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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1886.
doubt expressed about this, I will refer to 1 I only refer to this story to shew that Asstories 93 and 94 in the abovenamed work vagh ôsha was contemporary with Kcalled Samyuktaratnapitaka. In these stories nishka. But he was probably a young man, we have mention made of the king called and may have gucceeded Punyayaśas in his Chandan-Kanika, which I can only restore to old age. At any rate, we cannot accommodate Kanishk'a of Gandhåra. He was a great this succession to any date for Nagarjuna conqueror, and was converted to Buddhism. earlier than the latter end of the second cenIn story 94 he is said to have had three tury A.D. friends, - Asvaghôsha, his spiritual adviser; According to Tibetan accounts, NagarMo-cha-lo (Madra), his great minister ;-and juna lived some 600 years after Buddha; for Chay-lo-lia (Jurks P), his chief physician. this is the only reasonable way of explaining We are then told how Kanishka, after a great the statement that according to some his life slaughter of his enemies, relented and desired was 71 years short of 600, and according to to pursue a more peaceful life ; on which his others 29 years short of that period. This is chief minister intimated that such a desire supposed to be a mistake for 71 or 29 years could scarcely be carried out by such a man as short of 600 years after Buddha, and if we he had been. The king then orders & caldron assume the date of Buddha (according to Tifull of water to be heated to the boiling point, betan accounts) to be 100 years before Asoka, and, this done, he flang into the water his this again would give us a date for Nå går. ring, ordering his minister immediately to take jana from abont A.D. 166 to A.D. 200. it out with his hand. The officer begs to be I think we may safely regard this as the excused, but in vain; at last, on condition he nearest approximate date to be got from would take it out, the king permita him to Chinese or Tibetan sources, I will merely add adopt his own method. Of course he takes from that the change introduced by Nagarjuna into under the caldron the fire, and allows the water the code of Buddhist doctrine was so great to cool. Then he removes the ring. "And 80," that it is said he claimed himself to be the "all, replied the monarch,"even I may gain the knowing one" (the Omniscient), and that, after treasure of the Law, by extinguishing within his death, Stipas were raised to him, and he me the three fires of lust, hatred, and doubt." I was worshipped as Buddha !"
SANSKRIT AND OLD-KANARESE INSCRIPTIONS.
By J. F. FLEET, Bo.C.S., M.B.A.S., C.I.E.
(Continued from p. 258.) No. 166.-BODH-GAYA INSCRIPTION OF MAHANAMAN.-TH YEAR 269. This inscription, which is now published for towards the proper right side of the stone, the first time, is from a stone-tablet that was there are engraved in outline a cow and a calf, discovered in the course of the excavations standing towards, and nibbling at, a small tree made by General Canningham and Mr. J. D. or bash; the tips of the ears of the cow are M. Beglar at Bôdh-Gaya,' the famous Bad- discernible in the lithograph, below the comdhist site about five miles due south of Gaye, mencement of line 14.-The writing, which is the chief town of the Gaya District, in the in the upper part of the stone, and covers Bengal Presidency. The original stone is now a space of about 1 7' broad by 1'0' high, in in the Imperial Museum at Calcutta.
oluding a margin of about an inch all round, is The stone has the appearance of having been in a state of perfect preservation almost originally set in a socket about three inches throughout. The average size of the letters deep, and morticed at the sides into a building. is about " The characters belong to the The front surface measures about 1' 7" northern class of alphabets. They include, in broad by 1' 6' high. Below the inscription, the last line, forms of the numerical symbols * Vassilief (French Ed.) p. 201'n.
1 The 'Bodh-Gyal of the Indian Atlan, Sheet No. 104, Records of the Patriarchs (Nanjio's Catalogue, No. Lat. 24° 42' N.; Long. 85° 8 E. 1340K. v. p. 20. b.
