The Royal Patrons of the University of Nalanda

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The Royal Patrons of the University of Nalanda

 

By Rev. H. Heras, S.J., M.A.

 

Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society, PART I.

 

Vol. XIV 1928 pp. 1-23

 

 

 

p. 1

 

The authors of ancient, Indian history speak at

length of the famous Buddhist University of Nalanda,

mention the six kings referred to by Hiuen Tsiang in

connection with the university, even quote the words

themselves of the Chinese pilgrim; but they have

never tried to identify the founder and the patrons

of that great institution of learning. For there is

no doubt that the names of those kings as given by

Hiuen Tsiang are, at least, partly unknown.

 

1. The Founder

 

The first four kings mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang

are the following:-

Sakraditya.

Buddhagupta-raja.

Tathagatagupta-raja.

Baladitya-raja.(1)

The fourth of these kings seems to be the same

Baladitya-raja spoken of by the Chinese pilgrim in

connection mith the Huna

_______________________________

 

1. Beal, Records of the Western World, 11p. 168.

 

p. 2

 

King Mihirakula. He is said there to have " profoundly

honoured the law of Buddha, " (1) while in the history

of Nalanda he is supposed to have entered the sangha

as we shall see later on, Now Baladitya-raja, the

defeater of Mihirakula, has already been identified

with Narasimha Gupta, one of the later imperial

Ouptas, whose coins bear the title of Baladitya.(2)

Hence one of the royal patrons of Nalanda is

undoubtedly Narasimha Gupta.

 

Now the above four kings seem to have succeeded

each other according to Hiuen Tsiang. This succession

is expressly mentioned in the case of Buddhagupta and

Baladitya. Moreover Hiuen Tsiang clearly says that

Buddhagupta, besides being the successor of

Sakraditya, was also his son. Now supposing that

Tathagatagupta was also the immediate successor of

Buddhagupta, as the author of the Life of Hiuen

Tsiang says,(3) we may present the two following

lists, the names of which correspond to each other

parallelly:

 

Sakraditya ... Kumara Gupta I.

Buddhagupta-raja ... Skanda Gupta.

Tathagatagupta-raja ... Pura Gupta.

Baladitya-raja ... Narasimha Gupta.

 

These four identifications may also be confirmed

as follows;

 

First. Skanda Gupta was the son and successor of

Kumara Gupta I,(4) just as Buddhagupta-raja is said

by Hiuen Tsiang to be the son and successor of

Sakraditya. Hiuen Tsiang does not say that

Tathagatagupta-raja was the son of Buddhagupta-raja.

As a matter of fact Pura Gupta was not the son of

Skanda Gupta, but his brother.(5) Hiuen Tsiang does

not say anything either about the succession between

Buddhagupta-

__________________________

 

1. Ibid., I,p.168.

2. Allan, Gupta Coins, p. LV Cf. Heras, The Final

Defeat of Mihirakuka, I.H.Q., III, p.12

3. Hwni Li, Life of Hiuen Tsiang, p. 117.

4. Bhitari inscription of Skandagupta, Fleet, Gupta

Inscriptions, p. 55, 1.5 and 6.

5. Bhitari seal of Kumara Gupta II, Ind. Ant. XIX,

225, i. e.

 

p. 3

 

raja and Tathagatagupta-raja. Indeed, it seems to be

a mere coincidence that modern scholars do not agree

as regards the succession of the two kings Skanda

Gupta and Pura Gupta; though I am inclined to believe

that Pura Gupta succeeded Skanda Gupta, or perhaps

reigned contemporarily with him in another province

of the empire.(l) As regards the last two kings,

Hiuen Tsiang expressly says that Baladitya-raja

succeeded to the empire after Tathagatagupta-raja,

just as Narasimha Gupta, succeeded his father Pura

Gupta.(2)

 

Second, Professor Samaddar, in order to calculate

the date of the foundation of Nalanda, gives

twenty-five years of reign on an average to the four

kings mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang.(3) We know that

Baladitya-raja was contemporary of Mihirakula whose

reign began in 502.(4) Taking also this year as the

initial year of the reign of Baladitya and following

the calculation of Professor Samaddar, we reach the

year 427 as the initial year of Sakraditya's reign.

This date comes very near the earliest known date of

Kumaragupta I, that is 415-6, of the Bilsad

inscription.(5) Accordingly the foundation of Nalanda

took place round 427. In fact Fa-hien, who passed

through Nalanda in the early years of the fifth

century, did not see the university as yet.(6)

 

Third. Hiuen Tsiang does not seem to give the

original names of the Gupta Kings, but their titles,

or perhaps some names taken in a later period. Thus

Baladitya is one of the titles of Narasimha Gupta, we

read in his coins.(7) Thus Sakraditya also sounds as

a title of Kumara Gupta I. Now the latter's coins

bear witness of his having used the title of

Mahendraditya.(8) Now Mahendra is the same as Sakra,

two

________________________

 

1. Cf. Hwui Li, Life of Hiuen Tsiang, p. 117.

2. Bhitari seal of Kumara Gupta II, 1. C.

3. Samaddar, The Glories of Magadha, p. 135 (Second

edition).

4. Cf. Pathak, New Ligit on Gupta Era and Mihirakula,

R. G. Bhandarkar Commemoration Volume, p.217.

5. Fleet, Gupta Inscriptions, p. 43.

6. Giles, Travels of Fa-hien, p. 49.

7. Allan, Gupta Coins, p. LV. 8. Ibid, p. xliii.

 

p. 4

 

different names of the god Indra. Hence Sakraditya is

the same title of Kumaragupta I referred to in his

coins.

