Jainism Early Faith of Ashoka

Author(s): Edward Thomas
Publisher: Trubner and Company London

Page 94

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THE EARLY FAITH OF AŞOKA.
other Brahmanical gods that apparently attained any prominence, at the epoch of these three Indo-Scythian kings, which, for the moment, we may accept as at or about the commencement of our era, would seem to have been Siva's supposed consort, APAOXPO, and Mahásená, which latter embodiment is elsewhere understood as a mere counterpart of Şiva.? In the same manner, Skanda constitutes the title of a "son of Şiva," and Vişákha is the conventional name of Kárttikeya or Skanda, "the god of war," and finally, Kumára is simply a synonym of Skanda. In fact we have here nothing but the ' multiform Siva personally, or the various members of his family. So that the combined testimony of the grammarian and the material proofs exhibited by the coins would almost necessitate the conclusion that, at the commencement of our era, Brahmanism had not yet emerged from Saivism, whose Indian origin is now freely admitted by the leading authorities.
In testing the position of Saivism, at approximate periods, we are able to appeal to the independent testimony of the coins of a collateral division of the Indo-Scythic race, whose leading designation follows the term of OOHMO KAAGICHC.
It has hitherto been usual to place this branch of the Scythic intruders considerably earlier, in point of time, than their fellow and more permanently-domiciled brotherhood; but the question as it is presented, under later lights, seems to resolve itself into a geographical rather than an epochal severance. The Kadphises horde settled themselves in lands where the Bactrian Páli alphabet and quasi-Aryan speech were still current. The Kanerki group, wherever their first Indian location may have been, clearly followed Iránian traditions in the classification and designations of their adopted gods, in the regions of their abundant mintages.
The Kadphises forms of Saivism may be followed in detail in Plate X. of Prof. Wilson's Ariana Antiqua. The
1 Mahd-send, "a great army," an epithet of Kdrttikeya or Skanda; of Şiva. So also Sendpati, "army chief," name of Kdrttikeya; of Siva, etc.—M. Williams, in vocibus.