Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 30

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1915.
that there is a work in the PAli literature called vimd na-vatthu. It has been edited for the Pali Text Society by Mr. E. R. Gooneratne. The introduction of this book opens with the following paragraphs :
u l'he vimdna-vatthu is a work that describes the splendonr of the various celestial abodes belonging to the Dewas, who became their fortunate owners in accordance with the degree of merit they had each performed, and who there spent their time in supreme bliss.
These Vimanas aro graphically described in the little work as column supported palaces that could be moved at the will of the owners. A Dewa could visit the earth, and we read of their so descending on occasions when they were summoned by Buddha.
"The lives of the Dewas in these vimdnas or palaces were limited, and depended on the merits resulting from their good acts. From all that we read of them we can well infer that these liabitations were the centres of suprenie felicity. It is doubtless with much forethought that peculiar stress is laid, in our work, on the description of these viminas, in order to induce listeners to lead good and unblemished lives, to be pure in their acts, and to be zealous in the performance of their religious duties.
"Stories from the Vimana-ratthu bro not unfrequently referred to in later doctrinal works, when a virtuous career in life is illustrated. Thus Mattakandall and Sirima Vimana are referred to in the Dhammapada Atthakatha; Obitta, Guttils, and Rewati are quited in the Sutta Sangaha."
Anybody who reads the above extract will be convinced that these must undoubtedly be the vimdnas referred to by Asoka. He seems to have made representations of them and paraded them in various places. His motive in doing so we can easily surmise. As vimanas are palaces of gods who became their owners in consequence of the pure unblemished lives they led on earth, it was natural that he should show their representati ns to the people in order to induce them to practise righteousness and become p0880880rs of such celestial abodes. That this was the sole object of the work Vimana-valthu in clear from the words of Mr. Gooneratne quoted above in bold type. Asoka is very fond of telling ne that the performance of dharma produces merit (punya) which in its turn conduces to the attainment of heaven (svaiga). It is therefore, quite intelligible that he might bere shown to his subjects the palaces of the denizens of beaven of which they became masters through the righteous deeds performed by them while on earth, in order to imprese on their minds that they also by similar virtuous courtes could become owners of them.
Now, what can hasti-darsana signify? Hasti, of course, ordinarily means an elephant. But representations of what elephant did a soka exhibit to his people P They again mast be of such kind that they could deserve the name dirya. I am almost crtain that by hastin here we are to understand none by the White Elephant, i.e., Buddha. We know the story of the conception of Buddha. Mâyâ bad a dream in which she saw the Bodhisattva in the shape of a white elephant approaching her and entering into her womb by her right side. We have sculptures of this scene not only at Bharahat but also at Sanchi. Nay, we have incontestable proof that this story was known to Asoka and that he had at least one representation made of him. On the Girnar rock below Roek Edict XIII and reparated by an indentation we have the following line: ... va svelo hasli savaloka-sukhaharo name [The wbite elephant whose name is the bringer of happiness
to the whole world] Prof. Kern was the first to recognise in this an unmistakable reference to Buddha. At Kalsi too on the east end of the rock containing the edicts of Asoka inscribed, we have the outline of an elephant with the letters gajatume engraved between his feet. These letters, I think, stand for gajottamah, and nobody can seriously doubt that here also we have another reference to Buddha. Most probably there was a similar outlice or figure of an elephant in Girnar and also at other places. But it has now disappeared. I have, therefore, to doubt that similar repreaentations of the Whito Elephant were made and exhibited to the people, most
1 The idea of the vimdinar is not foreign oven to Jaina literature. "The servants of the Siddha. are Devatas, or the spirit of good and great men who, although not so perfoet as to obtain an exemption from all futuro change, yot live in an inferior heaven, called Swarga; wbere for a certain length of time, they enjoy great power and happines: nooording to the merit of the good works which they performed, when living as men. The mortal bodies of mankind and Deratae perish, while the Viminas (4..., the Abodes of deities of various classes) ondoro." (As. Res., Vol IX, p 2.2 and pp. 25081). Prof. K. B. Pathak also informs me that in the Digambara Jens works entitled Majhanandi orduakdchdra and Gomata.dra have been given not only minuto descriptions but also paintings of the im.dna..