 

Fourth. As regards the other two names

Buddhagupta-raja and Tathagatagupta-raja both reveal

the leanings of these two monarchs towards Buddhism.

Were Skanda Gupta and Pura Gupta so inclined to the

Buddbist faith? History does not say anything of the

former in connection with Buddhism. As regards the

latter our information is quite convincing.

Paramartha in his life of Vasubandhu, the great

Buddhist scholar of the fifth century, says that

King Vikramaditya became the patron of Buddhism

through the influence of Vasubandbu, and even sent

his wife and his crown prince Baladitya to study

under him.(l) Now this Vikramaditya, father of

Baladitya, cannot be other than Pura Gupta, one of

whose coins bears the reverse legend Sri-Vikramah.(2)

Hence it is not a matter of surprise to see him

mentioned under the name of Tathagatagupta-raja, by

the Chinese pilgrim.

 

Through the identification of these four kings

mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang we are made aware that

Kumara Gupta I was the founder of the Nalanda

University, a fact of great importance in ancient

Indian history. Let us now examine the possibility

and probability of such an event.

 

The foundation of the university of Nalanda

undoubtedly took glace in a period of glory for the

civil power that undertook such an enterprise. Now

the reigns of Chandra Gupta II and Kumara Gupta I (if

we prescind of the last years of the latter) mark the

climax of the Gupta power. The country was well and

peacefully administered, as Fa-hien informs us;

literature and art were passing through an epoch of

uncontroverted renaissance; Kumara Gupta I himself

had defeated his enemies, according to the Gadhwa and

Bilsa inscriptions,(3) and even had performed the

asvamedha sacrifice(4)

__________________________

 

1. Takahasu, Study of Paramartha's Life of

Vasu-bandhu, J.R.A.S., 1905, p.44

2. Allan, o. c., p. li.

3. Fleet, o. c., p.li, 1. 1, and P.44, 1, 6.

4. Allan, o. c., p.xliii.

 

p. 5

 

a privilege reserved only to Samudra Gupta and to

Kumara Gupta I among the Gupta emperors.

 

But the foundation of Nalanda by Kumara Gupta I

was besides probable. He was the sort of a man to

commence such a centre of learning. His father

Chandra Gupta II Vikramaditya, is supposed to be the

patron of the nine gems of Sanskrit literature that

flourished at Ujjain, one of whom was the great poet

Kalidasa.(1) His grandfather Samudra Gupta was

himself a poet and a musician, as the lyrist type of

his coins show,(2) and he is said to have " put to

shame Kasyapa the preceptor of Indra, the lord of the

gods, and Tamburu and Narada and others, by his sharp

and polished intellect and choral skill and musical

accomplishments; " and to have " established his title

of king of poets by various poetical

compositions. " (3) Kumara Gupta I seems to have

inherited from his ancestors this liking for

literature and learning. The poet Vamana in his

Kavyalankarasutravrtti says that he was " the patron

of eminent men of letters. " (4) Mr. K.B. Pathak sees

in this phrase an allusion to Vasubandhu.(5) I do not

deny that Vasubandhu may be, and even perhaps must

be, counted among these " men of letters " patronized

by Kumara Gupta I; but I think that the phrase may be

more properly applied to all those men of letters who

established their chairs at Nalanada by the service

and munificence of Kumara Gupta. Indeed a founder of

a university may rightly be called " patron of men of

letters. "

 

Kumarra Gupta I is undoubtedly the founder of the

university of Nalanda. Now the history of the

foundation is, prescinding of the legendary portion,

narrated by Hiuen Tsiang as follows:--

 

" A former king of this country named Sakraditya

(Kumara Gupta I) respected and esteemed the (system

of the) one Vehicle,

_______________________

 

1. Cf. Edgerton, Vikrama's Adventures, 1, p. LXVI.

2. Cf. Allen, o. c., pl. V.

3. Allahabad inscription of Samudra Gupta, Fleet,

o.c. p.14-15, 1. 27.

4. Cf. Pathak, Kumara Gupta the Patron of Vasubandhu,

J.B.B.R.A.S., XXIII.p. 185.

5. Ibid.

 

p. 6

 

and honoured very highly the three treasures. Having

selected by augury a lucky spot he built this

sanghardma. " (1)

 

The Chinese pilgrim does not say that Kumara

Gupta was a Buddhist, but says only that he

" respected and esteemed " the law of Buddha and

" honoured very highly " the Buddha, the dharma and the

sangha. In fact he seems to have been a Vaienava(2).

But such respect and esteem for Buddhism is not &

strange thing in a Hindu monarch. One of his

inscriptions commemorates the erection of a seated

image of Buddha by the Bhiksu Buddhamitra.(3)

 

What was the sangharama built by Kumara Gupta I

is, I think, not difficult to say. The university

was, as we shall see later on, destroyed several

times, and the original buildings of Kumara Gupta do

not likely exist at all. Yet we may rightly guess

that this first building occupied the place and

surroundings of the big central stupa, that enshrines

several other stupas underneath. That seems to be the

holiest place of the whole university and is perhaps

the " lucky spot " spoken of by Hiuen Tsiang. A

sangharama seems to have contained several buildings,

for The Life of Hiuen Tsiang says that the pilgrim

" went to the college of Baladitya-raja and took up

his residence in the dwelling of Buddhabhadra having

four stories. " (4) Moreover we cannot doubt that

Kumara Gupta gave some endowments to the university,

as some of the other kings mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang

also did after him, so that the students being

supplied with everything should not require to ask

for anything. Thus the university could be called

from the beginning of its existence Nalanda, i.e. "

charity without intermission. " (5) As a matter of fact

I-Tsing records the fact that the lands possessed

by the university, that contained more than 200

villages, had been bestowed upon the institution " by

kings of many

_____________________________

 

1. Beal, o.c., II., p.168.

2. Gadhwa inscription of Kumara Gupta I, Fleet, o,

c., p. 41, 1 1.

