Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 24

18
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1911.
But a detailed account of these Magas is given in the Bhavishya-purana36, Thurein they aro said to have sprung from the union of Surya and Nakshubbû, daughter of the sage Rijibra, belonging to the Mihira gotra. The account here is rather involved and not quite lucid. But the main points are clear enough. She had a son named Jaragabda according to one manuscript, but Jaraśasts according to another. He was the originator of the Maga Brahmaņas. They were originally dwelling in the Sakadvipa, but were brought into Jambudvips, it is said, by Sâmba, son of Kțishņa. Simba was suffering from white leprosy, and Narada advised him to erect a temple of Sürya on the river Chandrabhagâ in order that he might be oared of his disease. This was accordingly built38, but no Brahmanas undertook to perform the duties of pujdrs. Thereupon on the advice of Gauramukha, Samba set ont for SÅ kad vipa, and broaght ten Magu families. Various details are further given of these Brahmanas. But it is sufficient here to note that they were also called Bhojakas and that they wore round their waist what is called an avyanga, which was originally the skin of the serpent-god Vasaki. A little reflection will tell us that these Magas are no other than the Magi of old Persia, who were the priestly class there. The name of their originator, we have seen, was Jarasasta, which bears a close correspondence in sound to Jaratasta (Zoroaster). Avyanga again is the Indian form of the Avestê word Aiwydonghan. The gotra of the grandfather of Jarabasta, as we have seen, is Mihira, which again is the Sanskritised form of the old Persian word Mihr.
We have already seen that Magas are mentioned in the Govindpar stone inscription of 1137 A. D. But an earlier epigraphic reference to them is to be found in the Ghatiyâlâ inscription of Kakkuka dated 918 V.E.=861 A.D. The text of the inscription is therein said to have been drawn up by the Maga Mâtçiravi. Varahamihira (circa 505 A.D.) in his Brihatsashitd, Cap. Ix, v.19, speaks of the Magas as the proper persons to install and consecrate the image of Surya. To about this time (550 A.D.) belongs the manuscript found in Nopal, in which, it is said, that in the Kaliyaga, Magas and Brühmaņas would be regarded as of the same status. Again, it is worthy of note that a short account of Sakadvipa together with its population, including Magas, occurs in the Mahabharata, Bhishmaparvan, Cap. xis. This may be an interpolation, but it must be remembered that the epic acquired its present character by about 450 A.D., and consequently Magas must be supposed to have come into India before the middle the fifth century. I think they came with Kanishkato (circa 78 A.D.), who appears to have been the first Indo-Scythian princo that had espoused the Avestic faith. What is specially noticeable in this connection is that it is on bis coins that the name and figure of the deity Mihira for the first time are met with. Mihira was a form of the god Surya, was the name of Rijihva, grandfather of Jeransta, and is even now an epithet borne by many Sakadvipt Brahmaņas. Magas, in all probability, first came into India with Kanishka as his A vestic priests.
Such was the origin of Maga Brahmaņas. Yet how thoroughly they had imbibed Hindu faith and literature! The Govindpur inscription referred to above speaks of one Gangadhara as having bailt a tank. He was also the composer of the inscription. He gives us a short description of his
* Brahma paruan, Cape. 139-42. In some MSS. instead of Nakahabhi we have Nikshubha, and instead of Rijibva, Sujihya or Rijvahva. So s/no Romo MSS. have Jalagamba or Jarniabda instead of Jarakanta.
56 Chandrabbagh is name of the river Chopib, and the temple was built at Maltan, one of whose names is Bambapura, the place, where the imago in inat lød, is sed Mitravana in the Bhavishyapur dg. For further dotails, see Cunningham's Ancient Geography of Ind . Vol. I., p. 232 ff.
Proceedings of the Bengal Asiatic Society for 1971 p. 3.
The same verses are repeated in the Bhavishya-purana, Brahmaperean, Cap. 139, 7, 74 .
> According to Professor Maodonell, the oplo aoquired its present character by about 350 A.D. (4 History of Sanskrit Literaturo, p. 287). But the mention of Hapa in it requires us, I think, to masign it to 450 A. D.
* I have now come to regard that Kanishka, in all likelihood, fourished about this time and that he was the originator of the era, which was afterwards known at Sakakala.
• Ante, VoL XVII, p. 89 8.