Indian Antiquary Vol 42

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

Page 54

50
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEBRUARY, 1918...
manuscript in Maithill character of the commentary running over the Prajndpdramitd cbapter only was also acquired at the same time. Professor De la Vallée Poussin bas very nearly completed an edition of the text and the commentary in the Bibleotheca Indioa Series. The commentary is a store-honse of information about the later Mahayana School.
The Siksha-samuchchaya was edited in the Bibleotheoa Buddhica Series of St. Petersburg by the late lamented Professor Bendall of Cambridge in 1902. He has enriched his edition with the meanings of the rare Baddhist worde in English in the form of an index, and in the introduction he discusses the age of the work and the genesis of the passnges quoted in the work. In the work' Santideva rarely speaks himself, but quotes from a very large number of authoritative works. His Bodhicharyávatára is written in beautiful Sanskrit, very rarely tinged with Buddhistic licenses. The versification throughout is exceedingly musical. Sântideva wrote at a time when Chinese scholars ceased to come to India. So it was at first thought that his works were not translated into Chinese. But my friend Professor Ohmiya of Tokio writes to me that he has discovered in Nanjio's catalogue of the Tripitakas, a work which appears to be a different version of the Bodhicharydvatdra.
Recently three palm-leaves were acquired by me, being No. 9990 of the Government Collection of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which gives a legendary acconnt of Santideva's life. The leaves were written in the 14th century Newari hand at Katmandu. It represents Santideva to have been the son of a Raja. But unfortunately the name of the capital of the Rájá has been so completely effaced that with all my efforts I could not make out anything of it. The name of his father is Manjuvarma. (Târâbâthả says that Sântideva was the son of Raja of Surâshtra. Seo Introduction of Siksha-samuchchaya of Bendall, page 8. Bat Tarknátha was later than these leaves, on which my paper is based). At the time of his installation as Yurardja, his mother pointed out to him that kingship led only to sin, “You better go," said his mother, "where Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are to be found. If you go to the place of Mañjavajra, you will prosper spiritually". He rode en green horse and loft his father's country. He was so intent on his journey that he forgot to eat and drink for several days. In the thick of the forest handsome girl caught hold of bis borse and made him descend from it. She gave him good water to drink, and roasted goat-meat to eat. She introduced herself as a disciple of Manju-vajra-samadhi. This pleased Såntideva greatly. For bis mission was to become a disciple of the same Guru. Ho stopped with the Guru for 12 years, and obtained the knowledge of Mañjubrf. After the completion of his education the Guru ordered him to go to Madhyadesa. And there be became a raut, vin., & military officer assuming the name of Achalasena. He had a sword made of devaddru wood, and he soon became a favourite with the king, so much so that other officers grew jealous of him. They represented to the king that this man had a sword made of devaddru wood. How could he then serve his master as a soldier in times of War 1 The king wanted to inspect the swords of all his officere. Acbalagens represented that his sword should not be seen. But the king insisted, and he agreed to show his sword to the king in private after covering one of his eyes. As soon as the king saw the sword his eye fell on the ground. The king was surprised and pleased. But Achalasena threw his sword on a stone,' went to Nalanda, changed his dress and renounced the world. There he got the name of Santideva on account of his calmnese. He heard the three Pitakes, and practised meditation. Ho got another name too, Bhusuku, because
भुञ्जानीपि प्रभास्वरः बुशोपि, कुर्मी ततोप सदेवोत असकुसमाधिसमापनस्वात् असकुनामस्वाति सोऽपि ।
Sometime after the young folk of Nalanda became curious to test his knowledge. It was the custom at. Nalanda to hold recitations every year in the month of Jysishthu in waxing moon.