3. Fleet, o.c., p.47. Hwui Li, Life of Hiuen Tsiang,

p.109.

4. Cf. Beal, o.c., II, p.167 Hwui Li, o. c., p. 110.

 

p. 7

 

generafions. " (1) Among these kings of many

generations, it will not be fair to deny a place to

the founder of the university.

 

2. Skanda Gupta

 

Of this king Hiuen Tsiang says

" Buddhagupta-raja...... continued to labour at the

excellent undertaking of his father. To the south of

this he built another sangharama. " (2)

 

Accordingly Skanda Gupta continued the policy of

his father towards the university. His patronage was

specially shown in the fact that he built another

sangharama to the south of that erected by his

father. Such enlargement of the university was most

likely carried out by Skanda Gupta after his

victorious return from the west where he had crushed

the power of the Hunas, then for the first time

invading the plains of Aryavarta.(3)

 

3. Pura Gupta

 

Pura Gupta is said by Hiuen Tsiang to have

" vigorously practised the former rules (of his

ancestors), and he built east from this another

sangharama. " (4) These words of the Chinese pilgrim

point out two facts: first, the building of another

college east of the one built by his brother; second,

a more vigorous patronage policy in favour of the

university, probably by granting privileges and

endowments to the institution. We have already

mentioned the fact of Pura Gupta's great devotion to

Vasubandhu. It is not strange therefore that, either

on his own accord or perhaps influenced by

Vasubandhu, Pura Gupta should favour the institution

even more than his deceased brother.

 

4. Narasimha Gupta

 

Hitherto the famous university had not aparently

suffered as yet any attack of any enemy. But by this

time the Gupta Emperors had already lost their

paramount sovereignty and had

______________________

 

1. I-Tsing, A Record of the Buddhist Religion, p.65

(Trans. by Takakasu).

2. Beal, o.c., II, p.1668.

3. Bhit inscription of Skanda Gupta, Fleet, o.c.,

p.55, 1.10.

4. Beal, o.c., I, P.169.

 

p. 8

 

become feudatories of his foreign enemies the

Hunas.(1) The latter's king Mihirakula, whose capital

seems to have been somewhere in Malwa, issued a

decree during Narasimha Gupta's reign, by which he

declared his purpose " to destroy all the (Buddhist)

priests through the five Indies, to overthrow the law

of Buddha, and leave nothing remaining. " (2)

 

The greatest number of Bhiksus undoubtedly

resided in the kingdom of Narasimha Gupta. So this

king, a fervent disciple of Vasubandhu, and who is

said by the Chinese pilgrim to have " profoundly

honoured the law of Buddha, " as soon as news of the

persecution begun by Mihirakula reached his ears " he

strictly guarded the frontiers of his kingdom and

refused to pay tribute.''(3) This was a declaration

of war on the part of the Gupta sovereign. The Huna

king accepted the challenge, entered the kingdom of

Magadha and pursued Narasimha Gupta till the bay of

Bengal.(4) In the course of this campaign Mihirakula

at the head of his army had to pass very near the

university of Nalanda, for he first undoubtedly

marched on Pataliputra, and only when he realised

that the Gupta sovereign had fled towards the sea

then he continued his march till the bay of Bengal.

This inroad of the Huna army was bound to be fatal to

the kingdom of Magadha and specially to the Buddhist

religion then protected and patronized by the Gupta

monarchs. Mihirakula, beyond doubt, in his hatred of

Buddhism destroyed all its buildings that he found in

his way, and killed all its priests-- cruelties which

he was shortly afterwards to repeat in his exile of

Kashmir.(5) Nalanda University was not far from the

capital, Pataliputra, and its fame had also reached

Mihirakula's ears. The buildings of Nalanda were then

____________________

 

1. Ibid., I. p.168.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid, p.168-169.

5. Cf. Rajatarangini, I, p.19-21 (Trans. by Dutt).

 

p. 9

 

probably destroyed for the frst time, and its priests

and students dispersed and perhaps kiiled.(1)

 

But Mihirakula was finally defeated by the Gupta

army and exiled to Kashmir by the victor.(2) After

this Narasimha Gupta, the great patron of Buddhism,

could not Permit that such an important institution

of learning should perish. Hiuen Tsiang tells us that

he built another sangharama on the northeast side

of the one built by his father.(3) This sangharama

was still called " the college of Baladitya-raja " in

the time of Hiuen Tsiang.(4) Moreover he constructed

a great vihara 300 feet high. " With respect to its

magnificence, " says Hiuen Tsiang, " its dimensions,

and the statue of Buddha placed in it, it resembles

the great vihara built under the Bodhi tree. " (5) But

besides the building of the sangharama and the vihara

Nalanda undoubtedly owed to Narasimha Gupta the

restoration of the whole university after the

destruction of the Huna King. The new sangharama

mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang was only an enlargement of

the university; but the old buildings were partly

reconstructed or newly built over the ruins of the

former ones. This has been evidently proved in the

course of the excavations. They have shown that some

of the monasteries and other buildings have been

erected on the ruins of earlier ones.(6) Moreover in

the time of Harsa-vardhana the main hall built by

Kumara-Gupta I was still existing, either in its

primitive form or partially reconstructed;(7) this

shows that after the destruction of the university

the pristine plot was not abandoned.

