taken the naine of Prabhachandra on retiring from the world, in conformity with chatom.
The passage was supposod' to include the word ans, in the sense of saha. The inscription was Arat brought to notice by Mr. Rice in 1874, in this Journal, Vol. III., p. 153 (see also Mysore Inscriptions, pp. lxxxvi., lrxxvii., 302) : and the first extract from the Rájávalikathe was also given. But Mr. Rice did not then find the name Prabbechandra in the inscription And in respect of the extract from the Rijavaltkathe, he then wrote - "This is a strsage story. How much of it may be accepted as historical is not easy to say."