________________
A PUZZLE FOR THE SCHOLARS OF BUDDHIST HISTORY
Nagin J. Shah
Kalidāsa, the great Sanskrit poet, is fond of referring to important historical events and personalities, provincial peculiarities and geographical cliaracteristics, etc. We know that he in his Meghadūta refers to Dignāga (c.355 - 440 A. D.), a great Buddhist logician, by employing double entendre, as also to his work 'Hastavāla (prakarna)' by using the word 'hastāval-epa'.!
Similarly, I llave come across a verse in Kālidāsa's Raghuvamsa (XIII. 7) which possibly alluded to some event in the Buddhist history. The verse in point is as follows:
पक्षच्छिदा गोत्रभिदाऽऽत्तगन्धाः शरण्यमेनं शतशो महीध्राः । नृपा इवोपल्पविनः परेभ्यः धर्मोत्तरं मध्यममाश्रयन्ते ।।
The second meaning is yielded by the verse if we notice the use of ślesa. It is as follows:
HETET: = HEITT: = HET ECHT:
Malīšāsakas are the followers of the Malīśāsaka school (nikāya).
The Malīšāsakas (malīdhirah) were humbled' in their pride (ättagandhāh) on account of Pakşacclieda and gotrabheda?. So they were harassed (upapalavinah) by others (parebhyah). Hence they by hundreds (satasah) took refuge under the shelter of (saranyam āśrayante) netural impartial (madhyamam) Dharmottara.
There is no doubt that 'Dharmottara' is a Buddhist proper noun. Now the above interpretation of the verse gives rise to following questions : When did the event refered to take place? What is actually meant by paksa and gotra in this context? What were the conditions that led to paksaccheda and gotrabheda anong Mahīśäsakas? Who were others' that harassed them? What