 

After this work of restoration was done and after

the new sangharama and vihara were finished,

Narasimha Gupla decided

________________________________

 

1. Heras, A Note on the Excavations at Nalanda and

its History, J.B.B.R.A.S., II, N. S., p. 215-216.

2. Beal, o. c., I, P. 16-1171.

3. Ibid, II, P.168.

4. Hwui Li, o.c., p.109.

5. Beal, o.c., p. 173-774.

6. A.S.I. Report, 1923-24, p.70.

7. Beal, o.c., II, p.170.

 

p. 10

 

to commemorate the event with a great assembly. Hiuen

Tsiang says that he " invited common folk and men of

religion without distinction. " The meeting of this

assembly was a great succese; 10,000 priests flocked

to Nalanda from every corner of India and even two

monks came from far-off China.(l)

 

Narasimha Gupta, on seeing the faith of these

two foreign monks coming to the great celebrations at

Nalanda from so distant a country, " was filled with

gladness, " says the biographer of Hiuen Tsiang.(2)

This gladness seems to have been the effect of a

great spiritual consolation, for the Chinese pilgrim

himself says that " the king then was affected by a

profound faith. " (3) The result of this faith and

gladness was that Narasimha Gupta resigned the crown

and entered the sangha as a monk. We cannot doubt

these two facts; Hiuen Tsiang records that " he gave

up his country and became a recluse, " (4) while his

biographer states even more explicitly that " he gave

up his royal estate and became a recluse. " (5)

 

We know of only one episode of the life of

Narasimha Gupta in the sangha. The Chinese pilgrim

relates that " he (before being fully ordained) placed

himself as the lowest of the priests, but his heart

was always uneasy and ill at rest. 'Formerly (he

said) I was a king, and the highest among the

honourable; but now I have become a recluse, I am

degraded to the bottom of the priesthood'. " The poor

ex-king, though living within the walls of his

vihara, was still wishing to be the recipient of the

wordly honours which he had been accustomed to in

former days. He consequently manifested his grievance

to the superiors of the sangha. If was consequently

resolved in order to please the royal disciple that

those monks who had not yet received the full orders

should be classed not according to the number of

years they had been lay disciples, but according to

their natural

_______________________________

 

1. Beal, o.c., II, p.169.

2. Hwui Li, o.c., p. 111.

3. Beal, 1.c.

4. Ibid.

5. Hwui Li, 1. c.

 

 

p. 11

 

years of life till the time of receiving full

ordination. Narasimha seems to have been pleased with

the decision. The only thing he could not stand was

to be the last of the whole community. According to

this change in the monastic customs, he had all the

young monks behind --as he was then an old man--and

his ambition was satisfied. " This sangharama,'' adds

the Chinese pilgrim, " is the only one in which this

law exists. " (1)

 

We do not know whether Narasimba Gupta was

finally fully ordained.

 

5. Kumara Gupta II

 

After narrating Narasimha's life in the sangha,

Hiuen Tsiang adds: " The king's son, called Vajra,

came to the throne in succession. " According to the

Bhitari seal of Kumara Gupta II, the latter was the

son and successor of Nsrasimha Gupta(2) Hence Vajra,

whose name I cannot satisfactorily explain, must be

Kumara Gupta II. Narasimha, when retiring to the

sangha, resigned the crown in his favour. He is said

to be " possessed of a heart firm in the faith.''(3)

This phrase seems to point out his decided Buddhist

religion. But his own Bhitari seal seems to

contradict this statement, for he is said to be " the

most dev out worshipper of the Divine One. " (4) This

phrase refers sometimes to Visnu and sometimes to

Siva.(6) Buddha himself is called " the Divine One''

in the Mankuwar inscription of Kumara Gupta I.(6) But

the Bhitari inscription uses this expression

apparently in a Vaisnava sense when speaking of

Chandra Gupta II.(7) May we accept two different

meanings of the same expression in the same

inscription?

 

Whatever his religion may be, it is a fact

recorded by Hiuen Tsiang that " he again built on the

west side of the convent a sangharama.(8)

________________________________

 

1. Beal, l.c.

2. Ind. Ant., XIX. p. 225, 1. 6-7.

3. Beal, o.c., II, p.170.

4. Ind. Ant., XIX, p.225, 1.7.

5. Cf. Fleet, o.c., p.38, 40, 41, 49, 51, 54, 123,

217, etc.

6. Ibid., p.47.

7. Ind. Ant., XIX, p.225, 1. 3.

8. Beal, 1. c.

 

p. 12

 

6. Other Kings

 

" A long succession of kings, " says Hiuen Tsiang,

" continued the work of building, using all the skill

of the sculptor, till the whole is truly marvellous

to behold. " (l) are most likely some of the later

Gupta kings mentioned in the Apshad inscription of

Adityasena.(2)

 

The appearance of the university after all these

sangharamas and buildings had been constructed is

said to have been " truly marvellous " by the Chinese

pilgrim. Indeed his biographer writes a fine

description of the university, like a bird's-eye

view, which is worth quoting as showing what the

university looked like during the first half of the

seventh century A.D., after all those kings had

embellished its monasteries and decorated its towers

and observatories. Hwui Li's description is to the

following effect:-

 

