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THE AJANTA CAVES.
OCTOBER, 1874.]
cation, was reflecting on faturity. Perceiving (that it was time) to establish the religion of Buddha in foreign countries, he despatched severally, in the month of Kârtik, the following theros' to those foreign parts. He deputed the thero' Madhyantika to Kâémira and Gandhâra (Kandahar), and the 'thero' Mahâdeva to Mahisamandala (Maisûr). He deputed the 'thero' Rakshita to Waniwâsi (the north of the Karnáṭak), and similarly the 'thero' Yona-Dharmarakshita to Aparantika (possibly N. Sindh). He deputed the thero' Mahâ-Dharmarakshita to Maharaṭṭha (the Marâthâ country), and the 'thero' Mahârakshita to the Yona (Yavana or Baktrian) country. He deputed the 'thero' Madhyama to the Himawanta (or Himalayan) country; and to Suvarnabhumi (Burma) the two 'theros' Sona and Uttara. He deputed the 'thero' Maha-Mahendra (the son of Asoka), together with his (Mandgala's) disciples Itthiya, Uttiya, Sambala, and Bhaddasâla (to Ceylon), saying to these five sthaviras,- Establish ye in the delightful land of Lañkâ the delightful religion of (Jina) the vanquisher." The religion had, no doubt, been already widely spread, and these missionaries are represented as having made incredible numbers of converts; thus-"the sanctified disciple Mehâ-Dharmarakshita repairing to Mahârattha, there preached the mahánáradakassapo játako (of Buddha). Eightyfour thousand persons attained the sanctification of marga (the way), and thirteen thousand were ordained priests by him."
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From this era vihâras were multiplied. Asoka was indefatigable in their erection. In the 4th year of his reign, the Mahavansa tells ust that numerous parties, "in different towns, commencing the construction of splendid vihâras completed them in three years. By the merit of the sthavira Indragupta, and that of the undertaker of the work, the vihâra called Aśokarama (at Pátaliputra) was also completed in that time. At the places at which the vanquisher of the deadly sins had worked the works of his mission, the sovereign caused splendid chaityas to be constructed. From eighty-four thousand cities (of which Pataliputra) was the centre, despatches were brought, on the same day, announcing that the vihâras
Tarnour's Mahawanso, pp. 71, 74. +Ibid. p. 84.
Mrs. Spiers' Life in Ancient India (1956), pp. 317.
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were completed." This may be exaggerated in details, but there is no reason to doubt that Aśoka did erect many Buddhist buildings.
The Buddhist bhikshus thus soon became very numerous, and possessed regularly organized monasteries or vi hâras, in which they spent the rainy season, studying the sacred books and practising a temperate asceticism. "The holy men were not allowed seats of costly cloth, nor umbrellas made of rich material, with handles adorned with gems and pearls; nor might they use fragrant substances, or fish-gills and bricks for rubbers in the bath, except indeed for their feet. Garlic, toddy, and all fermented liquors were forbidden, and no food permitted after mid-day. Music, dancing, and attendance upon such amusements were forbidden." And though seal-rings or stamps of gold were prohibited, they might use stamps of baser metal, provided, as Csoma de Körösi informs us, the device were "a circle with two deer on opposite sides, and below the name of the vihâra." Inscriptions at Kârlâ, Nasik, and elsewhere show that the cave-temples were excavated by kings, princes, and men of opulence, and that the vihâras were largely endowed with neighbouring lands and villages. The Ajanțâ caves must have been executed at a time when the religion enjoyed the highest patronage, and from their architectural style and the subjects of sculpture, we are led to assign some of them at least to an early age,-possibly one or two centuries before Christ, while none of them can date later than the seventh, and possibly not after the fifth or sixth century of the Christian era.
From the difficulty of access to them, these caves were but little visited till comparatively lately. Some officers of the Madras army saw them in 1819.§ Lieut. J. E. Alexander of the Lancers visited them in 1824, and sent a short account of them to the Royal Asiatic Society in 1829, || but it is far from satisfactory. Captain Gresley and Mr. Ralph were there in 1828, when Dr. Bird was sent up to examine them for Sir John Malcolm. Mr. Ralph's lively notice of the paintings appeared in the Bengal Asiatic Society's Journal in 1836. T Dr. Bird's account was published in 1847, in his Historical
Trans. Lit. Soc. Bomb. vol. III. p. 520. Trans. R. As. Soc. vol. III. pp. 62-70. Vol. V. pp. 557-561.
