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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1893.
Cambodian origin, ante, p. 354, and, for the matter of that, approach very closely to those noted in Buldha Gaya, Plates XIII., XXI. and XXV.
Given that these stonos represent Buddhist sculptures, they would show that the Tantrik or Northern Buddhism was once prevalent in the neighbourhood of Thaton, 92 & view confirmed by the remarks made ante Vol. XXI. p. 381, concerning the "Hindu" nature of the glazed tablets round the Dajáp'aya, and further by the presence of the image of Mabondayê in the Caves.
Mabonday, respresents the Earth Goddess, Vasundhara, who is the Vasudhars of Cunningham's Mahábôdhi and the Prithivi Devi of Rajendralala Mitra.83 She is Vajravarahil and Vajra-kalikt, mother of the Buddha, according to the Northern belief. Her image is, at Buddha Gaya, often distinctly Hindu in type, with 4, 6, and even 8 arms.84 As Mabôndayê she is to be seen in Burmese sculptures in many places, notably at the Mabámuni Pagoda at Mandalay, and I am, as at present advised, strongly inclined to hold that the fourarmed female (?) figure in Plate Xllla is simply Vasadhârâ.85 It should also be noted that Rajendralala Mitra points out, at p. 6 of bis Buddha Gayá, that her colt appeared very early in Buddhism. • The presence of Tantrik Buddhism in Burma is a point of more importance than it would at first appear. The usual belief, based on local tradition, is that the Burmans got their Buddhism through Paļi from Ceylon. This belief does not, however, stand historical criticism as clearly as it should to be undeniably correct, 96 and if it can be shewn that the sculptural remains all over the country are of Tantrik origin, the opposite theory, based on criticism, that the Burmans really got their culture and religion overland, or by sea, from the North, will gain overwhelming support.
Here, at any rate, is a pretty bit of evidence of the early presence of Northern Buddhism in Thaton from a native writer of much learning on the points of which he treats Sarat Chandra Das, in his Indian Pandits in the Land of Snow, p. 50 f., gives a short life of Dipankara Srijnana, Atiba, and says that he "was born A. D. 980 in the royal family of Gaur at Vikramaṇipur in Bangala, a country lying to the East of Vajrasana (Buddha Gaya)." His name was Chandragarbha and he was educated by "the sage Jêtari, an avadhút adept.” “He acquired proficiency in the three piļakas of the four classes of the Hinayana 'Srivakas, in the Vaišêshika philosophy, in the three piļakas of the Mahayana doctrine, the high metaphysics of the Madhyamika and Yogacharya schools, and the four classes of Tantras, Having acquired the reputation of being a great pandit in the Sastras of the Tirthikas, he defeated a learned Brahman in disputation. Then preferring the practice of religion to the ease and pleasures of this world, he commenced the stady of the meditative science of the Buddhists, which consists of the tisíkshú of the three studies - morality, meditation and divine learning-, and for this purpose he went to the vihára of Krishnagiri to receive his lessons from Rahula Gupta. Here he was given the secret name of Guhyajvåna Vajra, and initiated into the mysteries of esoterio Buddhism. At the age of nineteen he took the sacred vows from Sila Rakshita, the Muhásángika Acharya of Odantapari, who gave him the name of Dipankara
12 Cunningham, op. cit. p. 55,' shows that it had completely gained ascendanoy at Buddha Gaya before the Mnsalman conquest in 1201 A. D.
* Budilha Gayd, p. 139.
# For a thoroughly Tant-ik conception of Vasundhard see Forchhammer, Report on ant. in Arakan, p. 19, where he translates an inscription :-" May Vasundhars, whose extent measures 240,000 yojanas, raise an accla mation of 'sdidhu, sidhu,' as a witness to this good work of mine." But I must say that I cannot clearly follow the passage, or the name, in the text given.
* Compare Buddha Gaya, Platos XXI. fig. 2, and XX. fig. 4. Oldfield's remarks on the Nepalese representations of Dharma, Sketches from Nipal, Vol. II. p. 160 ff., may be read with much instruction in this connection. See, also, his illustration at Vol. II, p. 157 of the. Triratna.
Vide Mr. Ffoulken' article on Buddhaghosa, ante, Vol. XIX. p. 105 ff., and Mr. Taw Sein-Ko's article on Sanskrit words in the Burmese language, ante, Vol. XXI. p. 94 ff., and ante, p. 102 .