" The richly adorned towers, and the fairy-like

turrets, like pointed hill-tops, are congregated

together. The observatories seem to be lost in the

vapours of the morning, and the upper rooms tower

above the clouds. From the windows one may see how

the winds and the clouds produce new forms, and above

the soaring eaves the conjunctions of the sun and

moon may be observed. And then we may add how the

deep translucent ponds, bear on their surface the

blue lotus, intermingled with the Kie-ni (Kanaka)

flower, of deep red colour, and at intervals the Amra

groves spread over all, their shade. All the outside

courts, in which are the priests' chambers, are of

four stages. The stages have dragon projections and

coloured eaves, the pearl-red pillars, carved and

ornamented, the richly adorned balustrades, and the

roofs covered with tiles that reflect the light in a

thousand shades, these things add to the beauty of

the scene. " (3)

____________________________

 

1. Ibid. This phrase we read after the allusion to

Harsha must refer to the kings prior to him; for the

Chinese pilgrim himself was at Nalanda during

Harsha's time. Hence he cannot speak of Harsha's

successors.

2. Fleet, o.c., p.206.

3. Hwui Li, o.c., p.111-112.

 

 

p. 13

 

During this period there occurred in Magadha

several wars, which by the natural havoc consequent

on any war, may also have been destructive at

Nalanda. The above-mentioned Apshad inscription of

Adityasena mentions two defeats inflicted on king

Isanavarman, the first by one Kumara Gupta (probably

the same Kumara Gupta II) and the seoond by Damodara

Gupta; while Isanavarman himself had previously

defeated the Hunas. Then Mahasena Gupta won a victory

over Susthivarman.(1) The Haraha inscription of

Isanavaraman also refers to the victories of this

monarch over the lord of the Andhras " who had

thousands of threefold rutting elephants, " over the

Sulikas " who had an army of countless galloping

horses, " and over the Gaudas " living on the

seashore. " (2) A partial destruction of Nalanda caused

by these wars (some of which were evidently fought in

the territory of Magadha) may well have taken place.

 

7. Harsha-vardhana

 

Vajra, i.e. Kumara Gupta II, seems to be the last

king of the Gupta family mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang in

connection with the university of Nalanda. Moreover

not even other kings of the same kingdom of Magadha,

but belonging to other dynasties, are referred to by

the Chinese pilgrim. But he adds the name of a king

of another kingdom to this list of patrons of the

university of Nalanda. After having mentioned Vajra

and his doings, he says: " After this a king of

Central India. " (3)

 

This king of Central India, that appears after

the extinction of the Gupta family before the arrival

of Hiuen Tsiang in India, cannot be other than

Harsa-vardhana of Kanauj. The same Hiuen Tsiang refer

clearly to him in other two passages of his account

in connection with the university. That this monarch

had positive and openly declared leanings towards

Buddhism is clear from other passages of Hiuen

Tsiang's travels. When we read for instance Hiuen

Tsiang's account of the assembly of Kanauj convoked

by Harsa for propagating the

______________________

 

1. Flreet, o.c., p.206.

2. Ep. 1nd., XlV, P. 120.

3. Beal, o.c., II, p.170.

 

p. 14

 

doctrines of Mahayana, we cannot doubt that the great

emperor had accepted in his heart the faith of

Buddha.(1)

 

The first dealings of Harsa with Nalanda seem, so

it appears, to be connected with a double tragedy of

his family. His sister Rajyasri had been married to

the Maukhari king Grahavarman.(2) This king, some

years later, had been defeated and killed by king

Deva Gupta of Malwa and after his death Rajyasri had

been cast into prison by the victor. Harsa's brother,

Rajya-vardhana, then the king at Thanesar, could not

stand this affront on his family, marched against

Deva Gupta and defeated him.(3) But it happened just

at this moment that Sasanka, king of Gauda in Eastern

Bengal, entered Magadha as a friend of

Rajya-vardhana, but in secret alliance with the Malwa

king. Accordingly Sasanka trencherously murdered

Rajya-vardhana.(4) It was most likely on this

occasion that he besides destroyed the sacred places

of Buddhism, as related by Hiuen Tsiang: " Lately

Sasanka-raja " says he,''when he was overthrowing and

destroying the law of Buddha, forth with came to the

place where that stone is for the purpose of

destroying the sacred marks (Buddha's foot-prints).

Having broken it into pieces, it came whole again,

and the ornamental figures as before; then he flung

it into the river Ganges. " (5) " In later times, " the

same Hiuen Tsiang goes on to say, '' Sasanka-raja,

being a believer in heresy, slandered the religion of

Buddha and through envy destroyed the convents and

cut down the Bodhi tree (at Buddha Gaya), digging it

up to the very springs of the earth; but yet be did

not get to the bottom of the roots. Then he burnt it

with fire and sprinkled it with the juice of

sugar-cane, desiring to destroy them entirely, and

not leave a trace of it behind. " (6) Such was

Sasanka's hatred towards Buddhism.

 

--------------------

 

1. Cf. Ibid., I. p. 217-221.

2. Harsha Charita, p. 156.

3. Ibid., p. 173-176. Cf. Mukerji, Harsha, p. 53.

4. (Ibid., p. 171-78; Beal, o. c. p.210.

5. Beal, o.c., II, p.91.

Ibid., p.118.

