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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1890.
great Rabản of Thahtun, who went to Ceylon, and brought from thence the sacred books to his native land. This statement has, however, been corrected in the latest edition of the Burmese national history, Maha-Radad-weng, which was written, or revised, in the palace at Amarapura 92 about forty years ago.93 The story of Budhaghosa is therein correctly told, and has apparently been derived from the Mahávanso of Ceylon. The date assigned for Budhaghosa's voyage to Thahtun is A.D. 403. Even the Talaing writers, long jealous for the honour of their country, seem now to acknowledge their error as to the birthplace of their great teacher. In a late paper by a learned Talaing which I have perused, it is acknowledged that there are two accounts regarding Budhaghosa : and it is only argued that in returning from Ceylon to the continent of India, he may have come by ship to Thahton, and revived by his presence the drooping flower of religion. That Thahtun was his native place seems to be silently abandoned.”
Turnour himself accepted this compromise, even in the face of the distinct statements of his own translation, under the influence of the Essai sur le Páli.84 It was also adopted by Professor Horace Hayman Wilson,95 whose views largely dominated oriental researches for many years, and it has maintained itself as the prevailing solution of the contradictory statements in the legend down to the present time. Nevertheless, it is well to bear in mind that it is a mere compromise of recent origin without any historical value whatever.
III.-Comparison of the preceding Legends. The points of agreement and divergence in these several variations of the legend may be conveniently exhibited under the following three heads :- A. Buddhaghosa's early life; B. His visit to Ceylon ; C. His later life.
A.-Buddhaghose's early life. 1. Both streams of the legend, - the Maháyázawin, Carpanias, Burnouf, Felix Carcy, Bigandet, for the Burmese streams, and Turnour for the Ceylonese stream, -- and consequently the compromise also, state that he was a Brahman by birth.
2. Turnour's Mahavainsa makes him extensively learned in Brâhmanical knowledge, and a: active controversialist against the Buddhists in the early part of his career.
3. All the three groups, -Tarnour, Fytche, and the New Mahdydrawin, - agree that he became a convert to Buddhism.
4. Tarnour's Mahávarsa states that he received his name Buddhaghôsa," the Voice of Buddha," soon after his conversion, on acconnt of his great eloquence : Fytche's authorities dothe same: and the New Maháyázawin is in agreement with them in so far as it states that he possessed a soft voice.
5. They all agree also, Crawfurd, Bigandet, Fytehe, and the Rajaratndkurí, - that he became a priest of his new religion, that is to say, a Baddhist monk: both the Upham and the Ternour recensions of the Mahávamsa add the epithet "learned ;" and the Upham Sinhalese Compendium and Landresse make him a high-priest.
6. Turnour's Mahávansa makes him a Prakṣit author even in this first stage of his careous
7. The Burmese legend, represented by Bigandet and Fytche, makes him a native of Thaton near Martaban : and the Crawfurd variation probably means the same thing when it
2 [Amarapura =Burm. Amayapya, is near Mandalay, in fact it adjoins the southern municipal limits of the town under English rule.-R. C. T.] #8 A.D. 1873 -40 = about A.D. 1833. -T. F.
84 Turn., Introd., p. XXX & Jour. R. As. Soc., Vol. XVI. (N. S.) (1854), p. 940; XXI. (1856), p. 229ff. ; Works, Vol. II. p. 331.
86 Dr. J. Stevenson (Jour. As. Soc. Bomb., Vol. V. (1867 p. 5), says that before leaving India for Ceylon, he published several works in defence of his new religion and in opposition to his former co-religioniste, but as be gives the Mahavamsa as his authority for that statement, the only early works mentioned there are the Nan daya and the Atthasálint.