 

p. 15

 

Hence we cannot imagine this kin going from the

Ganges to Gaya and passing so near Nalanda, the

greatest centre of Buddhism in those days, without

leaving there the effects of his bigotry. That most

likely was a new occasion on which the buildings of

Nalanda were razed to the ground and its inhabitants

murdered or dispersed.(l)

 

On hearing of the murder of his brother, Harsa

resolved at once to march against the treacherous

king of Gauda, and both the Harsa Charita and Hiuen

Tsiang agreed as to the colossal success of Harsa's

efforts.(2) After having driven Sasanka to Bengal we

cannot doubt that Harsa, the enthusiastic disciple of

Mahayana Buddhism, restored the university of Nalanda

to its pristine grandeur, just as Purnavarma repaired

the damages caused by Sasanka at Buddh Gaya.(3)

 

But this was not all. Harsa, called by Hiuen

Tsiang " a king of Central India, " " built to the north

of this a great sangharama. " (4) The Chinese pilgrim

seems to indicate that the sangharama built by Harsa

was greater than those built by other kings in the

precincts of the university, for this is the only one

called ''great " by him.

 

Hiuen Tsiang mentions another building due also

to the devotion and munificence of Harsa. " To the

south of this, " says he, " is a vihara of brass built

by Siladitya-raja. " (5) It is well known that

Siladitya-raja is the name given Harsa by the Chinese

pilgrim, a title which is also confirmed by numis-

matics.(6) This vihara was still under construction

at the time of Hiuen Tsiang's stay at the university.

" Although it is not yet finished, " he adds, " yet its

intended measurement, when finished, will be hundred

feet. " (7) But Hiuen Tsiang's

__________________________

 

1 Cf. Heres, A Note on the Excavations of Nalanda,

J.B.B.R.A.S. II.N.S., p.217.

2 Harsha Charita, p. 187; Beal, o.c., I. p. 213.

3 Beal, o.c., II, p. 118.

4 Ibid., p, 170.

5 Ibid., p, 179.

6 Mookerji, Harsha, frontispiece.

7 Beal, l.c.

 

p. 16

 

biographer, who wrote some years later, seems to have

received some more information about this building

after its completion. In fact Hwui Li says that " it

was renowned through all countries. " The vihara,

according to Hwui Li's information, was not made all

of brass, but only " covered with brass plates. " (1)

Indeed the appearance of the building was

" magnificent and admirable. " In fact the Hinayana

monks of Orissa envied the Mahayana monks of Nalanda

so rich and gorgeous a building. "

 

Moreover in the time of Hiuen Tsiang Harsa had

the purpose of dedicating an image of Buddha " in the

hall of the monarch who first began the

sangharama. " (3) This seems to be an allusion to the

first sangharama built by Kumara Gupta I.

 

Finally Harsa's patronage is also shown by the

numerous endowments be granted to the university. "

The king of the country, " says Hwui Li, " respects and

honours the priests, and has remitted the revenues of

about 100 villages for the endowment of the convent.

Two hundred householders in these villages, day by

day, contribute several piculs of ordinary rice,

several hundred catties in weight of butter and

milk. " The biographer here draws a consequence that

discloses the great importance of these endowments of

Harsa. " Hence the students here, being so abundantly

supplied, do not require to ask for the four

requisites (clothing, food, bedding and medicine).

This is the source of the perfection of their

studies, to which they have arrived. " (4)

 

Hiuen Tsiang himself also informs us that when

Harsa decided to erect an image of Buddha in the

singharama of Kumara Gupta, he said too: " I will feed

forty priests of the congregation every day to show

my gratitude to the founder. " (5)

___________________

 

1 Hwui Li, o.c., p. 159.

2 Ibid.

3 Beal, o.c., II, p. 170. By the words " the King "

Hiuen Tsiang evidently refers to the then ruling

king, Harsha, called by the former's biographer " the

king of the country. " Hwui Li, p. 112.

4 Hwui Li, o.c., p. 112-113.

5 Beal, o.c., II, p.170.

 

 

p. 17

 

These endowments and grants of Harsa were most likely

confirmed by official documents adorned with his

seal. In fact two seals of Harsa have been found in

Nalanda in the course of the excavations.(1)All these

favours and donations of the great emperor were

crowned by the construction of a lofty wall enclosing

all the buildings of the university.(2) His intention

seems to have been to defend the institution of any

other possible hostile inroad.

 

8. Kings of other Countries

 

The Chinese pilgrim speaking of a brick vihara of

Nalanda, where an image of Tara Bodhisattva was

venerated, says as follows: -- " The kings and

ministers and great people of the neighbouring

countries offer exquisite perfumes and flowers,

holding gem-covered flags and canopies, whilst

instruments of metal and stone resound in turns,

mingled with the harmony of flutes and harps. These

religious assemblies last for seven days. " (3)

 

Who were these kings of the neighbouring

countries in the time of Hiuen Tsiang besides the

great Vardhana? Unfortunately the Chinese pilgrim

does not give any clue for ascertaining this doubt.

Anyhow six were the main kingdoms round Harsa's

empire: the kingdom of the Maukharis, the kingdom of

Gauda in Bengal, the kingdom of Kamarupa in Assam,

the kingdom of Nepal, the kingdom of the Valabhis in

Saurastra and tile kingdom of the Chalukyas in the

Deccan. Let us examine separately the possibility of

the patronage of Nalanda by the kings of these

countries.

 

(a) The Maukharis.--Some of the Maukharis may

undoubtedly be counted among the patrons of Nalanda.

Two of their seals have also been found at Nalanda

next to the seals of Harsa.(4) Moreover Purnavarma,

whom I consider to be the last

______________________

 

1 A.S.I., E. C. 1917-8 p.44

1 Beal, l. c.

3 Beal, o. c., II, p. 174 -175.

4 A. S. I., E. C., 1917--8, p.44--5.

 

 

p. 18

 

Maukhari,(l) seems to have had great affection for

Buddha and his doctrines. Hiuen Tsiang tells us that

when hearing of the destruction caused to the Bodhi

tree by the fanaticism of Sasanka, Purnavarma

exclaimed: " The sun of wisdom having set, nothing is

left but the tree of Buddha, and this they now have

destroyed; what source of spiritual life is there

now. " " He then, " continues Hiuen Tsiang, " cast his

body on the ground overcome with pity; then with the

milk of a thousand cows he again bathed the roots of

the tree, and in a night it once more revived and

grew to the height of some 10 feet. Fearing lest it

should be again cut down, he surrounded it with a

wall of stone 24 feet high.''(2) Such a great

devotion for the law of Buddha surely compelled also

Purnavarma to patronize the Nalanda University,

specially after its destruction by the same Sasanka

who uprooted the Bodhi tree. In fact the same Hiuen

Tsiang mentions a " pavilion of six stages " made at

Nalanda by Purnavarma to enshrine a copper statue of

Buddha 80 feet high.(3)

 

(b) Gauda in Bengal.--We have seen that its king

Sasanka was a declared enemy of Buddhism. His

relations with Nalanda seem to have been purely

negative and destructive.

 

© Kamarupa in Assam.--The king of Kamarupa

contemporary of Harsa was named Bhaskaravarman. He

was a Brahmana by caste and by faith,(4) but he

respected and was much interested in the law of

Buddha. When he came to know of the existence of a

Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang, at the Nalanda

University he sent him three different messages

inviting him to his court, till his wish was

satisfied.(5) Later on we see him accompanying

Harsa-vardhana in the great Buddhist assembly of

Kanauj, where Mahayana Buddhism

______________________

 

1 Ct. Aravamuthan, The Kaveri. The Mautharis and

Sangam Age, p. 111.

2 Beal, l. c., p. 118.

3 Ibid, p. 174.

4 Beal, o.c., ], p. 196.

5 Ibid., p.196-198.

 

p. 19

 

was propounded.(1) He must undoubtedly be counted

among the patrons of the Nalanda University. One of

his seals, found at Nalanda next to those of Harsa,

seems to prove the same fact.(2)

 

(d) Nepal.--Hiuen Tsiang gives some information

about this country and its king. His name was

Amsuvarman, the founder of the Thakuri dynasty. He

" was a descendant of the Licchavis. The Chinese

pilgrim refers to his intellectual abilities and to

his religion. As regards the former he says that he

was distinguished for his learning and ingenuity. He

himself had composed a work on 'sounds'; he esteemed

learning and respected virtue, and his reputation was

spread everywhere " As to his religion Hiuen Tsiang

says as follows: " His mind is well informed, and he

is pure and dignified in character. He has a sincere

faith in the law of Buddha.''(3) In fact one of the

inscriptions of this king, published by Pandit

Bhagvanlal Indraji, shows on the top the wheel of the

law, between two deer, that is a symbol of the first

sermon of Buddha at the Deer Park, Sarnath.(4) The

literary likings of this king and his religious faith

make quite probable that he himself patronized in

some way or other the university of Nalanda,

specially if we consider that he paid homage to

Harsa-vardhana, as the introduction of Sriharsa era

clearly shows, (5) and that he visited Harsa's

kingdom, a fact recorded in the Parvaviya

Vamsavali.(6)

 

(e) The Valabhis of Saurastra.-According to Hiuen

Tsiang the contemporary Valabhi king was

Dhruvapata.(7) He seems to be king Siladitya VI, who

is also surnamed Dhrubhata or Dhruvabhata, i.e. " the

constant warrior. " (8) About his

___________________________

 

1. Ibid., I, p.217-218

2. J.B.O.R.S., 1919, p. 302; 1920, p. I51.

3. Ibid., II, p.81.

4. Ind. Ant., IX, p. 169.

5. Cf. Ind, Ant., XIX. p. 40-41.

6. Wright, History of Nepal, p. 183.

7. Beal, o.c., 11, p. 267.

8. Ind. Ant., VII., p. 80.

 

p. 20

 

religion the Chinese pilgrim says " Quite recently he

has attached himself sincerely to faith in the three

'precious ones' (Buddha. dharma and sangha). " He

moreover describes his character and likings as

follows: " He is of a lively and hasty disposition,

his wisdom and statecraft are shallow. He esteems

virtue and honours the good; he reverences those who

are noted for their wisdom. The great priests who

come from distant regions he practically honours and

respects. " (1) This seems to give some probability to

his being one of the benefactors of Nalanda

University.

 

(f) The Chalukyas of the Deccan.--The

contemporary sovereign of the Deccan was Pulakesin

II, the greatest monarch of the Chalukyan dynasty.

Hiuen Tsiang says that " 'his beneficent actions are

felt over a great distance. " (2) Nevertheless we are

not aware of his leanings towards Buddhism. Moreover,

himself being an enemy of Harsa, whom ha defeated

near the Narbada,(3) it is not probable that he would

favour the Nalanda University within the boundaries

of his enemy's dominions.

 

Besides these sovereigns there were in northern

India several petty rajas who had acknowledged the

sovereignity of Harsa. They also perhaps favoured at

times the university of Nalanda. Hiuen Tsiang says

that there were twenty of these kings round Harsa at

the Charity Assembly he witnessed at Prayaga

(Allahabad).(4)

 

9. A Plan of the University of Nalanda

 

As a complement of our study about the royal

patrons of Nalanda,a probable plan of the university

at the time of Hiuen Tsiang's visit, and according to

the data furnished

________________

 

1 Beal, 1. c.

2 Ibid, p. 256.

3 Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II, Ep. Ind., VI,

p.10, l.23.

4 Beal, o. c., I, p. 218. The king of Kamarupa and

the Valabhi king were among the twenty. One of these

twenty also was the king of Nepal mentioned above.

The Parbhatya Vamsavali records his visit to Prayaga.

Cf. Wright, History of Nepal, p.133.

 

p. 21

 

by him, will not, I think, be out of place. Certainly

this plan cannot be without errors. The information

is not great and scattered here and there without

giving the distances between buildings and buildings,

excepting in two or three cases. Anyhow this rough

sketch will give a general idea of what that famous

institution was like and will show the munificence of

its royal patrons and benefactors.

 

1. Sangharama or college built by Kumara Gupta I " on

a lucky spot. " (Beal, o. c., p. 168.)

2. To the south of this, sangharama built by Skanda

Gupta. (Ibid.)

3. To the east of this, sangharama built by Purra

Gupta. (Ibid.)

4. On the north-east side, sangharama built by

Narasimha Gupta. (Ibid).

5. On the west side of the convent, I understand, of

the first original monastery, sangharama built by

Kumara Gupta II (p. 170). The Life of Hiuem Tsiang,

p.111, disagrees. Hwui Li says only that this

sangharama was " to the north. " This uncertainty and

the fact that he never saw Nalanda causes me to

prefer Hiuen Tsiang's statement.

6. To the north of this, great sangharama built by

Harsa--vardhana (Beal, o. c., p. 170.) The Life of

Hiuen Tsiang, l.c., says that this sangharama was

built " by the side'' of the one built by Kumara

Gupta II.

7. " On the western side of the sangharama, at no

great distance, is a vihara. " (Beal, o. c, p. 172.)

8. " To the south 100 paces or so is a small stupa. "

(Ibid.)

9. " On this southern side is a standing figure of

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.'' (Ibid.)

10. " To the south of this statue is a stupa in which

are remains of Buddha's hair and nails. "

(Ibid., 173.)

11. " To the west of this, outside the wall, and by

the side of a tank, is a stupa. " (Ibid.)

 

p. 22

 

12. Tank. (Vide No. 11.)

13. " To the south-east about 50 paces, within the

walls, is an extraordinary tree, about eight or nine

feet in height, of which the trunk is twofold, "

(Ibid.)

14. " Next to the east there is a great vihara about

200 feet in height. " (Ibid.) In the plan I placed

this vihara much towards the east; otherwise there is

no room for the following viharas north of this.

According to this arrangement, the vihara No. 16,

built by Narasimha Gupta, comes in the neighbourhood

of the sangharama built by the same monarch, a fact

that does not look improbable.

15. " After this, to the north 100 paces or so, is a

vihara in which is a figure of Avalokitesvara

Boddhisattva. " (Ibid).

16. " To the north of this vihara is a great vihara,

in height about 300 feet, which was built by

Baladitya- raja. " (Natrasimha Gupta) (Ibid.)

17. " To the north-east of this is a stupa. " (Ibid.

p. 174.)

18. " To the north-west is a place where the four

past Buddhas sat down. " (Ibid.)

19. " To the south of this is a vihara of brass built

by Siladitya-raja. " (Harsa-vardhana) (Ibid.)

Accordingly this vihara built by Harsa is not far

from the great sangharama also built by him.

20. " Next to the eastward two hundred paces or so,

outside the walls, is a figure of Buddha standing

uprigh and made of copper. Its height is about 80

feet. A pavilion of six stages is required to cover

it. " (Ibid.) This is the pavilion built by

Purnavarma.

21. " To the north of this statue two or three li, in

a vihara constructed of brick, is a figure of Tara

Bodhisattva. This figure is of great height and its

spiritual appearance very striking. " (Ibid.)

 

 

p. 23

 

22. " Within the souhern gate of the wall is a large

well, " (Ibid, p. 175.) The phrase of the pilgrim

seems to show that this well was close to the gate. I

had no special reason for putting it on the east side

of the same.

23. " High wall " built round these edifices by

Harsa-vardhana. (Ibid., p, 179.)

24. The only gate to enter the premises of the

university. (Ibid.) Further on Hiuen Tsiaug says that

this gate was " southern. " (Ibid., p. 175.) The

following quotation discloses the importance of this

gate. " If men of other quarters desire to enter and

take part in the discussions, the keeper of the gate

proposes some hard questions; many are unable to

answer, and retire. One must have studied deeply both

old and new books before getting admission. Those

students, therefore, who come here as strangers, have

to show their ability by hard discussion, those who

failed compared with those who succeed are as seven

or eight to ten. " (Ibid., p. 171.)

 

The precise extension of the area covered by the

buildings of the university is not said by Hiuen

Tsiang. Anyhow Hwui Li states that this sangharama

(the whole university) " is the most remarkable for

grandeur and height " all over India.(1) He also

states that " the priests belonging to the convent, or

strangers residing therein always reach to the number

of 10,000. " (2) Finally I-Tsing, who travelled through

India towards the close of the same century, informs

us: There are eight halls and three hundred

apartments in this monastery. " (3) These scanty data

will give some idea of the great extension of the

university of Nalanda.

_________________________

 

1 Hwui Ll, o. c., p. 112.

2 Ibid.

3 I-Tsing, o.c., p.154.

 

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